EVANGELIST BELL PREPARES FOR VISIT

SIKESTON, Mo. -- The Rev. Ralph Bell sees himself much like an obstetrician.

An obstetrician brings a baby into the world then turns the infant's care over to the pediatrician who will watch him grow and mature. When Bell and his team of evangelists come to Sikeston next week, they hope many will be reborn in Christ, then it is up to the local churches for their continued spiritual growth.

"Our goal is to try to reach people in all stages of life," Bell said. "We will speak to married people, to children and young people, to senior citizens and prisoners. We want to try to touch the life of a community if at all possible, not just church people but people who are struggling with problems in their lives."

The evangelist's message will be a simple one.

It is the same message evangelists have brought to people for more than 2,000 years: that God loves them.

Bell has spread that message around the world while working in conjunction with the Rev. Billy Graham. He has been a part of Graham's staff for 35 years.

It began while Bell was a student in seminary in California. In an evangelism class he was assigned a paper on a missionary and wrote about a Graham associate, Howard Jones. Eventually Bell and Jones met, and he was even able to go with Jones to Africa for mission work.

In 1965, while a pastor in Los Angeles, Graham, at Howard's suggestion, invited Bell to join his team.

"My life was pretty well regulated then," Bell said. "I had set hours for my study time and counseling. When I got into evangelism I found adjustments had to be made, especially involving my family, but I have no regrets."

Bell, in a recent telephone interview, said, "I have enjoyed the work and it has given me a broader platform to share the gospel."

Although he has been to Missouri before, this will be Bell's first visit to Southeast Missouri, and he is looking forward to seeing the area.

Also, he expects many in the Bootheel will be interested in seeing what Celebration 2000 is like.

While crusades conducted by Billy Graham tend to occur only in large cities, those crusades conducted by his teams of associates are designed for smaller communities, Bell said. The preparation and the experience are the same.

"But we would like people to come and see for themselves and experience for themselves," Bell said. "I don't think people who are uncomfortable at church would feel out of place. In fact, they can feel a bit anonymous in a crowd like that. They can make a decision without feeling embarrassed."

Bell sees Celebration 2000 as an opportunity to strengthen the local churches by having them work together. Churches from 11 counties are involved in the planning and promotion of the Sikeston crusade.

"Oftentimes the local church is working in its own little corner of the vineyard," Bell said. "This kind of fellowship brings them together. They can lay down denominational difference, discover one another and know that the people down the block are believers too."