Franklin Graham to Preach Jesus in Vietnam in 'Spring Love Festival' Backed by 300 Churches

Evangelist Franklin Graham will be sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ in a communist country. He met with Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister Le Minh Khai and other government officials Wednesday to discuss his upcoming evangelistic outreach event there. 

Graham, 70, president and CEO of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association (BGEA) will be presenting the gospel message during The Spring Love Festival on Saturday, March 4, and Sunday, March 5 at the Phu Tho Sports Facility in Ho Chi Minh City. 

"I am grateful for this and thankful to the Deputy Prime Minister and the government for allowing me to come and preach in Vietnam a second time," Graham, who preached in Hanoi in December 2017, said in a statement. "This weekend I am looking forward to being in beautiful Ho Chi Minh City, where we are working with more than 300 churches for the Spring Love Festival. All are welcome to attend these free events where I will share a message of God's love for the people of Vietnam."

In the past, evangelical churches in Vietnam have been given permission to hold events during the Easter and Christmas seasons. The Spring Love Festival is historic because this is the first time the government has given permission for an evangelistic outreach with a foreign speaker outside of a religious holiday, according to the BGEA. 

Graham also attended several meetings with Vietnamese officials, discussing the country's diversity of religions and the government's support for religious freedom.  

Dr. Vu Chien Thang, Deputy Director of the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Government Committee for Religious Affairs, also told Graham how helpful churches were in their communities during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

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