In 1979, Church of Christ congregations in Chicago joined together in a concentrated campaign to evangelize the city. That event because the first "Crusade for Christ," an evangelism campaign that visited a major U.S. city every other year until the pandemic. Over the 40 years that the Crusade for Christ visited American cities, tens of thousands of volunteers evangelized tens of thousands of neighbors, leading to countless baptisms.
This July 2025, the Crusade for Christ returns and up to 2,000 Church of Christ members from around the U.S. will converge on Detroit to feed the hungry, heal the sick, knock on doors and participate in "marketplace ministry" for five days.
In this episode, Leonardo Gilbert, national director of the Crusade for Christ talks about why personal evangelism among strangers still works, even in a social media age when everyone seems to be afraid of "stranger danger."
Link to the Crusade for Christ event website
Link to The Christian Chronicle's archive coverage of past Crusade for Christ e events
Donate to support this ministry of "information and inspiration" at christianchronicle.org/donate
Send your comments, ideas, and suggestions to podcast@christianchronicle.org
Explore the Bible and the Bible lands with Freed-Hardeman University Graduate School of Theology. Learn more at fhu.edu/chronicle
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
BT Irwin (00:03):
Family and friends, neighbors and, most of all,
strangers.
Welcome to the ChristianChronicle Podcast.
We're bringing you the storiesshaping Church of Christ
congregations and members aroundthe world.
I'm BT Erwin.
May what you are about to hearbless you and honor God.
The Gospel of Luke, chapter 10,verses 1 to 12, tells the story
(00:24):
of a time when Jesus sent 72 ofhis apprentices to quote every
town and place where he himselfintended to go.
End quote.
He commissioned them to healthe sick, which embodied their
announcement that quote thekingdom of God has come near to
you.
End quote From the picture theGospel of Luke paints for us.
These apprentices of Jesus didtheir announcing and healing out
(00:47):
on the streets and they knockedon the doors of strangers.
About a week from the time thatwe're recording this episode,
as many as 2,000 Christians fromChurch of Christ congregations
all over the United States willcome to Detroit, michigan, to do
what those 72 apprentices ofJesus do in the Gospel of Luke,
chapter 10, verses 1 to 12.
They will be agents of healingand light as they announce that
(01:09):
the kingdom of God has come near, knocking on the doors of
strangers and meeting the lostout on the city streets.
They will be participants inthe Crusade for Christ, what
organizers call the largestnational evangelistic event from
the Church of Christ communityin the United States.
The first Crusade for Christcame together in 1979 in Chicago
, illinois, and continued everyother year through 2019,
(01:33):
bringing tens of thousands ofvolunteer evangelists to cities
like Dallas, los Angeles, tampaand Washington DC.
The crusade was due to come toDetroit in 2021, but postponed
because of the global pandemic.
But now the crusade for Christis back in 2025 and happening
right here in Detroit.
Today we have with us BrotherLeonardo Gilbert, who recently
(01:55):
retired.
After almost 50 years ofministry with the Sheldon
Heights Church of Christ inChicago, he is the director of
the crusade for Christ Today.
He is squeezing in thisinterview between funerals, so
you need to know he's in his carin a parking lot.
Brother Leonardo, we appreciateyou for your determination to
visit with us today.
Leonardo Gilbert (02:11):
Thank you for the opportunity.
BT Irwin (02:13):
Could you, real quick here, just give me a brief bio
on yourself, your background,who you are, what you've been
doing with your life andministry and what brings you to
this moment?
Leonardo Gilbert (02:25):
what you've been doing with your life and
ministry and what brings you tothis moment?
Well, leonardo D Gilbert, bornand raised in Chicago, illinois,
I've been at the same churchall of my life Ministered at the
church, started preaching atthe church, left in 1977 to
Michigan Christian College,graduated from there in 1979
(02:47):
with an associate's degree, wentto Harding, spent two and a
half years there and then I gota degree in Bible and also in
biology.
I've been bivocational most ofmy life.
I'm a medical professional.
I retired after 25 years ofworking at the University of
(03:07):
Illinois Department ofOphthalmology and Research.
I have been the co-author ofmany papers on hereditary
retinal disorders.
Basically, I left that careerand got another degree in
nonprofit management.
I have a master's in nonprofitadministration.
I started several nonprofits.
(03:28):
I've been the chairman of thelargest nonprofit in Chicago,
the Greater Chicago FoodDepository, started an
international medical missionnonprofit 25 years old.
So I mean God has just allowedme to serve in so many ways in
the city of Chicago, in thekingdom of God.
I can't even go through it all,but that's kind of a summary.
(03:49):
I'm a servant, I'm a servant.
My greatest impact came from mydays of foundational learning at
Michigan Christian College inRochester, michigan, and at
Harding University, where one ofmy Puget professors, jerry
Jones, said we've been saved toserve and that's been my mantra
(04:13):
all of my life.
I'm married, 41 years, have ason, I have seven grandchildren
and I retired from pulpitministry 52525.
I'm busier now the first 50days after I retired from pulpit
ministry 52525.
I'm busier now the first 50days after I retired.
So life is wonderful.
We got some illnesses andsicknesses with life, but to be
(04:36):
where we are, to do what we'vedone and continue to serve to
the day that God calls us home,that's exciting.
