Billy Graham in Norwich: "my whole life changed" 

Norwich hospital chaplain and Anglican priest Rev Darren Thornton invited Jesus into his life on the pitch at Carrow Road exactly 40 years ago when American evangelist Dr Billy Graham spoke at the stadium during the Mission England crusades.

“If you want to ask Jesus into your heart and begin a relationship with him, I invite you to get up out of your seat and walk onto the pitch.” Said Billy Graham.  I remember having this burning feeling in my heart and knew I had to walk from the terraces onto that hallowed ground. 

I was a nervous teenager at that time and normally I would have been thinking, I’m going to get lost, I’m going to lose the rest of the group, but that didn’t matter.  I had such a conviction that I was to walk onto that pitch and received a prayer to invite Jesus into my life.

A minibus from Cromer Parish Church took the choristers to one of the evening meetings.  There was about 15 of us.  As a church chorister you sing hundreds of inspiring words, singing the hymns and the psalms, singing the daily offices of the church throughout the liturgical year.  

After that mission and the commitment that I made, suddenly those words took on a new meaning.  I found myself coming to church because I wanted to tell God how much I loved him and the amazing thing was, that during worship, God revealed to me, how much he loved me.  My whole life was changed.

The Billy Graham mission was the start of my committed faith journey and led me to join the Church Army and later ordination as a Deacon and Priest in the Church of England.  I’m also a Norwich City Football Club season ticket holder and at every home game, I honour all that Carrow Road means to me.  I often look across to that spot in which I made a commitment to Jesus.

Renowned American evangelist Dr Billy Graham graced the hallowed turf of Carrow Road in Norwich exactly 40 years ago in June. It was a life-changing experience for thousands in Norfolk and we will tell more of those stories over the next few days.
 
From June 9 to 12, 1984, an estimated 63,000 people turned up in Norwich alone to hear Billy proclaim the Christian gospel.
 
No less than 850 churches were involved, raising the £175,000 cost and providing 4,500 volunteers including 1,456 counsellors and a 1,745-strong choir plus administrators, youth leaders and stewards.
 
It was part of the major three-month 1984 Mission England crusade which saw over one million people hear the well-known American preacher in six football stadiums across the country also including Roker Park, Anfield, Villa Park, Ashton Gate and Portman Road.
 
Tens of thousands of people responded to Billy's message, over the 12 weeks, including over 3,700 in Norwich.

If you have a personal story to tell of the Mission England events in Norwich, please email keith.morris@networknorwich.co.uk with details and a picture

Pictured top is Canon Darren Thornton currently Chaplain at the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital, who this summer, celebrates 30 years of licensed ministry within the Diocese of Norwich. Pictured above, Billy Graham preaching at Carrow Road back in 1984.