Billy's Britain

In London's underground, officials posted the warning: HARRINGAY FULL. This is standing procedure for cutting down the crowds that head toward sold-out stadiums for cup finals and big football matches. But the multitudes on their way to Harringay Arena in North London last week were not out for fun and games. They were flocking to hear Billy Graham's call to salvation.

It was the biggest, best-heard call in Evangelist Graham's career. Night after night, after 11,000 were seated and another 1,000 allowed to stand, thousands more were turned away. So many people came on the first Saturday that Graham decided to make three-meeting Saturdays a permanent feature of his three-month crusade. Other plans to deal with the overflow: midweek matinee meetings, subsidiary meetings in movie houses to be toured by Graham, loudspeakers in nearby Harringay Stadium on the five nights a week when there are no dog races.

Graham's audiences come by chartered bus and train from all over England. To be sure that Londoners get their fair share of seats, the Graham crusaders have limited out-of-town bookings to 4,000 seats nightly; last week they were three days behind in handling mail reservations, and the out-of-town allotments were taken up solidly through mid-April.

The traditionally phlegmatic Britons did not come to just sit; they stepped forward to "make decisions for Christ" at twice the rate of any U.S. audience Graham has known. The two-week conversion total: 3,687. Unlike Graham's U.S. converts, a good majority (60%) of his British audience do not belong to any church. Sometimes as many as 80% of those who have come forward say it is the first time they have ever made a conscious Christian affirmation. Women decision-makers outnumber men two to one.

Evangelist Graham spends his afternoons as well as his evenings spreading the word. He also averages a speech a day to civic groups, and reaps more week-end invitations from British lords and ladies than he can possibly accept. "I am thrilled," says Billy, "and tremendously humbled by the thought of what has been achieved by God's will."

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