I've been with the Crusade forChrist since 2007.
I was in Chicago when itstarted in 1979, but I've been
on the leadership team since2007 under Dr Daniel Harrison,
(04:57):
who was the director of theCrusade.
I became director in 2019.
I brought medicine, medicaloutreach, because that's the
background I have, and I alsobrought food as a component
because as a chairman of theGreater Chicago Food Depository,
we had almost 8,000 differentpantries throughout the city
(05:23):
that we oversold and made surethey got food from the
government, so we just served.
That's what the crusade I'mexcited about.
So that's kind of a overview.
BT Irwin (05:31):
One of the questions I've gotten asked a lot lately
in Church of Christ circles herein Michigan even, is what is
the crusade for Christ?
Because I've talked about it,we've talked about it at our
congregation and I've let peopleknow that I'm going to be doing
this interview and writing astory about it for the Christian
Chronicle.
And people say, well, what isthe Crusade for Christ?
I've never heard of it.
(05:51):
So for those people thathaven't heard of the Crusade for
Christ, what do you tell them?
Leonardo Gilbert (05:56):
Well, the Crusade for Christ is an
evangelistic outreach of theChurch of Christ and it composes
of three foundational things.
First of all, you'll hear thegreatest evangelistic preaching
in our brotherhood.
This year we have 12 speakers.
For a number of years, thespeaker for the crusade was
basically Dr Jack Evans, who wasthe president of Southwestern
(06:19):
Christian College In 1991, wealso had Jack Evans and Jimmy
Allen, who was one of myprofessors at Harding.
BT Irwin (06:28):
He was one of the speakers.
Leonardo Gilbert (06:30):
So yeah, he was somebody else.
His famous sermon I heard whenI was a student.
He preached a sermon what ishell like and since then.
I decided I didn't want to go.
I mean, I even more decided Ididn't want to go.
If you hear Jimmy Allen preach,that didn't want to go, I mean,
I even more decided I didn'twant to go.
If you hear Jimmy Allen preachthat, you know hell is not a
place you want to be.
Praise the Lord, amen.
But you know we are.
(06:51):
The Crusade has some of thegreatest evangelistic preaching.
It has some of the greatestevangelistic outreach.
Our evangelistic director thisyear is Brian C Jones, the
minister of the Newburgh Churchof Christ in Louisville.
He has a seven-pointevangelistic strategy that we
use.
It includes door knocking.
It includes the marketplaceevangelism.
(07:12):
It includes, you know, mailing.
We've mailed thousands ofmaterials.
It also includes a phone bank.
We'll be calling people allover the Detroit area.
It includes a internet, asocial media component.
I can't remember the seventh one, but it's getting people any
way we can.
(07:33):
So when you come to Crusade,it's about the evangelistic
preaching that's going to and wesay preaching that preaches
people to a decision about Jesus, not about different aspects,
but can we just get people to belined up with Jesus If we get
lined up with Jesus, not aboutdifferent aspects, but can we
just get people to be lined upwith Jesus?
If we get lined up with Jesus,then we can settle the other
things.
They'll settle where theysettle.
So you have evangelisticpreaching, you'll have
(07:53):
evangelistic outreach.
But the third component is someof the best evangelistic
workshops that you'll ever wantto be a part of, learning how to
do evangelism.
The crusade is an event, butit's also an experience, and the
crusade has saved thousands andthousands of people over these
(08:14):
46 years that it's been inexistence.
BT Irwin (08:16):
The first crusade, I believe, was in 1979, right,
absolutely.
Who started it?
Who got it started and kept itgoing all these years?
Leonardo Gilbert (08:26):
Dr Daniel Harrison, who was a professor of
communication in city colleges.
He has retired.
He was a young preacher, veryvisionary, one of the greatest
visionaries I've ever known inmy life, and he has always had
the idea we can come together.
We can do some great things asthe Church of Christ.
Let's get away from thefighting, the biting, all of the
(08:50):
things that separate us, but wecan come together to do
something great.
And so therein was the crusadeborn, not just something great,
but it is the essentiality ofwhat God has called us to do to
go into the world and share thegospel of Jesus Christ that
people might be baptized andstart a journey of discipleship
with God.
So Dr Daniel Harrison, with agroup of Chicago ministers, led
(09:15):
that vision that spread aroundthe country, and since then the
thing about it is that thecrusade has been doing nothing
but saving souls.
Amen In the time we live inright now, in the world we live
in, we need the crusade forChrist and the church said amen,
number one I've seen the handof God bring the people of God
together for the common cause ofsaving souls.
I think that one of the thingsthat Jesus says, that by this
(09:39):
will all men know you are mydisciples.
When people can see that welove them, that we care about
them, when people can see thatwe are unified, when people can
see we reflect Jesus Christ,when people can see that that is
transformational not only forthe church but also for the
people that we are reaching.
The crusade is that everywherethe crusade goes, it brings
(10:09):
local churches together.
Everywhere the crusade goes, itbrings common vision together.
Everywhere the crusade goes, itbrings up the mission, the
great commission that we asChristians can join together to
work together for the greatestcause in the world that's
bringing souls to Christ.
BT Irwin (10:24):
It's the greatest cause in the world that's
bringing souls to Christ.
Amen to that.
