... and the whole NATION PRAYED
 

Many have read the story of that great first rally at St. Nick’s Arena in New York City as told in The Cross & the Switchblade. Nicky Cruz, Israel and many gang members gave their lives to Jesus that week. BUT, before that rally, this amazing call to prayer went out to Christians across the nation in the July 6, 1958 Pentecostal Evangel magazine.

SPRINGFIELD, MO page 21

PRAY FOR

THE YOUTH OF

NEW YORK CITY

Pray for youth of New York. St.  Nicholas Arena in New York will be the scene of a series of youth meetings designed to reach teen-age gangs and other teenagers in the area for Christ, July 8 through 12.
The arena meeting is being sponsored by the C.A.'s of the Spanish Eastern District of the Assemblies of God in co-operation with other Full Gospel churches in the area.


Evangelist David Wilkerson and 2 teenage converts in New York City, Angelo Morales former assistant leader of the Egyptian Kings gang and his sister Mary.
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Special prayer is requested of churches everywhere that God may use this meeting to change the picture of New York teenage crime. There are over 115 gangs, some with as many as ten divisions, operating in the city.

Police and gang leaders have predicted that this may well be "the bloodiest summer in New York City's history." The urgency of this situation points up the need for a real move of God at this time.

The picture left contains proof that God can reach and win gangs and gang leaders. Angelo Morales, center, former assistant leader of The Egyptian Kings, has been saved and attends an Assemblies of God Church. Angelo's sister is shown at right.

On the left in the picture is a young Assemblies of God minister, David Wilkerson, from Pennsylvania, who will be the speaker at the arena.

In March Brother Wilkerson sought to minister to seven teenage boys involved in a mass murder trial, but was evicted unceremoniously from the courtroom by two police officers. Most city newspapers carried the story and the picture. What first appeared as unwelcome publicity turned out to be a great open door for ministry among the teenage gangs of the city.

Brother Wilkerson is known as the "Bible Waving Preacher" and has ministered in several gang hideouts.
He has also contacted many gang leaders in Manhattan, Bronx, and Brooklyn.

Recently he held an open-air meeting in the Fort Green Projects in Brooklyn, the location of the notorious Chaplains and Mau Maus. At the close of the meeting the entire war council of the Chaplains gang gave their hearts to Christ on the street. The president and war lord of this gang are scheduled to testify at the St. Nicholas arena.

A prayer chain has been started which will continue through the dates of the Arena meetings. All night prayer meetings have been organized by the C.A.'s in various sections of the city.
Everyone is urged to pray that this will be the beginning of a great harvest among teen-agers in New York across America.