Spirituality

Billy Graham says weakness may end revivals this fall

Cincinnati The Rev. Billy Graham said his Cincinnati rallies that concluded Sunday left him feeling weaker than ever. He has scheduled no revival meetings after an October one in Dallas-Fort Worth.

The 83-year-old evangelist told The Cincinnati Enquirer he almost fainted once during last week’s meeting and felt Satan’s opposition while preaching in the city. Graham, who has Parkinson’s disease and other medical problems, said numbness often sweeps through his body in the afternoon.

Cincinnati attendance was lower than organizers expected until Sunday, when 65,600 people packed Paul Brown Stadium. Four-day turnouts totaled 201,600 and officials said more than 11,000 people responded to Graham’s invitation to receive Christ.

There was concern the Cincinnati mission might not make its budget of $2.8 million, but local leaders said 86 percent was in the bank and final offerings and pledges would make up the remainder.

Study: Religious donors also give elsewhere

New York Faithful contributors to religious congregations are more likely than other Americans to support nonreligious charities, said a report from Independent Sector, a coalition of 700 philanthropies, and the National Council of Churches.

The report said that 52 percent of U.S. households gave to both religious congregations and secular charities last year. On average these households gave $1,289 to religious causes but also contributed $958 to secular charities, exceeding the $623 average given by households that supported only secular causes.

Churchgoers were also more likely to volunteer their time. Among those who regularly attended worship, 54 percent volunteered, but only 32 percent of non-attenders did so.