And one of the things I noticedwhen I was reading back through
the Christian Chroniclescoverage of the crusade over the
years is the number of peoplethat are baptized every time the
crusade comes to town.
Could you talk a little bitabout the people who have put
(10:50):
their faith and trust in JesusChrist and committed their lives
to Him in baptism?
It's really kind of an amazing.
It's amazing when you look athow people have come to Jesus
through this event.
Leonardo Gilbert (10:57):
We really can't take the credit for
everyone being baptized because,you know, the majority of
people that come to the church,come into the kingdom, are based
on personal relationships.
So sometimes we're justharvesting what people have
already put out there.
Other times we're reaching outto people who are looking.
The Holy Spirit has preparedthem for our presence and when
(11:17):
we show up, god works throughthem, because it's not us, it's
God working, it's God's spirit,it's God's plan.
We are just being used for hiscause.
So when this wholetransformational thing, it's
like when we look at physicalbirth, we're just amazed how it
happens again and again andagain.
But when it comes to thespiritual birth, we are surely
looking at God's new birth thattakes place, the conversation
(11:42):
that Jesus had with Nicodemusthat a man must be born again.
And when you see people bornagain, that they put off the
things of the world, they putoff the carnality, they hold on
to the spirituality, they lookand lean on God, that's such a
powerful process.
And when you see, like theyoung lady that was baptized in
1979, linda Matthews, who becamea member of the Sheldon Heights
(12:05):
Church of Christ, brought 20 ofher family members, it's just
amazing to see what God has doneand still faithful in the
church 47 years later.
There's something about walkingwith God.
There's something about thecrusade and watching the lives
of people change.
You know we've been.
That event has baptized so manypeople.
(12:25):
Because when the spirit of godis unleashed, when the holy
spirit reaches the heart of manthat god has prepared because
the bible says we were dead andtrespasses and sin there's
nothing a dead person can dounless the holy spirit oh yes,
makes us alive.
And that's what the bible saysin ephesians, chapter 2.
So we're glad to be a part ofthat process.
And one day, when we leave herehere's the exciting part
(12:47):
Everybody who puts their handsto the plow to help save souls.
That one day, when you leavehere, I read somewhere in the
book of Revelation blessed arethe dead that die in the Lord.
Henceforth, yea, see the spirit.
They shall rest from theirlabors and their works.
Do follow them.
Let me tell you, you can't take401k when you leave.
You can't take all thepossessions, but, uh, when you
leave you can't take all thepossession, but you can take a
soul, somebody.
You touch somebody, you reachedout to, somebody that saw Jesus
(13:08):
because of you.
That's what the crusade is allabout, and we collectively put
our efforts together and let Godget the glory.
BT Irwin (13:20):
And the church said amen, amen.
A lot of folks in churchesthese days when they hear about
the crusade correct me if I'mwrong.
The crusade still does somethings that in this day and age
are considered rather old school.
So people my age remember goingknocking on doors when we were
young.
We remember meeting people,meeting strangers out in public
(13:51):
places and talking to them aboutJesus, and I recently had a
conversation with someone on theshow about how a lot of people
don't do that anymore.
That's kind of fallen out offashion.
And yet I believe the crew yousaid it yourself the crusade
there's going to be doorknocking.
There's going to be meetingpeople in the marketplace.
Some folks say, well, that justdoesn't work anymore.
We don't do that anymorebecause it doesn't work anymore.
What has been your experiencedoing things like knocking on
(14:13):
doors and talking to totalstrangers about Jesus?
Can you tell us why the crusadestill does that and what
happens when you do the crusadefor Christ has a seven-pronged
evangelistic method and doorknocking is one of those.
Leonardo Gilbert (14:28):
Historically, door knocking in 1979, 81, 83,
85, 87 was the dominant way ofreaching people.
But now this world of socialmedia and a world where you just
can't go knock doors.
So we vet every church, vetsevery community and every
neighborhood where they direct.
(14:48):
So when we go into Detroit area,churches have said, yes, you
can door knock here.
Some churches said, no, youcan't door knock there, and some
we don't want it at all.
So we work in areas, we want tovet those areas, we want it to
be safe for people.
And here's the thing about itthere's a group that still does
door knocking across the countryand they are effective.
(15:09):
They do outside reach.
So we don't.
It's not the only method, it isone of the methods.
I still use it at the churchwhere I minister to in emeritus
Because some people you willnever reach.
They go up, you know, until yougo to their doors.
And another thing let me tellyou what makes door knocking
successful.
Our church has had a foodpantry for 40 years.
(15:29):
Do you think that people in thechurch I mean people in the
community when they hear SheldonHeights, they say yep, we know
them.
When we have food giveaways, wefeed people, so we're not
strangers coming to the door.
That's the thing that makesdoor knocking effective that
people know who you are and whenpeople who know who you are,
you have a relationship.
But cold turkey is tough.
(15:50):
So one of the things that whenwe talk to churches what
communities do you haverelationship?
What have you been doing?
If you've been doing something,it's time to knock on that door
.
If you haven't been doingsomething, maybe knocking on the
door doing something before thecrusade came and the church
said amen.
Door knocking is a method thatwe use.
We will always use, becausethere are some people that you
(16:12):
know, old school people likemyself.
We still like to shake hands,we like to look somebody in the
eye, we like to touch.
I'm not all social media, amen.
