GULFPORT / BILOXI, Miss., March 23, 2026 – Approximately 3,300 people gathered in Gulfport / Biloxi, Mississippi, this weekend for the Gulf Coast Celebration of Hope with Will Graham—a two-day outreach at the Mississippi Coast Coliseum and Convention Center. The event featured free concerts by recording artists Charity Gayle, DOE, and Terrian, along with messages of hope from Will Graham, the son of Franklin Graham and grandson of internationally-known evangelist Billy Graham.
“God hasn’t left you. You’ve left God. Your sin has separated you from God—but God’s love for you hasn’t diminished one bit. God wants you to come back to Him tonight,” Graham said during Sunday night’s message. “You’ve come down to the Gulf Coast looking for fulfillment, because you thought it would be a great place—and this is a wonderful place. But purpose isn’t a place. Fulfillment won’t be found in a place. It’s all found in a person, and His name is Jesus.”
More than 190 people from across the Gulf Coast region responded to Graham’s invitation to begin a relationship with Jesus Christ. In the coming days, local pastors will follow up with every person who made a spiritual decision, helping them to connect with a local church and grow in their newfound faith.
“Lives have been touched like never before through this great event. I’ve had multiple people tell me that the Gulf Coast Celebration of Hope was a life-changing experience,” said Pastor James Beal of Little Rock Baptist Church. “We’ve witnessed the church praising God in unison, and many people receiving the Gospel of Christ with an open heart. We give God all the glory for what He has done here!”
More than 160 churches and hundreds of volunteers participated in this regionwide effort, helping to make the Gulf Coast Celebration of Hope a success.
In addition to the Gulf Coast Celebration of Hope on March 21-22, approximately 275 people attended a special pre-Celebration event for children and families called Kidzfest. The outreach, which took place Feb. 28 at Grace Truth Baptist Church in Gulfport, featured interactive games and a special Gospel message. More than 45 children and teens made a decision to follow Christ at Kidzfest.
Following the Gulf Coast Celebration of Hope, Graham will now turn his attention to a trio of upcoming international events. In May, he will preach the Gospel in Shikoku, Japan, and Uijeongbu, South Korea. In June, he will hold the Regina Look Up Celebration in Saskatchewan, Canada.
For information on the Gulf Coast Celebration of Hopeand other ministries of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, visit BillyGraham.org.
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Media Content:
Download photos and b-roll from the Gulf Coast Celebration of Hope at https://vault.bgea.org/url/GulfCoastCelebration.
About Will Graham:
Will is the third generation of Grahams to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ under the banner of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association (BGEA). He is the grandson of Billy Graham and the oldest son of Franklin Graham. Will has spoken to more than 1.2 million people on six continents since beginning his evangelistic ministry in 2006.
Media Contact:
Erik Ogren
eogren@bgea.org