Franklin Graham records an Easter special in the divided city of Minneapolis for a news outlet.

Rev. Franklin Graham on a Mission of Hope This Easter

The Rev. Franklin Graham is set to visit a city recently marked by significant division and well-publicized violence, including a notable attack on a church service. His Easter Sunday initiative aims to spread a message of hope and truth.

This Easter special, titled “What Is the Truth?” is hosted by Graham, who is the president and CEO of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association (BGEA). It was filmed in Minneapolis, which has been at the center of civil unrest this past year.

In January, an aggressive group of 39 individuals invaded Cities Church in St. Paul, chanting provocatively following the deaths of two people, Renee Nicole Good and Alex Preti, during anti-ICE protests nearby. The Department of Justice (DOJ) has reported that all participants in this incident have been arrested.

Graham expressed concern over the escalating issues in the nation, stating, “It’s hard to understand how dire the situation in our country is. Hate, violence, and crime are rampant. The whole world seems to be in a state of conflict. In this time of division, many are wondering where the truth lies.”

For young participants of a Turning Point USA faith event, the assault on the Minnesota church represented a profound breach of respect.

Dr. Alveda King, the niece of the late Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., voiced her dismay about the incident in an interview. “I was taught to protest prayerfully and nonviolently,” she noted. “I was completely shocked and upset to see worship being disrupted by hostility. That’s not the way to get God’s attention.”

This 30-minute program promises music from renowned artists like Johnny Cash, Charlie Daniels, and Michael W. Smith.

The Billy Graham Evangelistic Association was previously influential in Minneapolis, and Graham once served as president at Northwestern University, where this program was recorded.

Graham’s Easter message in the previous year, “Easter from the Ashes,” highlighted the devastation caused by the Palisades fire in Southern California, where his organization has aided over 700 homeowners in recovery efforts.

Earlier Easter messages by Graham included broadcasts from locations such as Jerusalem during the conflict between Israel and Hamas, as well as war-torn Ukraine. “Jesus said to his disciples, ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father except through me.’ This is what Easter is all about – our hope is in the risen Savior,” Graham emphasized.