Billy Graham's News For New York

The most popular preacher in the United States, the Rev. Billy Graham, is gearing up for what may be the final crusade of his incredible ministry.

For six decades, reports CBS News correspondent Trish Regan, Graham has been the most recognized face of evangelism, preaching personal redemption through salvation.

When he first came to New York City in 1957, he had planned a crusade to run several weeks, but it was extended through the summer by popular demand.

"I ran out of sermons after the first week or two," Graham recalls. "Somebody said, 'What are you doing?' I said, 'I'm preaching them over and over again.' "

This is Graham's eighth visit to the Big Apple. This time, the evangelical movement has become more popular than ever. A rising immigrant population has embraced this style of Christianity, with some 7,000 churches and an estimated one million followers in New York City.

Michael Cromartie of the Ethics and Public Policy Center says, "There's a direct message that has, as Billy Graham would say, good news at its core; it's simple, and it doesn't need to have a pope to interpret it.

In New York, not only is there a mixture of ethnic backgrounds, but there's a mixture of the problems of the world.

Every president since Eisenhower has called on Graham for spiritual counsel. He was closest to Nixon, but says he has tried to keep his message pastoral, not political.

Graham explains, "If I get up and talk about some political issue, it divides the audience, and what I want is a united audience to hear only the gospel."

These days, his voice may be weaker, but he's hoping it's heard across today's political and cultural divides.

Tune in Thursday morning, as Graham talks to Harry Smith about his crusade.