30,000 Pack Angel Stadium to Hear Gospel as Greg Laurie Sees 'Hunger' for God
More than 30,000 people filled a professional baseball stadium Saturday in Anaheim, Calif., for an evangelistic event that pastor Greg Laurie said reveals a deep hunger for the hope found in Christ.
The annual Harvest Crusade sold out its free tickets for the gathering at Angel Stadium, where Phil Wickham, Michael W. Smith, Kari Jobe Carnes, Cody Carnes and TAYA led musical worship before Laurie delivered a gospel-centered message.
Laurie said more than 4,000 descended on the field during the invitation. Organizers have not yet announced how many people made professions of faith.
Angel Stadium is typically home to baseball fans cheering on the hometown Los Angeles Angels. On Saturday, however, it was filled with thousands of worshippers singing praises to God.
"God is at work," Laurie said in a video posted Monday on his Instagram page, reflecting on Saturday's Harvest Crusade.
"We saw great response to the invitation to come to Christ. Over 4,000 people descended on the field, and the fire marshal stopped them in the aisles because they couldn't take any more. And we gave away 3,200 new believers' Bibles."
Another 250,000 people around the world watched the crusade online.
The Harvest Crusade, founded by Laurie in 1990, has drawn millions of people in person and online over the decades and has become one of the nation's largest annual evangelistic outreaches.
"God is at work, and what I saw in the crusade was this great hunger of people of every age, every demographic, every race, everybody wanting to have a relationship with God," Laurie said.
Laurie recounted a story from the late pastor Chuck Smith, who helped lead the Jesus Movement in the 1960s and 70s when countless young people nationwide came to Christ. Laurie said he asked him, "Do you think we'll ever see another Jesus movement?"
"And his response was, 'I don't know, Greg. I don't know if we're desperate enough.' I saw desperation on the faces of people at the crusade [Saturday]," Laurie said. "I see people wanting to encounter God. This gives me hope for the future of the United States."
Meanwhile, Laurie said there is a wave of encouraging news across the nation that often goes overlooked by the mainstream media. He noted that a flash-mob riot in Newport Beach over the Fourth of July weekend that resulted in more than 400 arrests received far more worldwide attention than the Harvest Crusade.
"They trashed things, they destroyed things, and they just created mayhem and chaos," he said. "Of course, that makes the news. But we just had an event at Angel Stadium, Orange County. Over 30,000 people were gathered there. God moved in a powerful way. That doesn't get the same kind of news coverage. And then we're going to be back in Newport Beach this coming Saturday for a baptism at Pirate's Cove. So you have a contrast: a riot in the streets creating chaos, or people gathering together, offering worship to God."
Laurie urged Christians to continue praying for spiritual awakening across the nation.
"Let's pray that new opportunities open up for the proclamation of the gospel."
Photo Credit: ©Facebook.com/Credit Harvest Crusades
Michael Foust has covered the intersection of faith and news for 20 years. His stories have appeared in Baptist Press, Christianity Today, The Christian Post, the Leaf-Chronicle, the Toronto Star and the Knoxville News-Sentinel.
Listen to Michael's Podcast! He is the host of Crosswalk Talk, a podcast where he talks with Christian movie stars, musicians, directors, and more. Hear how famous Christian figures keep their faith a priority in Hollywood and discover the best Christian movies, books, television, and other entertainment. You can find Crosswalk Talk on LifeAudio.com, or subscribe on Apple or Spotify so you never miss an interview that will be sure to encourage your faith.
Originally published July 13, 2026.
