LOUISVILLE — Joshua Smith expected to sit in quiet reflection among the throngs soaking in Billy Graham's sermons, but a chance meeting gave him an unexpected role in the evangelistic event.

        The Baptist lay pastor will lend his voice as part of the choir performing at The Rev. Mr. Graham's crusade at Papa John's Cardinal Stadium, a last-minute part offered by crusade director Jeff Anderson.

        Mr. Anderson was picking up cell phones at the phone office where Mr. Smith works last week when the two struck up a conversation about the four-day crusade which begins Thursday night. Mr. Smith found out he could still join the choir and promised to attend the last rehearsal with his wife Charlotte.

        “I have a lot of respect for Billy Graham and the crusade,” Mr. Smith said. “He is a man of great integrity. I was going anyway, and I feel honored to be a part of it.”

        Crusade organizers are recruiting ushers to join more than 800 people who already volunteered. More voices can still be added to the choir of close to 3,000.

        Organizers expect be tween 150,000 to 175,000 to attend five services from Thursday through Sunday. Two Saturday services, one in the morning and the other in the evening, will be geared toward youth. The Rev. Mr. Graham will preach at each event except for Saturday morning.

        It will be his first crusade in a generation in Louisville, home to a school of evangelism that bears his name at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. The Rev. Mr. Graham spent four weeks in the city in 1956 and attract ed 500,000 people. He returned for a one-day crusade in 1964.

        Workers are setting up the stage and installing the sound and lighting systems, a four-day process expected to be finished Tuesday.

        The crusade team — ushers, choir and counselors — will go through final rehearsals early in the week.

        Crusade officials are pleased with the grass-roots response, Mr. Anderson said. Nearly 600 churches representing 53 denominations are participating.

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