CHARLOTTE, N.C., April 20, 2026 – The Billy Graham Rapid Response Team (BG-RRT) is deploying alongside Samaritan’s Purse to Lena, Illinois, after an EF-2 tornado hit the village, damaging numerous homes. At least 10 more tornadoes hit areas of the central U.S., with dozens of additional watches issued from Minnesota to Texas.
“The storms of life come when we least expect them. When the people of Lena experienced the tornado that hit their town, they were not alone,” said Josh Holland, vice president of the BG-RRT Global. “The Billy Graham Rapid Response Team is heading to Illinois to provide spiritual and emotional care to those affected by the destruction caused by this week’s tornado. Our crisis-trained chaplains will share a message of hope with them—that God will never leave them even through the strongest storms.”
Chaplains will arrive in Illinois on Monday, April 20, to minister to those in the community who suffered damage and loss due to the storms. The BG-RRT deploys to natural disasters in coordination with Samaritan’s Purse, the Christian disaster relief organization also headed by Franklin Graham. Together the two ministries will address the physical, emotional and spiritual needs of impacted homeowners.
In addition, the BG-RRT also continues to offer emotional and spiritual care to families who have been forced to flee their homes in war-torn Ukraine.
For more information on the ministry, including videos, photos, news articles and an interactive map of former and current deployments, visit the BG-RRT press kit or BillyGraham.org/RRT. Updates can also be found at Facebook.com/RRTChaplains.
Media Opportunities
- Interviews with:
- Josh Holland, vice president of the BG-RRT Global
- Chaplain coordinators in Illinois
- B-Roll and photos (please use with credit to Billy Graham Evangelistic Association)
- Interview request form
About the Billy Graham Rapid Response Team
The Billy Graham Rapid Response Team was developed by Franklin Graham and the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association following the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. It has since grown into an international network of chaplains in the U.S., U.K., Canada and Australia who are specifically trained to deal with crisis situations. They have deployed to more than 940 disaster sites across the globe, including shootings, floods, hurricanes, wildfires and tornadoes.
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MEDIA CONTACT:
Claisse Opulencia
copulencia@bgea.org
+1 (704) 401-2717