Hundreds of people flocked to a north-east town last night to get caught up in the evangelical fervour of a renowned preacher.
Will Graham only arrived in Peterhead on Monday, but he was in fine voice during the first of five services at the town’s secondary school.
As the grandson of the world-acclaimed Billy Graham, who shot to fame in the late 40s as a spiritual advisor to US presidents, the third-generation preacher was warmly received.
Throughout the buildup to the event, which was entitled the Celebration of Hope, buses ferried eager attendees to Peterhead Academy.
Musical acts provided the prelude to Mr Graham’s message to the crowd, which was sufficiently large that a separate theatre at the school had to be opened to accommodate them.
But there was no denying the overwhelming theme of Mr Graham.
He said: “Jesus is the truth.
“We all have to make choices in life. Some choices are not all that important, like when I get fish and chips – do I get it battered or do I get it breaded. But that’s not all that important.
“The point is, you all have to make decisions. We all have to make decisions each and every day. Today, I’m going to ask you to make one of the most important decisions of your life.
“Tonight, you may realise that you are not very close to God. Some of you are gambling with eternity.”
Celebration of Hope events are planned every evening, 7pm to 9pm, through to Sunday.
It is the only stop in the UK for Mr Graham, 44, before he jets back to the US.
His grandfather had preached throughout the world, including at Pittodrie Stadium in 1991.
Franklin Graham, Will’s father, held one outreach in Perth eight years later.
But the Celebration of Hope is the Graham family’s first major event in the UK since the millennium came and went.
Yesterday, the occasion was live-streamed to ministries in Banff, Elgin and Fraserburgh.
And the efficacy of the message burned brightly.