I want to have a touch andthere's nothing like a human
touch and the church said amen,Amen to that.
BT Irwin (16:26):
In your experience have you found that people maybe
are a lot more receptive thanwe think they are?
Leonardo Gilbert (16:33):
Yeah, you know , I think people are.
Let me just give a story realquick.
March 1st 2025, I'm in Detroitand we're doing marketplace
evangelism in Detroit area.
And we're doing marketplaceevangelism in Detroit area.
The thing about March 1st itwas minus one degrees outside
and I'm out there passing outflyers, talking about the
crusade.
(16:53):
First of all, people thought,if I'm out there at minus one, I
got to be serious no-transcript.
Uh, you know, we don't.
Even if we and passed out firesand and and, people say they
will consider you just don't.
You know the the opportunity toreach out to people and to talk
to people in marketplaces andand in different places.
(17:16):
The world is looking for ananswer in the midst of a world
that's confused and the midst ofthe world is full of dark.
That's the world.
We're trying to figure it out.
Somebody wants to know is therea better way?
Is there a better answer?
And Jesus is that answer.
That's what I say today Amen.
BT Irwin (17:31):
So you've been a part of the Crusade for Christ for
many, many years now, and soyou've met what has to be
hundreds or thousands ofstrangers on streets across the
United States.
And all of those experiencesand meetings, what has God
revealed to you about thecondition of the church here in
this country, and what has Godrevealed to you about the
(17:54):
condition of the church'sneighbors in our society?
Leonardo Gilbert (17:57):
But the nature of people is the nature of
people.
You know, god has created usall to worship.
We will worship something, wewill put high value on something
.
But here's the thing when youput high value on something and
it does not deliver, it leavesyou empty, it leaves you feeling
futile, it leaves you lookingfor answers.
(18:17):
I want to stop by just to tellyou that God, that in the midst
of everything, that there is aGod who answers our every need.
And people are looking for ananswer and really, again, I want
to say the Holy Spirit preparespeople to receive the answer
that God has for them.
(18:38):
So, yeah, people may not know it, but everybody's looking for
this missing ingredient.
Everybody's missing, for thisthing that God has put in us to
worship and to adore and lift upsomething.
And that missing piece is Jesus.
And when we can introducepeople to Jesus, when we can
show people that God is theanswer, that he is, you know,
(18:59):
just like Jesus said in John 14,I'm the way, the truth and the
life.
No man comes unto the Father,but by me there is a certain.
There are certain things,genetically, spiritually, that
God put in us that only God cananswer, and mankind will search
until they find that answer.
And those of us who know Jesusknows he's not a answer, he is
(19:22):
the answer, he is that way maker, he is that miracle.
You know, he's that promisekeeper, he's all in, he's all in
all.
That's why we follow him,that's why we love him, while
he's working on, working on allof us to be the best version of
ourselves, as we prepare one dayto see his face in heaven.
And the church said amen.
BT Irwin (19:40):
Amen.
People that are, you know,anywhere within driving distance
of Detroit, or maybe they wantto catch a flight and they want
to come to the crusade andthey've never been a part of it
before.
What are they going toexperience and see the first
time that they come to thecrusade for Christ?
Leonardo Gilbert (19:58):
But first of all I want to introduce the
website Church of Christ.
Crusade for Christ dot org.
You can go and get all theinformation you need.
When you walk in, you're goingto see the hand of God and the
Lord and walk with the Lord.
You'll see the power of God ina powerful way.
(20:27):
You'll see people that loveeach other and love you, people
that'll say come and see theLord that we know.
You'll see the Jesus says willall men know you are my
disciples?
That love, because that's thereal answer.
Jesus said the greatcommandment love the Lord, thy
God, with all heart, soul andmind.
Love you If you come to thecrusade, we're going to show you
(20:50):
some love.
We're going to show you Jesus'love and no greater love than
this.
Jesus said that a man willsacrifice and give himself and
we're going to show up in a wayto show love to people and show
them the reason why we love,because we were first loved by
Jesus Christ.
And the church said amen.
BT Irwin (21:08):
Amen.
Brother Leonardo Gilbert is thedirector of the National
Crusade for Christ, perhaps thebiggest evangelistic event among
Church of Christ congregationsin the United States.
The crusade is coming toDetroit, Michigan, July 26 to 30
, 2025.
So why don't you come meetBrother Leonardo and 2,000 more
of your brothers and sisters inChrist?
Get all the information youneed at churchofchristcrusadeorg
(21:28):
.
We'll put a link in the shownotes.
Get all the information youneed at churchofchristcrusadeorg
.
We'll put a link in the shownotes.
Brother Leonardo, thank you formaking time to share with us
today.
Leonardo Gilbert (21:35):
Thank you for the opportunity, God bless and
we look forward to seeingeveryone at the crusade.
There's no greater opportunitywhen children of God can come
together for the cause of God.
And the devil wants us to fail.
He wants to get us sidetrackedon issues that do not matter.
Let's save a soul, let's liftsome, let's give all the glory
(21:57):
to God, and the church said amen.
BT Irwin (21:59):
Amen.
Thank you so much.
We hope that something youheard in this episode encouraged
, enlightened or enriched you insome way.
If it did, thanks be to God andplease pay it forward.
Subscribe to this podcast andshare it with a friend.
