On the Day February 22 1954

Billy Graham Stuns London 

Khen Lim



Image source: billygraham.org.uk

Billy Graham may have always wanted to preach in England but that didn’t mean England really wanted him there. As Billy took two years just to plan his Greater London Crusade for March 1 1954, he knew this would be the sternest acid test he could expect of his burgeoning ministry.

This was not helped by the fact that the British had always taken a low view of the American gospel revolution. An Anglican Bishop told Billy not to bother coming, which wouldn’t have encouraged his backers and sponsors. England was so spiritually mediocre that people were advising him to stage his Crusade outside London as a toe-dipping exercise. But he refused, saying that God did not need a pilot program!

But for him, however, the difficulties were hardly going away. Finding a venue in the heart of London proved impossible and so Billy’s organisers settled on the Harringay Arena in North London where most speakers were reputed to have had trouble filling the seats two nights in a row. Worse were to come – when funds were dipping low, Billy and his helpers at the Evangelical Alliance had to take pay cuts just to make ends meet. Even Billy faltered: “To go to London for a campaign is indeed frightening and humbling. If anything is done for Christ, it will have to be the Lord’s doing.” Even so, he was accused by fellow American evangelist and founder of his own university, Robert Reynolds Jones, Sr. of putting his pride before common sense. But nothing would stymie Billy from going. Once he knew this was God’s calling tailored for him, there was no stopping him no matter what.

A key figure in the Evangelical Alliance who was also part of the Harringay organisers, Maurice Rowlandson, recalled the planning of the crusade, saying, “There was not a lot happening in English Christianity at the time.”

“We were very post-war. A lot of young people had never seen any evangelistic things in their lives and there were not very many evangelical churches. We had heard of Billy Graham and had received so many reports of what he was doing in America; it seemed right to bring him here.”

Billy with wife Ruth and daughters Anne, Ruth and Virginia, 1954 (Image source: tributes.com)

When Billy set sail for England abroad the liner ‘United States’ on February 22 1954, he received a telegram from a Labor Party Member of Parliament who accused him of using religion to drive a divisive wedge into British politics simply because a Crusade handout happened to mention the woes raised by Socialism, which they took offence to.

The British media was up in arms, wanting to scalp him even while he was on his way across the Atlantic. Fearing the effects of the backlash, his lukewarm supporters in England went into hiding and to all of this, Billy was crestfallen. However since God had brought him this far, he knew he needed to persist. 

Billy in London, 1954 (Image source: ronburtonphotographer.com)

When he finally arrived, hostile reporters were baying for his blood, mobbing him to his distress. And yet, he clung on to the belief that God would pour out a revival upon England. At the customs area, an officer actually thanked him for showing up and so did the taxi driver. Just both of these gestures were enough to keep Billy’s spirits up.

On the day of his first meeting, Billy’s doubts returned and he went to his knees, praying. Then a senator called to say he was no longer attending and therefore, he withdrew his support for the event. Then another person rang in to say that only 2,000 would likely turn up even if the venue could seat 15,000. Once more, Billy fell to his knees and went before the Lord.

“The very first night was significant because nobody thought anyone would come,” said Rowlandson.

Billy addressing the crowd at Harringay (Image source: harringayonline.com)

Ironically the more downcast the situation, the more the blessings seem to eventually come flooding in. Contrary to how he was made to feel by those around him, he actually ended up running the rally for four straight weeks and then later, faced three big months of full-house attendances with standing room. He was also constantly surrounded by people who simply loved and yearned for the Lord. 

Billy outside 10 Downing Street, having visited PM Winston Churchill (Image source: gettyimages.com.au)

He was in so much demand that he was further booked for more meetings than anyone had dared to plan. In total, more than two million attended through twelve consecutive weeks, in which thousands responding in an alter call to accept Christ. In the subways, Londoners were joyous, singing hymns in unison. Even Winston Churchill sought Billy’s attention to hear the Gospel in private.

London was simply so stunned that God had used His servant beyond imagination. Evangelical Alliance’s official magazine, ‘Evangelical Christendom’ in their September 1954 issue wrote, “The Greater London Crusade marks an important milestone – perhaps a turning point – in the history of the Evangelical Alliance.” And in many ways, this is true – Billy’s London success proved a formidable launch pad for his international ministry aspiration.

(standing L-R) Daughters Gigi and Anne Graham, followed by sons Franklin and Ned Graham and third daughter Ruth with Billy and wife Ruth (d.2007) seated; photo taken for their 50th wedding anniversary in 1993 (Image source: billygraham.org)

The gravestone of Ruth Bell Graham (Image source: inspirationalchristians.org)

In a space of six continuous decades across 185 countries in six continents, Billy Graham touched the hearts of close to 300 million people – 84 million directly and 215 million through broadcasts – through a total of 417 crusades with the longest-running held in New York City in 1957, lasting sixteen weeks, right smack in Madison Square Garden and the largest in Yoido Plaza, Seoul in 1973, covering an audience of about 1.1 million in a single sitting.

Billy at the Yoido Plaza, Seoul, 1973 (Image source: inspirationalchristians.org)

And no doubt, it all began in February 22, 1954.