COLUMN: Carillon Flashback June 22, 1988 – Barry Moore crusade draws huge Steinbach crowds again

The Steinbach Barry Moore crusade, which ended Sunday evening, succeeded beyond all expectations, according to organizer Jim Harms. Harms, the chairman of the Southeastern Manitoba Crusade for Christ committee, said the crusade went much better than anyone had anticipated.

The crowd reached a peak of 2,200 Friday, Harms added, noting 600 to 700 youth stayed for a concert following the regular service.

“It was a fun time for the kids, just to be able to sit, listen to music and gab. We’re not exaggerating if we say attendance averaged 1,650 during the eight nights.”

The scandals which rocked the evangelical Christian community in the last year-and-a-half have had little impact on his organization, Canadian evangelist Barry Moore says.

Moore, who addressed about 60 Steinbach business people at a luncheon before the event began, told The Carillon the scandals have had an effect, but they “have also profited us.”

Many Canadians who supported televangelists have come to recognize there are some people who are still doing the job, Moore said, and that has, in fact, caused an upswing in support for his organization.

Questioned about the scandals, he reminds people to “keep your eyes on Him” (Jesus Christ) and “there is absolutely no tag on our organization, none whatsoever,” Moore said.

Moore, conducting his third Steinbach crusade since Barry Moore Ministries was founded 28 years ago, said he will continue to go places where he is invited to preach the gospel without compromise.

The evangelist, who has been in Yugoslavia and Hungary this year, plans to continue making regular trips to Eastern Europe. Noting he has also conducted crusades in Czechoslovakia, Romania and Poland, Moore said he plans to go to Eastern Europe at least once a year for the next five years.

Auditoriums “never fail to be jammed” when he speaks in Eastern Europe, Moore said.

While local authorities permit him to preach only in certain auditoriums, they do not censure his messages. Government authorization is needed, Moore said, adding that he tries to be very cautious.

“I remain very apolitical and pro-Jesus. As long as I stay within the framework, they allow me to preach.”

After 28 years, and nearly 400 crusades, Moore says he continues to be motivated by a sense of need and his willingness to be obedient to the great commission.

While people in some areas consider crusade evangelism “archaic”, Moore believes “mass communication of the gospel is biblical.

“I find it a very practical way to get the gospel to people.”

Crusades can be difficult to organize in large communities, he conceded, but went on to suggest his organization was formed to go to “small out-of-the-way places.”

“There is always a new generation which needs to hear the old gospel.”

He knows of “no less than 25 pastors and several missionaries” who made decisions to become committed Christians in crusades he has conducted across Canada.

The obvious reason he became an evangelist is that it’s a call of God, Moore said, noting he became aware of his gift “way back” at an interdenominational youth meeting.

“I was given the opportunity to speak and began to naturally speak evangelistically,” he said, noting his sermon produced good results.

“The more the results, the more I was asked to speak; the more I was asked to speak, the more results there were.”

Moore is president of Barry Moore Ministries/Crusade Evangelism International.

The Steinbach crusade, being conducted nightly at the Steinbach Arena, continues until Sunday. An estimated 3,400 people attended the first two services Sunday and Monday.

The crusade, sponsored and organized by some 20 Steinbach and area churches, is the first major joint evangelization effort in the community in the past 10 years.