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(22:20):
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(22:43):
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(23:05):
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Podcast your Voice Studios inthe Motor City, detroit,
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Until next time, may grace andpeace be yours in abundance.
Family and friends, neighbors and, most of all,
strangers.
Welcome to the ChristianChronicle Podcast.
We're bringing you the storiesshaping Church of Christ
congregations and members aroundthe world.
I'm BT Erwin.
May what you are about to hearbless you and honor God.
The Gospel of Luke, chapter 10,verses 1 to 12, tells the story
(00:24):
of a time when Jesus sent 72 ofhis apprentices to quote every
town and place where he himselfintended to go.
End quote.
He commissioned them to healthe sick, which embodied their
announcement that quote thekingdom of God has come near to
you.
End quote From the picture theGospel of Luke paints for us.
These apprentices of Jesus didtheir announcing and healing out
(00:47):
on the streets and they knockedon the doors of strangers.
About a week from the time thatwe're recording this episode,
as many as 2,000 Christians fromChurch of Christ congregations
all over the United States willcome to Detroit, michigan, to do
what those 72 apprentices ofJesus do in the Gospel of Luke,
chapter 10, verses 1 to 12.
They will be agents of healingand light as they announce that
(01:09):
the kingdom of God has come near, knocking on the doors of
strangers and meeting the lostout on the city streets.
They will be participants inthe Crusade for Christ, what
organizers call the largestnational evangelistic event from
the Church of Christ communityin the United States.
The first Crusade for Christcame together in 1979 in Chicago
, illinois, and continued everyother year through 2019,
(01:33):
bringing tens of thousands ofvolunteer evangelists to cities
like Dallas, los Angeles, tampaand Washington DC.
The crusade was due to come toDetroit in 2021, but postponed
because of the global pandemic.
But now the crusade for Christis back in 2025 and happening
right here in Detroit.
Today we have with us BrotherLeonardo Gilbert, who recently
(01:55):
retired.
After almost 50 years ofministry with the Sheldon
Heights Church of Christ inChicago, he is the director of
the crusade for Christ Today.
He is squeezing in thisinterview between funerals, so
you need to know he's in his carin a parking lot.
Brother Leonardo, we appreciateyou for your determination to
visit with us today.
Leonardo Gilbert (02:11):
Thank you for the opportunity.
BT Irwin (02:13):
Could you, real quick here, just give me a brief bio
on yourself, your background,who you are, what you've been
doing with your life andministry and what brings you to
this moment?
Leonardo Gilbert (02:25):
what you've been doing with your life and
ministry and what brings you tothis moment?
Well, leonardo D Gilbert, bornand raised in Chicago, illinois,
I've been at the same churchall of my life Ministered at the
church, started preaching atthe church, left in 1977 to
Michigan Christian College,graduated from there in 1979
(02:47):
with an associate's degree, wentto Harding, spent two and a
half years there and then I gota degree in Bible and also in
biology.
I've been bivocational most ofmy life.
I'm a medical professional.
I retired after 25 years ofworking at the University of
(03:07):
Illinois Department ofOphthalmology and Research.
I have been the co-author ofmany papers on hereditary
retinal disorders.
Basically, I left that careerand got another degree in
nonprofit management.
I have a master's in nonprofitadministration.
I started several nonprofits.
(03:28):
I've been the chairman of thelargest nonprofit in Chicago,
the Greater Chicago FoodDepository, started an
international medical missionnonprofit 25 years old.
So I mean God has just allowedme to serve in so many ways in
the city of Chicago, in thekingdom of God.
I can't even go through it all,but that's kind of a summary.
(03:49):
I'm a servant, I'm a servant.
My greatest impact came from mydays of foundational learning at
Michigan Christian College inRochester, michigan, and at
Harding University, where one ofmy Puget professors, jerry
Jones, said we've been saved toserve and that's been my mantra
(04:13):
all of my life.
I'm married, 41 years, have ason, I have seven grandchildren
and I retired from pulpitministry 52525.
I'm busier now the first 50days after I retired from pulpit
ministry 52525.
I'm busier now the first 50days after I retired.
So life is wonderful.
We got some illnesses andsicknesses with life, but to be
(04:36):
where we are, to do what we'vedone and continue to serve to
the day that God calls us home,that's exciting.
I've been with the Crusade forChrist since 2007.
I was in Chicago when itstarted in 1979, but I've been
on the leadership team since2007 under Dr Daniel Harrison,
(04:57):
who was the director of theCrusade.
I became director in 2019.
I brought medicine, medicaloutreach, because that's the
background I have, and I alsobrought food as a component
because as a chairman of theGreater Chicago Food Depository,
we had almost 8,000 differentpantries throughout the city
(05:23):
that we oversold and made surethey got food from the
government, so we just served.
That's what the crusade I'mexcited about.
So that's kind of a overview.
BT Irwin (05:31):
One of the questions I've gotten asked a lot lately
in Church of Christ circles herein Michigan even, is what is
the crusade for Christ?
Because I've talked about it,we've talked about it at our
congregation and I've let peopleknow that I'm going to be doing
this interview and writing astory about it for the Christian
Chronicle.
And people say, well, what isthe Crusade for Christ?
I've never heard of it.
(05:51):
So for those people thathaven't heard of the Crusade for
Christ, what do you tell them?
