Pressed shoulder-to-shoulder in the Moda Center stands, attendees felt a familiar energy Saturday: cheers, applause, arms lifted high, just like at any sold-out concert in Portland’s largest arena. But this show didn’t promote a star-studded musician or new album.
The headliner was Jesus Christ.
PDX Crusade, a three-show event held Aug. 2-3, drew more than 45,000 people to the Moda Center for free musical worship, prayer and biblical teaching. Organized by Brett Meador, senior pastor of West Linn’s Athey Creek Church, event organizers say PDX Crusade aimed to bring hope back to the city of Portland.
“The nation knows Portland is somewhat of a joke,” Meador told the crowd in his sermon. “It’s kind of heartbreaking, because we love our city. It’s not just the homeless and the drugs and the closing of all the buildings and all that stuff. It’s the greater Portland area, how desperately we need Jesus.”
In a city now ranked among the least religious metro areas in the nation, many attendees said the event’s timing couldn’t have been better.
“I think the event is long overdue,” said Ken Foster, a member of Athey Creek Church. “A lot of people in Portland need Jesus. … It’s great that they’re doing this. We came because we had some unsaved people that we brought and want to support them here and the Word of God.”
Organizers say PDX Crusade is the first evangelistic “crusade” held in Portland in more than 25 years. In modern evangelical Christianity, a crusade typically refers to a multi-day gathering centered on preaching the gospel to large crowds.
PDX Crusade was inspired by Billy Graham’s crusades, a collection of large-scale evangelical events that took place all over the world from 1947 to 2005. Graham, a Southern Baptist minister and evangelist, received international attention for his crusades, where he preached to an estimated 215 million people.
Over nearly three hours, attendees witnessed a lineup of contemporary Christian music performances, guest testimonies, a sermon by Meador and a baptismal intermission where guests were invited to come to the floor of the arena and give their lives to Jesus Christ.
The response was immediate. Hundreds streamed into the pit of the Moda Center to make public confessions of faith, accept Christ as their personal savior and receive a blessing from Athey Creek Church members.
“It was refreshing to see how many people got down on the floor,” said Rick McDaniel, an attendee and member of the church. “I thought there’d be a few people, but not that many.”
Each of the three sessions offers a different lineup, with upcoming acts including contemporary Christian musical stars Chris Tomlin, Zach Williams and Anne Wilson. Saturday afternoon’s opening show featured performances by sibling trio CAIN, former Hillsong Worship member Taya and husband-and-wife duo Kari Jobe and Cody Carnes.
Many attendees brought friends and family, saying they hoped to share their faith and the “love of Jesus” with others. This notion is something executive pastors Rick Anderson and Tad Slaughter say is one of Athey Creek Church’s greatest strengths.
Meador founded the church in 1996 after years of ministry in southern Oregon. At the time, he was driving to West Linn on Tuesdays to lead a small Bible study in a private home. Within six weeks, the group had outgrown the space and moved to a neighborhood pool house.
Eventually, members urged Meador to start a church. Since then, the community has grown into one of the largest nondenominational Christian churches in the area. According to Anderson and Slaughter, the sanctuary now draws roughly 1,500 people to each of its six weekly services.
As the church’s biggest evangelism push yet, PDX Crusade drew a response that Anderson described as “baffling.”
When tickets were released, the two originally scheduled evening shows for Aug. 2 and 3 sold out in minutes, prompting the church to add a third, afternoon session on Aug. 2 to meet demand.
By the end of Saturday’s first show, many attendees said they found their faith had been restored and reinforced.
“It was definitely encouraging,” said attendee Debbie Jensen. “We feel like we’re all called to spread the gospel. So it’s just kind of like that push to not forget about it just because we are believers already. Even if it’s just in our own home lives, keep showing Jesus to everyone we meet.”
— Chiara Profenna covers religion, faith and cultural connections. Reach her at 503-221-4327; [email protected] or @chiaraprofenna.
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