Despite illnesses that have diminished his once powerful voice and left him frail, the Rev Billy Graham has vowed to preach each night of his final American crusade.
The Rev Billy Graham preaches on the first night of his three-day crusade at Flushing Meadows Corona Park in the Queens borough of New York last night
He kept that promise last night, the start of a three-day event at a New York park that marks the completion of his six decades of mass meetings.
Before a crowd of about 60,000, Rev Graham took the stage using a walking frame and leaning on his son and successor, the Rev Franklin Graham, who stayed nearby in case his father was unable to go on.
But the ailing Rev Graham (86) was able to stand during his nearly 30-minute sermon.
It was slightly shorter than expected and he appeared to tire at the end, yet he spoke clearly, mixing his message of salvation in Jesus with anecdotes and humour.
Noting the struggles of the New York Yankees and Mets playing that evening, he even asked the crowd to pray for them both.
"We are Christians maybe. We go to church. We've been baptised, we've been confirmed. But deep inside we need something else, and that something else can be brought about by Jesus," he told the crowd, many of whom had arrived hours early for a last chance to see him.
They gave Rev Graham a standing ovation when he stood to speak. He is suffering from fluid on the brain, prostate cancer and Parkinson's disease. He uses the walking frame due to a pelvic fracture and is largely confined to his home in Montreat, North Carolina.
He made only an indirect reference to the end of his revival meetings in the United States, noting the event has drawn attention from around the world. He had said previously that the rally "will be the last in America, I'm sure".
Other speakers last night called the evening a historic moment and thanked Graham for his years of service.
AP