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Christian concert brings thousands to Waterfront Park

Thousands of people streamed into Tom McCall Waterfront Park in Portland on Aug. 20 and 21 for Festival '99, which featured Luis Palau.

The Rev. Palau, an evangelist and Multnomah Biblical Seminary alumnus, spoke to the crowd each evening, telling them that a relationship with Jesus Christ is the key to having peace and joy.

The crowd numbered more than 90,000 during the two-day festival, making the festival the largest event in the park's history. A sea of faces stretched from the Morrison Bridge to the Hawthorne Bridge, with an overflow area spreading from the back of the Morrison Bridge to the Burnside Bridge.

On Friday evening, more than 35,000 people caused the closure of Front Street during rush hour traffic. The crowd was in good spirits as the festival began and music filled the evening air. Nikki Leonti, The Tribe Called Judah, 4Him and Point of Grace were among the entertainment for Friday's festivities.

Earlier Friday afternoon, Shari Hansen, Multnomah Bible College Recruitment Assistant Director, called the MBC office, requesting Bibles for distribution at the festival. She had been working at Multnomah's booth when festival organizers asked her if MBC could provide Bibles. A grass-roots Bible drive on campus brought in more than 400 Bibles that crusade workers distributed at the event.

Andrew Palau, crusade director, said the team was conservative in its estimation of the number of people who might attend the festival. He said they were blessed and encouraged when so many people turned out.

As a result of Friday's crowd, the crusade team had to increase services at the park. Organizers increased the number of food booths, bathrooms and security and augmented the sound system to handle the Saturday crowd.

More than 55,000 people showed for Saturday's youth day. By late afternoon, people filled the park and organizers directed newcomers to the overflow area behind Morrison Bridge. Saturday's music included Nikki Leonti, Dawkins and Dawkins, Third Day, Audio Adrenaline and a special appearance by T-Bone and Toby McKeehan, [a founding member] of the group dc Talk. The evening's music appealed to thousands of young people.

Amy Stephens, MBC registrar, and Andrew Johnson, MBC student and junior high intern, brought their youth group from Community Bible Fellowship. One of the girls in the group, Sharajah Hardman, 12, was a counselor for the event.

Melissa Reeve, an MBC student, said she heard about the festival when Alan Hotchkiss, assistant crusade director and Multnomah Biblical Seminary alumnus, talked about the festival in chapel. She wanted to be involved and attended counselor training at Northridge Community Church.

Reeve had the opportunity to lead two girls from a Mormon background to the Lord. Reeve said that follow up will be important for these two girls because their families are Mormons. They will need encouragement in their faith.

Palau said follow up starts when the crusade ends. The Palau team hopes to involve the new believers in local churches and encourage their spiritual growth. The Palau organization follows up the new believers for at least a year, sending them Bibles, tapes and other information.

Daniel Lockwood, MBC president, served as co-chairman of the follow up and counseling committee along with Ray Cotton of New Hope Community Church. So far, more than 1,000 response cards have been turned in, and the Palau organization doesn't know if they will ever have a complete count of the work the Holy Spirit did in people's lives during the weekend event.

As the festival closed Saturday night, a spectacular fireworks show lit the sky. The fireworks ended and the sound of 55,000 voices singing "Our God is an Awesome God" rang throughout downtown Portland.