CHARLOTTE, N.C. — It's been 22 years but the Rev. Billy Graham’s crusade at Bank of America Stadium, which was then Ericsson Stadium, has had a lasting impact on Charlotte.
"So many people. It was packed. No seating capacity. I was just amazed at the amount of people," said Dale Manus, who went to the crusade.
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More than 300,000 people attended the four-day gathering in uptown in 1996.
Manus had a special role because of what happens at the end of a crusade.
"At the end of his sermons, he always gives an invitation to folks to have the opportunity to come down and make a life-changing decision, so it was important to have a way to get down to the field," Manus said.
They needed stairs built at the newly constructed Ericsson Stadium. Manus was the one chosen to help make that happen.
He and his crew put together 60 sets of stairs in three days. Manus worked long hours but said it was well worth it.
"Definitely an honor to be chosen to do it," Manus said.
Another staple of the crusades is music and preaching. Candy and Buddy Pigg were chosen to help with both.
Buddy Pigg is a pastor in Matthews and was trained to counsel people in the crowd, while Candy Pigg sang in the choir.
"The first time that everyone sang together, all different denomination together, I thought this is what heaven will be like," Candy Pigg said.
They both said while it's sad to see Graham pass, he's still spreading his message.
"The Bible talks about -- the people, though they are dead, yet they speak. And I think that's certainly true of Billy Graham, and I’ve just been amazed by that," Buddy Pigg said.
Graham went on to do almost 20 more crusades after the one at Ericsson Stadium in 1996.
Cox Media Group
