Franklin Graham visited the Samaritan’s Purse Emergency Field Hospital in Central Park on Tuesday to record a special Easter message that will be broadcast nationally on Easter Sunday, and to encourage the team of volunteers who have been working hard to provide care for patients suffering from COVID-19 at the site across from Mount Sinai Hospital.

“They are doing such an incredible job!” Franklin said on Facebook about the work of the hospital personnel. “Each one of these men and women count it a privilege to be there, helping people in Jesus’ Name.”

The Field Hospital is staffed by more than 70 disaster response specialists, including doctors, nurses, paramedics, lab technicians and other critical support personnel. To help care for the spiritual needs of people, chaplains from the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association are working nearby, ministering alongside medical personnel amid the COVID-19 outbreak.

Franklin was joined by his daughter Cissie Graham Lynch, who is senior advisor/ministry spokesperson for the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, and his friend and Grammy Award winning musician Michael W. Smith.

“My daughter, Cissie Graham Lynch, was with me today, and so was our dear friend Michael W. Smith,” Franklin said. “Michael and I recorded an Easter message and worship music from out in the East Meadow that will air on the Fox News Channel Easter Sunday morning at 10 ET. I hope you will make plans to join us.”

This Easter Sunday will look different than most. With many church buildings closed to the public in an effort to follow social distancing and shelter-in-place rules set by the CDC, churches around the world plan to meet online, many via livestream messages, to celebrate the risen Savior—Jesus Christ.

“Jesus Christ is the hope that the world is looking for,” Franklin said on Twitter.

Cissie Graham Lynch, meanwhile, marked the visit in a Facebook post.

“I was in tears all afternoon yesterday, as my heart was moved by what I saw in the city that never sleeps, because even in the darkness, I saw the LIGHT of Jesus shining through the service of his people. … They are selflessly spending their days volunteering and serving with our team. Please continue to pray for our team serving on the front lines.”

Above: Franklin Graham recorded a message of hope for an Easter Sunday television special recorded in New York City, the epicenter of the COVID-19 outbreak.

Photo: Paul Sherar/©2020 BGEA