Leonardo Gilbert (05:56):
Well, the Crusade for Christ is an
evangelistic outreach of theChurch of Christ and it composes
of three foundational things.
First of all, you'll hear thegreatest evangelistic preaching
in our brotherhood.
This year we have 12 speakers.
For a number of years, thespeaker for the crusade was
basically Dr Jack Evans, who wasthe president of Southwestern
(06:19):
Christian College In 1991, wealso had Jack Evans and Jimmy
Allen, who was one of myprofessors at Harding.
BT Irwin (06:28):
He was one of the speakers.
Leonardo Gilbert (06:30):
So yeah, he was somebody else.
His famous sermon I heard whenI was a student.
He preached a sermon what ishell like and since then.
I decided I didn't want to go.
I mean, I even more decided Ididn't want to go.
If you hear Jimmy Allen preach,that didn't want to go, I mean,
I even more decided I didn'twant to go.
If you hear Jimmy Allen preachthat, you know hell is not a
place you want to be.
Praise the Lord, amen.
But you know we are.
(06:51):
The Crusade has some of thegreatest evangelistic preaching.
It has some of the greatestevangelistic outreach.
Our evangelistic director thisyear is Brian C Jones, the
minister of the Newburgh Churchof Christ in Louisville.
He has a seven-pointevangelistic strategy that we
use.
It includes door knocking.
It includes the marketplaceevangelism.
(07:12):
It includes, you know, mailing.
We've mailed thousands ofmaterials.
It also includes a phone bank.
We'll be calling people allover the Detroit area.
It includes a internet, asocial media component.
I can't remember the seventh one, but it's getting people any
way we can.
(07:33):
So when you come to Crusade,it's about the evangelistic
preaching that's going to and wesay preaching that preaches
people to a decision about Jesus, not about different aspects,
but can we just get people to belined up with Jesus If we get
lined up with Jesus, not aboutdifferent aspects, but can we
just get people to be lined upwith Jesus?
If we get lined up with Jesus,then we can settle the other
things.
They'll settle where theysettle.
So you have evangelisticpreaching, you'll have
(07:53):
evangelistic outreach.
But the third component is someof the best evangelistic
workshops that you'll ever wantto be a part of, learning how to
do evangelism.
The crusade is an event, butit's also an experience, and the
crusade has saved thousands andthousands of people over these
(08:14):
46 years that it's been inexistence.
BT Irwin (08:16):
The first crusade, I believe, was in 1979, right,
absolutely.
Who started it?
Who got it started and kept itgoing all these years?
Leonardo Gilbert (08:26):
Dr Daniel Harrison, who was a professor of
communication in city colleges.
He has retired.
He was a young preacher, veryvisionary, one of the greatest
visionaries I've ever known inmy life, and he has always had
the idea we can come together.
We can do some great things asthe Church of Christ.
Let's get away from thefighting, the biting, all of the
(08:50):
things that separate us, but wecan come together to do
something great.
And so therein was the crusadeborn, not just something great,
but it is the essentiality ofwhat God has called us to do to
go into the world and share thegospel of Jesus Christ that
people might be baptized andstart a journey of discipleship
with God.
So Dr Daniel Harrison, with agroup of Chicago ministers, led
(09:15):
that vision that spread aroundthe country, and since then the
thing about it is that thecrusade has been doing nothing
but saving souls.
Amen In the time we live inright now, in the world we live
in, we need the crusade forChrist and the church said amen,
number one I've seen the handof God bring the people of God
together for the common cause ofsaving souls.
I think that one of the thingsthat Jesus says, that by this
(09:39):
will all men know you are mydisciples.
When people can see that welove them, that we care about
them, when people can see thatwe are unified, when people can
see we reflect Jesus Christ,when people can see that that is
transformational not only forthe church but also for the
people that we are reaching.
The crusade is that everywherethe crusade goes, it brings
(10:09):
local churches together.
Everywhere the crusade goes, itbrings common vision together.
Everywhere the crusade goes, itbrings up the mission, the
great commission that we asChristians can join together to
work together for the greatestcause in the world that's
bringing souls to Christ.
BT Irwin (10:24):
It's the greatest cause in the world that's
bringing souls to Christ.
Amen to that.
And one of the things I noticedwhen I was reading back through
the Christian Chroniclescoverage of the crusade over the
years is the number of peoplethat are baptized every time the
crusade comes to town.
Could you talk a little bitabout the people who have put
(10:50):
their faith and trust in JesusChrist and committed their lives
to Him in baptism?
It's really kind of an amazing.
It's amazing when you look athow people have come to Jesus
through this event.
Leonardo Gilbert (10:57):
We really can't take the credit for
everyone being baptized because,you know, the majority of
people that come to the church,come into the kingdom, are based
on personal relationships.
So sometimes we're justharvesting what people have
already put out there.
Other times we're reaching outto people who are looking.
The Holy Spirit has preparedthem for our presence and when
(11:17):
we show up, god works throughthem, because it's not us, it's
God working, it's God's spirit,it's God's plan.
We are just being used for hiscause.
So when this wholetransformational thing, it's
like when we look at physicalbirth, we're just amazed how it
happens again and again andagain.
But when it comes to thespiritual birth, we are surely
looking at God's new birth thattakes place, the conversation
(11:42):
that Jesus had with Nicodemusthat a man must be born again.
