Evangelist Bill Graham’s Kauai Crusade

When world-renowned Christian evangelist Dr. Billy Graham arrived at the Lihue Airport from Honolulu on Sunday afternoon, Feb. 28, 1965, he was greeted by Hartwell K. Blake, chairman of the Kauai Board of Supervisors, who presented Graham with a koa bowl on behalf of Kauai County.

Then, beginning that day at 3 p.m. in the Kauai War Memorial Convention Hall, 46-year-old Graham preached to an audience that filled all of the hall’s 1,100 seats, and overflowed by several hundred more into standing room only at the back of the auditorium and in the lobby.

Following his sermon, 338 people came forward to make their “Decision for Christ” — a conscious decision to accept and commit themselves to Jesus Christ.

Graham, who at the time of his visit to Kauai had already preached to more people than any other person in history, had come to Kauai from an eight-day crusade in Honolulu and meetings on the Big Island and Maui.

His Kauai appearance was the finale of a five-day Kauai crusade that had begun on the previous Wednesday.

Prior to Graham’s arrival on Kauai, his associate evangelist, Dr. Akbar Abdul-Haqq — a former Muslim who had converted to Christianity — had preached to audiences at the convention hall each evening from Wednesday through Saturday beginning at 7:30 p.m.

Accompanying Abdul-Haqq during the week was the talented blues, jazz and gospel vocalist Ethel Waters.  

Gospel singer and hymn composer George Beverly Shea, organist Don Hustad and music and program director Cliff Barrows also assisted Abdul-Haqq.

Kauai’s 250-voice Crusade-Choir performed in all five crusade meetings.

The Protestant churches of Kauai sponsored Graham’s crusade, with Kauai clergyman Rev. Ken Daugherty serving as Chairman of the Executive Committee for the Billy Graham Kauai, Hawaii Crusade.

Billy Graham returned to Honolulu Sunday evening.