Explo '72
Encyclopedia
Explo '72 was an evangelistic conference sponsored by Campus Crusade for Christ
, planned and directed by Paul Eshleman. Explo '72 has been called the most visible event of the 1970s Jesus movement
, and came to be associated with the same, even though its primary attendees were not directly involved in that movement.
It was held in various locations in Dallas, Texas
from June 12 to June 17, 1972, with a nightly gathering in the Cotton Bowl
. Its goal was to gather 100,000 high school and college students together to train them in personal evangelism
, with a vision toward world evangelism, and to encourage attendees to seek some form of Christian service career.
The daily schedule included evangelism classes and seminars in the daytime, with hands-on exercises in the afternoon. Nightly events at Cotton Bowl features bands, well known preachers, and pro players from various sporting teams.
Billy Graham
spoke on six different occasions during the event including the final event which was a public, eight-hour long, Christian music festival
on Saturday, June 17, 1972. Dubbed "The Christian Woodstock", the event drew an estimated attendance between 100,000 to 200,000. Newsweek described the crowds as being "militant Christians." Featured artists were Love Song
, Larry Norman
, Randy Matthews
, The Archers
, Children of the Day
, Johnny Cash
, and Kris Kristofferson
. The festival was held on a huge open swath of land just north of downtown Dallas that had been cleared for construction of the Woodall Rodgers Freeway. The excavation for this highway linking Interstate 35 and US75 would forever obliterate the festival site.
Many conservative Christian groups were critical of Explo '72 for its ecumenical involvement with both Protestant and Roman Catholic ministries, and for its use of rock music. The event attracted Jesus movement fringe groups, including the Children of God and the Christian World Liberation Front.
, which would later be more commonly called Contemporary Christian Music
. At least one critic credits the event with spawning the entire Christian music industry
.
Maynard Pittendreigh
, who attended the event as a recent high school graduate, did a limited study when working on his Master of Divinity degree in which he analyzed the long-term effects of large scale evangelistic events. Gathering information from churches from South Carolina that had sent youth groups to the event, he was able to demonstrate that more than 60% of those participants had entered the ordained ministry, were engaged in theological training, or had become missionaries.
David Scott
, writing for the May, 2005, edition of Christianity Today
, documented the effects Explo '72 had on Pope John Paul II
. As a cardinal in Poland, the future Pope was heavily influenced toward evangelistic efforts by Joe Losiak, a Polish American student who had attended Explo '72 and introduced its concepts to Roman Catholic officials in Poland.
Campus Crusade for Christ
Campus Crusade for Christ is an interdenominational Christian organization that promotes evangelism and discipleship in more than 190 countries...
, planned and directed by Paul Eshleman. Explo '72 has been called the most visible event of the 1970s Jesus movement
Jesus movement
The Jesus movement was a movement in Christianity beginning on the West Coast of the United States in the late 1960s and early 1970s and spreading primarily through North America and Europe, before dying out by the early 1980s. It was the major Christian element within the hippie counterculture,...
, and came to be associated with the same, even though its primary attendees were not directly involved in that movement.
It was held in various locations in Dallas, Texas
Dallas, Texas
Dallas is the third-largest city in Texas and the ninth-largest in the United States. The Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex is the largest metropolitan area in the South and fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States...
from June 12 to June 17, 1972, with a nightly gathering in the Cotton Bowl
Cotton Bowl (stadium)
The Cotton Bowl is a stadium which opened in 1929 and became known as "The House That Doak Built" due to the immense crowds that former SMU running back Doak Walker drew to the stadium during his college career in the late 1940s. Originally known as Fair Park Stadium, it is located in Fair Park,...
. Its goal was to gather 100,000 high school and college students together to train them in personal evangelism
Evangelism
Evangelism refers to the practice of relaying information about a particular set of beliefs to others who do not hold those beliefs. The term is often used in reference to Christianity....
, with a vision toward world evangelism, and to encourage attendees to seek some form of Christian service career.
Background
Attendance at the conference was estimated at 80,000, with about 95% from a white background, fewer than 3000 black attendees, and an international representation of 75 countries. Most of these were middle class high school and college students.The daily schedule included evangelism classes and seminars in the daytime, with hands-on exercises in the afternoon. Nightly events at Cotton Bowl features bands, well known preachers, and pro players from various sporting teams.
