Well known US pastor and evangelist Greg Laurie told crowds at two Auckland pre-Crusade launch meetings that he was “excited” and “amazed” at how many people had responded to his invitation to accept Christ.
The first meeting in the Aotea Centre on August 13 drew 1200 people; 160 responded that night, according to Laurie’s team. The next night’s South Auckland meeting had 1500 people, with 175 people coming forward.
The event was an official invitation from Auckland Church leaders to Laurie to run large-scale crusades next June in Auckland’s 12,000-seat Vector Arena.
Laurie had just conducted a crusade in Anaheim, Los Angeles, at which 10,051 people officially registered decisions to follow Christ.
In the Aotea Centre people streamed forward when Laurie invited them to follow Christ, or rededicate their life to Christ.
Laurie told the gathering, “For the size of audience, this is an amazing response, more than I expected … Do you know what this degree of response here tonight means? It means the harvest fields of Auckland are ripe for a major Crusade in 2011”.
Harvest Crusades New Zealand representative Hans Wouters said, “This response is amazing, considering this was a church event and not particularly meant to be overtly evangelistic.
“The response rate, based on the attendance, was about 12 per cent — above average for any harvest event anywhere in the world”.
Auckland Mayor John Banks spoke on both nights.
“I am keen for people to have hope in life and a good future by following Christ,” was Mr Bank’s message to the crowd.
Forthright about his own faith, Mr Banks said that at the age of eight he was taken by a Salvation Army officer for three meetings a week at the Army. At the time, he said, he was unhappy, but he came to know Jesus as a friend.
Mr Banks said he believed Auckland needed Laurie’s campaign next year, “with Auckland facing problems including binge-drinking, crime and violence, crusades which present Christ are certainly needed”.
The mayor received enthusiastic applause when he said, “It is a personal relationship and faith in Jesus that people need. Religion is not the answer. What is needed is for people to have personal faith”.
Evangelist Bill Subritzky, who was at the Aotea Centre launch, said later that Laurie’s personal testimony of coming to Christ was outstanding. “He is a gifted speaker who speaks the Word of God with authority … The overall presentation bodes well for the three major outreaches at Vector Arena next year.
“I pray that the great majority of Auckland churches will join in this wonderful opportunity of proclaiming Jesus Christ to this city and surrounding areas”.
Graeme Lee of the Evan-gelism and Discipling Centre said the next phase would be different.
He said it would be a call to people to be involved in a much deeper way, with more churches participating.