And when you see people bornagain, that they put off the
things of the world, they putoff the carnality, they hold on
to the spirituality, they lookand lean on God, that's such a
powerful process.
And when you see, like theyoung lady that was baptized in
1979, linda Matthews, who becamea member of the Sheldon Heights
(12:05):
Church of Christ, brought 20 ofher family members, it's just
amazing to see what God has doneand still faithful in the
church 47 years later.
There's something about walkingwith God.
There's something about thecrusade and watching the lives
of people change.
You know we've been.
That event has baptized so manypeople.
(12:25):
Because when the spirit of godis unleashed, when the holy
spirit reaches the heart of manthat god has prepared because
the bible says we were dead andtrespasses and sin there's
nothing a dead person can dounless the holy spirit oh yes,
makes us alive.
And that's what the bible saysin ephesians, chapter 2.
So we're glad to be a part ofthat process.
And one day, when we leave herehere's the exciting part
(12:47):
Everybody who puts their handsto the plow to help save souls.
That one day, when you leavehere, I read somewhere in the
book of Revelation blessed arethe dead that die in the Lord.
Henceforth, yea, see the spirit.
They shall rest from theirlabors and their works.
Do follow them.
Let me tell you, you can't take401k when you leave.
You can't take all thepossessions, but, uh, when you
leave you can't take all thepossession, but you can take a
soul, somebody.
You touch somebody, you reachedout to, somebody that saw Jesus
(13:08):
because of you.
That's what the crusade is allabout, and we collectively put
our efforts together and let Godget the glory.
BT Irwin (13:20):
And the church said amen, amen.
A lot of folks in churchesthese days when they hear about
the crusade correct me if I'mwrong.
The crusade still does somethings that in this day and age
are considered rather old school.
So people my age remember goingknocking on doors when we were
young.
We remember meeting people,meeting strangers out in public
(13:51):
places and talking to them aboutJesus, and I recently had a
conversation with someone on theshow about how a lot of people
don't do that anymore.
That's kind of fallen out offashion.
And yet I believe the crew yousaid it yourself the crusade
there's going to be doorknocking.
There's going to be meetingpeople in the marketplace.
Some folks say, well, that justdoesn't work anymore.
We don't do that anymorebecause it doesn't work anymore.
What has been your experiencedoing things like knocking on
(14:13):
doors and talking to totalstrangers about Jesus?
Can you tell us why the crusadestill does that and what
happens when you do the crusadefor Christ has a seven-pronged
evangelistic method and doorknocking is one of those.
Leonardo Gilbert (14:28):
Historically, door knocking in 1979, 81, 83,
85, 87 was the dominant way ofreaching people.
But now this world of socialmedia and a world where you just
can't go knock doors.
So we vet every church, vetsevery community and every
neighborhood where they direct.
(14:48):
So when we go into Detroit area,churches have said, yes, you
can door knock here.
Some churches said, no, youcan't door knock there, and some
we don't want it at all.
So we work in areas, we want tovet those areas, we want it to
be safe for people.
And here's the thing about itthere's a group that still does
door knocking across the countryand they are effective.
(15:09):
They do outside reach.
So we don't.
It's not the only method, it isone of the methods.
I still use it at the churchwhere I minister to in emeritus
Because some people you willnever reach.
They go up, you know, until yougo to their doors.
And another thing let me tellyou what makes door knocking
successful.
Our church has had a foodpantry for 40 years.
(15:29):
Do you think that people in thechurch I mean people in the
community when they hear SheldonHeights, they say yep, we know
them.
When we have food giveaways, wefeed people, so we're not
strangers coming to the door.
That's the thing that makesdoor knocking effective that
people know who you are and whenpeople who know who you are,
you have a relationship.
But cold turkey is tough.
(15:50):
So one of the things that whenwe talk to churches what
communities do you haverelationship?
What have you been doing?
If you've been doing something,it's time to knock on that door
.
If you haven't been doingsomething, maybe knocking on the
door doing something before thecrusade came and the church
said amen.
Door knocking is a method thatwe use.
We will always use, becausethere are some people that you
(16:12):
know, old school people likemyself.
We still like to shake hands,we like to look somebody in the
eye, we like to touch.
I'm not all social media, amen.
I want to have a touch andthere's nothing like a human
touch and the church said amen,Amen to that.
BT Irwin (16:26):
In your experience have you found that people maybe
are a lot more receptive thanwe think they are?
Leonardo Gilbert (16:33):
Yeah, you know , I think people are.
Let me just give a story realquick.
March 1st 2025, I'm in Detroitand we're doing marketplace
evangelism in Detroit area.
And we're doing marketplaceevangelism in Detroit area.
The thing about March 1st itwas minus one degrees outside
and I'm out there passing outflyers, talking about the
crusade.
(16:53):
First of all, people thought,if I'm out there at minus one, I
got to be serious no-transcript.
Uh, you know, we don't.
Even if we and passed out firesand and and, people say they
will consider you just don't.
You know the the opportunity toreach out to people and to talk
to people in marketplaces andand in different places.
(17:16):
The world is looking for ananswer in the midst of a world
that's confused and the midst ofthe world is full of dark.
That's the world.
We're trying to figure it out.
Somebody wants to know is therea better way?
