Pastor Greg Laurie expressed his joy over thousands of people who attended the event and surrendered their lives to Christ during the SoCal Harvest in Anaheim, California last Sunday.
In a Facebook post, captured by CBN News, Laurie shared that 40,000 people physically attended the event, while 200,000 others watched online around the world.
"Best of all, 6,000 people made professions of faith, both in-person and online! To God be the Glory! Thank you all for your prayers!" he added.
Speaking to CBN's Prayer Link, the minister observed that the postponement of the event last year due to the pandemic has affected people.
"It is exciting because we spent so much time apart, so much time separated because of the pandemic and it's affecting everyone. Drug use is up, alcohol use is up, divorce is up and that's because people are down. Jesus said, 'when you see these things begin to happen, look up for your redemption is drawing near.' He didn't say when you see these things begin to happen - freak out. The only thing that can change a human heart is the power of the Gospel," he explained.
The pastor said that his message was a response to a recent survey by USA Today, showing that most people desire riches and fame.
"If being rich and famous was going to fulfill you, why are there so many miserable rich and famous people? My message to people is, the answer is not in getting more followers on social media. The answer is not in being rich and famous. The answer is in Jesus. You're designed to know God ... what you're really looking for is Christ," he pointed out.
The event also featured performances by several Christian artists such as Kirk Franklin, Phil Wickham, Tori Kelly and For King & Country.
SoCal Harvest is happening NOW!
Watch st https://t.co/P7HTTvJTMP pic.twitter.com/7VCcHx2Tz5"” Greg Laurie (@greglaurie) October 4, 2021
The Harvest Crusades, which the pastor has been holding since 1990, have already ministered to more than 9.8 million people in the United States. Crusades were also held overseas including Australia, New Zealand and Canada. With these outreaches, more than 500,000 people have given their lives to Christ.
Laurie is the senior pastor of Harvest Christian Fellowship (HCF). The minister was only 19 years old when he began his pastoral ministry by leading 30 individuals in a Bible study. Today, HCF has grown into one of the largest and most influential churches in the United States, which has campuses in California and Hawaii, with about 15,000 members.
In June 2017, the pastor announced HCF's partnership with the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC), in an effort to intensify its reach in sharing the Gospel. The supporters of the convention have considered the move as favorable for SBC due to its declining membership.
Judging from the result of a recent evangelistic crusade in Arizona at the time, Mike Ebert of the North American Mission Board said that with the collaboration, Laurie can help attracting crowds while SBC can provide the resources in hosting such events.
Laurie is a member of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association's board of directors. Further, he is an author who has written more than 70 books. In addition to having television programs on various networks, he is also the featured speaker of "A New Beginning," a radio program which is broadcast worldwide.
