Opinion
By Michael Hernandez
7/21/25
ANAHEIM,CA–Harvest Christian Fellowship Senior Pastor Greg Laurie gave a message on “What Is It Going To Take?” at the July 19th Harvest Crusade 2025 that attracted 45,000 to Angel Stadium–the largest attendance in the 35-year history of crusades at the major league baseball stadium which opened in 1966. The end result: thousands coming forward onto the field to publically declare Jesus as their Lord and Savior.
Pastor Laurie who has campuses in California and on the island of Maui began his pastoral ministry at the age of 19 by leading a Bible study of 30 people. Today, Harvest is one of the largest churches in America and consistently ranks among the most influential churches in the country with a weekly attendance of over 14,000. The main campus in Riverside, California has an auditorium that can seat 5,000.
Harvest Christian Fellowship was founded in 1973 by Laurie (at the age of 20 and under the mentorship of Calvary Chapel pastor Chuck Smith) who is tthe subject of the 2023 film Jesus Revolution which tells the story of how he converted to Christianity at age 17 while attending Newport Harbor High School and got his start in ministry under the ministry of evangelist Lonnie Frisbee in the midst of the Jesus movement.
Harvest Christian Fellowship maintains ties with Calvary Chapel and is a member of the Southern Baptist Convention. The online church program “Harvest at Home” is one of the most widely watched online church services in America averaging viewership of over 100,000 per week and had 1.3 million watch the online church program during Palm Sunday 2020.
Laurie has written more than 70 books including “The Upside-Down Church” (1999) and his syndicated half-hour program “A New Beginning” is broadcast on over 1,100 radio stations worldwide. He resides in Newport Beach with his wife, Catherine (Cathe) Laurie and they have two sons, Christopher (killed in a car accident on July 24, 2008 at the age of 33) and Jonathan, as well as five grandchildren. Both Cathe and Jonathan (who came back to the Lord when his brother, Christopher died) spoke to Crusade attendees. Greg holds two honorary doctorates, from Biola University and Azusa Pacific University.
Pastor Laurie spoke on the Parable of the Prodigal Son (Luke 15:11-32) who demanded his father give him his inheritance and journeyed to a “far country” only to waste everything through his “prodigal living” and after a severe famine in the land. This younger son who was now hungry decided to return home and to ask his father to be a “hired servant.” His father’s response: was to run to his lost son” and to throw a huge feast which caused the older son to become angry until his father explained: “your brother was dead and is alive again, and was lost and is found.”
“What Is It Going To Take?” stated Pastor Laurie who explained: “Admit you are a sinner…Ask God to come into your life. Jesus said, ‘you must be born again.’ Receive the Christian life…Do it now. Don’t let this opportunity slip away. Get right with God.
“Our Father welcomes us all with open arms–the prodigal sons and daughters, even those raised in the church who ran away. Come quickly. Seek the Lord while He may be found. I invite you to make your public stand for God.
“Say this prayer: ‘Lord, Jesus, I know you are my Savior. I repent of my sin. I choose to follow you, Lord from this moment forward as my Savior and Lord and as my God. I thank you for hearing this prayer and answering this prayer. I am now a child of God in Jesus name, I pray.”
The evening began with worship led by We The Kingdom (first time at a Harvest Crusade), Brooke Ligertwood, Kari Jobe Carnes and Cody Carnes (first time at a Harvest Crusade) with the evening concluding with worship from Chris Tomlin as well as fireworks.
Pastor Laurie has spoken at evangelistic events at AT&T Stadium (Arlington, Texas) as well as Dodger Stadium (Los Angeles) and throughout the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.
Laurie serves on the board of directors for the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association and is also a chaplain for the Newport Beach Police Department. He is a guest commentator at WorldNetDaily and appears regularly in a weekly television program called GregLaurie.tv on the Trinity Broadcasting Network. He has produced or written six films: Lost Boy, Hope for Hurting Hearts, A Rush of Hope, Steve McQueen: American Icon, Johnny Cash: The Redemption of an American Icon, and Jesus Revolution.
The thousands responding to Pastor Laurie’s altar call were given a New Testament and invited to participate in a baptism service to be held at Pirate’s Cove Beach at Corona Del Mar State Beach (Newport Beach) at 8 a.m. on Saturday, Aug. 16.
Michael Hernandez, is co-founder of the Citizens Journal-Ventura County’s online news service and writes for Citizensjournal.net (an online news platform in Nassau County FL) and MountainTopMedia.com (an online media platform in Shasta County, CA). He is a former Southern California daily newspaper journalist and religion and news editor, writer of “CaliRed News” on Substack.com and “Prayer Over News Daily” and edits the weekly “Stories Speak Volumes” and other columns. Mr. Hernandez mentors citizen journalists/podcasters and can be contacted at [email protected] or on his website at MikeHernandezMedia.com
The views expressed in this commentary are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official position of Citizens Journal Florida