Billy Graham
Billy Graham
William Franklin "Billy" Graham, Jr. is an American evangelical Christian evangelist. As of April 25, 2010, when he met with Barack Obama, Graham has spent personal time with twelve United States Presidents dating back to Harry S. Truman, and is number seven on Gallup's list of admired people for...
spoke on six different occasions during the event including the final event which was a public, eight-hour long, Christian music festival
Christian music festival
A Christian music festival is a music festival held by the Christian community, in support of performers of Christian music...
on Saturday, June 17, 1972. Dubbed "The Christian Woodstock", the event drew an estimated attendance between 100,000 to 200,000. Newsweek described the crowds as being "militant Christians." Featured artists were Love Song
Love Song (band)
Love Song was one of the main Jesus music bands, one of the first Christian rock bands. It was founded in 1970 by Chuck Girard, Tommy Coomes, Jay Truax, and Fred Field. Additionally, the earliest members included David Ingram on keyboards, Ernie Earnshaw on drums and Jack Schaeffer on bass. It was...
, Larry Norman
Larry Norman
Larry David Norman was an American Christian musician, singer, songwriter, record label owner, and record producer, who worked with Christian rock music...
, Randy Matthews
Randy Matthews
Randy Matthews is a Christian singer-songwriter, guitarist, and pioneer of Jesus music. He was born into a family with at least five ordained ministers, including his father, Monty, a founding member of the Jordanaires. When Randy was in high school in Lamar, Mo., he sang in a quartet called The...
, The Archers
The Archers (musical group)
The Archers were one of America's earliest Contemporary Christian music groups. They were originally brothers Tim and Steve Archer, Nancye Short and Billy Rush Masters. After Masters and Short departed in 1977, sister Janice Archer joined....
, Children of the Day
Children of the Day
Children of the Day was a Contemporary Christian music group that recorded and toured from 1971 to 1979. It is considered by many to be the world's first contemporary Christian music group.-Beginnings:...
, Johnny Cash
Johnny Cash
John R. "Johnny" Cash was an American singer-songwriter, actor, and author, who has been called one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century...
, and Kris Kristofferson
Kris Kristofferson
Kristoffer "Kris" Kristofferson is an American musician, actor, and writer. He is known for hits such as "Me and Bobby McGee", "For the Good Times", "Sunday Mornin' Comin' Down", and "Help Me Make It Through the Night"...
. The festival was held on a huge open swath of land just north of downtown Dallas that had been cleared for construction of the Woodall Rodgers Freeway. The excavation for this highway linking Interstate 35 and US75 would forever obliterate the festival site.
Many conservative Christian groups were critical of Explo '72 for its ecumenical involvement with both Protestant and Roman Catholic ministries, and for its use of rock music. The event attracted Jesus movement fringe groups, including the Children of God and the Christian World Liberation Front.
Impact
The long-term impact of Explo '72 cannot be measured. The most obvious and lasting effect was the influence of Jesus musicJesus music
Jesus music, known as gospel beat music in the United Kingdom, is a style of Christian music which originated on the West Coast of the United States in the late 1960s and early 1970s. This musical genre developed in parallel to the Jesus movement...
, which would later be more commonly called Contemporary Christian Music
Contemporary Christian music
Contemporary Christian music is a genre of modern popular music which is lyrically focused on matters concerned with the Christian faith...
. At least one critic credits the event with spawning the entire Christian music industry
Christian music industry
The Christian music industry is a small part of the larger music industry, that focuses on traditional Gospel music, Southern Gospel music, Contemporary Christian music, and alternative Christian music. It is sometimes called the gospel music industry, although this designation is not a limitation...
.
Maynard Pittendreigh
Maynard Pittendreigh
The Rev. Dr. W. Maynard Pittendreigh is an astronomer, writer and an ordained minister in the Presbyterian Church . As a minister, he has been a pioneer and leader in a movement toward multi-cultural/racial congregations, and in developing early Internet-based ministries.William Maynard...
, who attended the event as a recent high school graduate, did a limited study when working on his Master of Divinity degree in which he analyzed the long-term effects of large scale evangelistic events. Gathering information from churches from South Carolina that had sent youth groups to the event, he was able to demonstrate that more than 60% of those participants had entered the ordained ministry, were engaged in theological training, or had become missionaries.
David Scott
David Scott
David Randolph Scott is an American engineer, test pilot, retired U.S. Air Force officer, and former NASA astronaut and engineer, who was one of the third group of astronauts selected by NASA in October 1963...
, writing for the May, 2005, edition of Christianity Today
Christianity Today
Christianity Today is an Evangelical Christian periodical based in Carol Stream, Illinois. It is the flagship publication of its parent company Christianity Today International, claiming circulation figures of 140,000 and readership of 290,000...
, documented the effects Explo '72 had on Pope John Paul II
Pope John Paul II
Blessed Pope John Paul II , born Karol Józef Wojtyła , reigned as Pope of the Catholic Church and Sovereign of Vatican City from 16 October 1978 until his death on 2 April 2005, at of age. His was the second-longest documented pontificate, which lasted ; only Pope Pius IX ...
. As a cardinal in Poland, the future Pope was heavily influenced toward evangelistic efforts by Joe Losiak, a Polish American student who had attended Explo '72 and introduced its concepts to Roman Catholic officials in Poland.