Is there a better answer?
And Jesus is that answer.
That's what I say today Amen.
BT Irwin (17:31):
So you've been a part of the Crusade for Christ for
many, many years now, and soyou've met what has to be
hundreds or thousands ofstrangers on streets across the
United States.
And all of those experiencesand meetings, what has God
revealed to you about thecondition of the church here in
this country, and what has Godrevealed to you about the
(17:54):
condition of the church'sneighbors in our society?
Leonardo Gilbert (17:57):
But the nature of people is the nature of
people.
You know, god has created usall to worship.
We will worship something, wewill put high value on something
.
But here's the thing when youput high value on something and
it does not deliver, it leavesyou empty, it leaves you feeling
futile, it leaves you lookingfor answers.
(18:17):
I want to stop by just to tellyou that God, that in the midst
of everything, that there is aGod who answers our every need.
And people are looking for ananswer and really, again, I want
to say the Holy Spirit preparespeople to receive the answer
that God has for them.
(18:38):
So, yeah, people may not know it, but everybody's looking for
this missing ingredient.
Everybody's missing, for thisthing that God has put in us to
worship and to adore and lift upsomething.
And that missing piece is Jesus.
And when we can introducepeople to Jesus, when we can
show people that God is theanswer, that he is, you know,
(18:59):
just like Jesus said in John 14,I'm the way, the truth and the
life.
No man comes unto the Father,but by me there is a certain.
There are certain things,genetically, spiritually, that
God put in us that only God cananswer, and mankind will search
until they find that answer.
And those of us who know Jesusknows he's not a answer, he is
(19:22):
the answer, he is that way maker, he is that miracle.
You know, he's that promisekeeper, he's all in, he's all in
all.
That's why we follow him,that's why we love him, while
he's working on, working on allof us to be the best version of
ourselves, as we prepare one dayto see his face in heaven.
And the church said amen.
BT Irwin (19:40):
Amen.
People that are, you know,anywhere within driving distance
of Detroit, or maybe they wantto catch a flight and they want
to come to the crusade andthey've never been a part of it
before.
What are they going toexperience and see the first
time that they come to thecrusade for Christ?
Leonardo Gilbert (19:58):
But first of all I want to introduce the
website Church of Christ.
Crusade for Christ dot org.
You can go and get all theinformation you need.
When you walk in, you're goingto see the hand of God and the
Lord and walk with the Lord.
You'll see the power of God ina powerful way.
(20:27):
You'll see people that loveeach other and love you, people
that'll say come and see theLord that we know.
You'll see the Jesus says willall men know you are my
disciples?
That love, because that's thereal answer.
Jesus said the greatcommandment love the Lord, thy
God, with all heart, soul andmind.
Love you If you come to thecrusade, we're going to show you
(20:50):
some love.
We're going to show you Jesus'love and no greater love than
this.
Jesus said that a man willsacrifice and give himself and
we're going to show up in a wayto show love to people and show
them the reason why we love,because we were first loved by
Jesus Christ.
And the church said amen.
BT Irwin (21:08):
Amen.
Brother Leonardo Gilbert is thedirector of the National
Crusade for Christ, perhaps thebiggest evangelistic event among
Church of Christ congregationsin the United States.
The crusade is coming toDetroit, Michigan, July 26 to 30
, 2025.
So why don't you come meetBrother Leonardo and 2,000 more
of your brothers and sisters inChrist?
Get all the information youneed at churchofchristcrusadeorg
(21:28):
.
We'll put a link in the shownotes.
Get all the information youneed at churchofchristcrusadeorg
.
We'll put a link in the shownotes.
Brother Leonardo, thank you formaking time to share with us
today.
Leonardo Gilbert (21:35):
Thank you for the opportunity, God bless and
we look forward to seeingeveryone at the crusade.
There's no greater opportunitywhen children of God can come
together for the cause of God.
And the devil wants us to fail.
He wants to get us sidetrackedon issues that do not matter.
Let's save a soul, let's liftsome, let's give all the glory
(21:57):
to God, and the church said amen.
BT Irwin (21:59):
Amen.
Thank you so much.
We hope that something youheard in this episode encouraged
, enlightened or enriched you insome way.
If it did, thanks be to God andplease pay it forward.
Subscribe to this podcast andshare it with a friend.
Recommend and review itwherever you listen to your
favorite podcasts.
Your subscription,recommendation and review help
(22:20):
us reach more people.
Christianchronicleorg, don'tforget, our ministry to inform
and inspire Christians andcongregations around the world
is a non-profit ministry thatrelies on your generosity.
So if you like the show and youwant to keep it going and make
it even better, please make atax-deductible gift to the
(22:43):
Christian Chronicle atchristianchronicleorg.
The Christian Chronicle podcastis a production of the
Christian Chronicle Incorporated, informing and inspiring Church
of Christ congregations,members and ministries around
the world since 1943.
The Christian Chronicle'smanaging editor is Audrey
Jackson, editor-in-chief BobbyRoss Jr and executive director
(23:05):
and CEO Eric Trigestad.
The Christian Chronicle podcastis written, directed, hosted
and edited by BT Irwin and isproduced by James Flanagan at
Podcast your Voice Studios inthe Motor City, detroit,
michigan, usa.
Until next time, may grace andpeace be yours in abundance.
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