The 73-year-old American right-wing evangelist Franklin Graham, from the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association (BGEA), is speaking in Brussels 50 years after his father, Billy Graham, visited the city.
Over 12,000 Belgian believers are expected to gather at the ING Arena, with participation from 620 local church communities, including Dutch-speaking, French-speaking, English-speaking, and African congregations.
The festival will feature performances by various Christian artists and bands. The controversial right-wing evangelical preacher and pastor Franklin Graham is set to be the 'highlight' of the evening.
Graham is known for his controversial statements about Islam and who has twice led the prayer at the inauguration of current American President Donald Trump.
Franklin Graham's visit comes exactly fifty years after his father's sermon in Brussels, and is both historic and controversial.
Historical, because such large religious festivals or events rarely occur in Belgium or Brussels, and Graham enjoys serious support among evangelical believers.
'ING Arena' on the front of the event hall Palais 12 in Heysel Brussels , Wednesday 13 September 2023. Credit: Belga
Controversial, because of Graham's position on politics, Islam and the LGBTQ+ community.
According to Graham, Islam is "a very evil religion of hatred and violence", and the former US President Barack Obama pursued a gay and lesbian agenda during his term in office.
Moreover, he believes the Russian President Vladimir Putin is a "godly leader" who protects Christians from "gay propaganda". Graham also attributes "more moral leadership" to Putin than to Obama.
'Christian nationalism is cringe'
Yet leading Brussels-born theologian Ignace Demaerel does not believe that Graham’s visit to the ‘Festival of Hope’ this Saturday has a political agenda.
Demaerel, a trained theologian, argues that Graham’s visit does not need to be controversial. Although Graham has twice spoken at the inauguration of US President Donald Trump, Demaerel insists that this "doesn’t mean he fully supports Trump."
"I spoke with Graham on Friday morning. While Graham is often associated with Trump, this perception is not entirely accurate. He disagrees with much of what Trump says."
Religion teacher and theologian Ignace Demaerel poses for the photographer in Brussels, Wednesday 10 February 2016. Credit: Belga / Jasper Jacobs
Demaerel admits to finding the close association between Graham and Trump "strange." He said, "I cringe at Christian nationalism, but we must acknowledge that the United States has a different culture, where the church and state are more closely intertwined than in Europe."
Graham’s controversial statements on topics such as Islam and the LGBTQIA+ community, according to Demaerel, reflect “a theological perspective.”
He explained, "Graham is, first and foremost, a Christian, and you cannot be ‘anti-anyone.’ This is not about hating gay people, but about holding a different biblical view. Graham is right-wing and conservative, but not far-right."
Demaerel emphasises that the festival, in his view, is entirely apolitical. "It’s about the gospel, and by definition, the gospel is not political," he concluded.
