Thousands Accept Jesus Into Their Hearts on Infield

The Harvest Crusade rocked into Anaheim Stadium on Thursday evening, with a musical and spiritual nod to the Back-to-Jesus Movement of the late 1960s and a summons to the uncommitted to accept Christ in their lives.

Harkening back to the spiritual bedrock of its founder, evangelist Greg Laurie, 44, the celebration served up a potpourri of Christian rock and gospel music as well as prayer and fellowship.

“I came tonight because I can’t wait to see people give their life to the Lord,” said a smiling Sue Thompson, 53, of Mission Viejo, a few minutes before the revival meeting-cum-music festival began.

She didn’t have to wait long. Before the evening was out several thousand in the crowd of 22,000 had answered Laurie’s call to “Come just as you are” and marched from their seats to the infield to welcome Jesus into their hearts.

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The eighth Anaheim crusade continues nightly through Sunday and will feature Laurie, the hip-talking, jeans-wearing Southern Californian who was won over to Christ at the Calvary Chapel of Costa Mesa in Santa Ana as a teenager in the 1960s.

These days, Laurie, as pastor of his own mega-church--the Harvest Christian Fellowship in Riverside--takes the Harvest Crusade around the country trying to create for others the spiritual connection that drew him to the ministry decades ago.

Laurie, who mixes a contemporary patter with urgent appeals, gave an hourlong sermon from the broad stage set up around what serves as second base when the baseball Angels are in town.

His wide-ranging message mixed quotes from George Bernard Shaw and Dennis Rodman on the search for fulfillment, as well as a discussion of idolatry that ranged from greed and fame to the First Church of the Perfect Physique.

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The musical headliner was the Richard Furay Band. Furay, now in the Rock Hall of Fame and pastor of Rocky Mountain Christian Fellowship in Boulder, Colo., gained fame 30 years ago while playing with the Buffalo Springfield group that included Stephen Stills and Neil Young. Furay’s group appears again today.

The Harvest Crusade hopes to draw 120,000 during its weekend stay and reach perhaps millions worldwide as the event is transmitted via audio and video on the Internet.

There is no charge, though parking at the stadium is $7. Gates open at 6 nightly, with the crusade starting at 7:30 p.m. Laurie will speak each evening, and there is music nightly.

Chrissie Jackson, 22, of Riverside had come to the crusade with her husband, Scott, and two friends, all members of Laurie’s church.

“The music fits the atmosphere,” she said. “You are outside. You are more relaxed here. It is a lot easier to invite someone to a ballpark than a church, and it is less intimidating.”