Contact: Krystal Collazo, 786-566-2452, KCwdcmedia@gmail.com; Susan M. Zahn, 877-862-3600, office2@wdcmedia.com; both with WDC Media PR

LOS ANGELES, Mar. 24 /Christian Newswire/ -- Trinity Broadcasting Network (TBN), America's most-watched faith channel, invites you to join Matt and Laurie Crouch, Jan Crouch, Pat Boone, and a host of other Christian personalities as they gather at both the Grauman's Chinese Theatre in Hollywood and at TBN's Holy Land Experience in Orlando, Florida for the worldwide premier of The Cross: The Arthur Blessitt Story. Beginning at 7 p.m Pacific Time, the celebration will be televised on a special three-hour installment of TBN's popular nightly praise and ministry program Praise the Lord.

The feature-length film follows Arthur Blessitt, a one-time California hippie and full-time messenger of the gospel, from Christmas Day 1969 when he started out on foot from Hollywood, California carrying a twelve-foot cross, to the conclusion of his 38,102 mile journey 39 years later, on June 13, 2008 in Zanzibar off the coast of Tanzania. Blessitt's solitary pilgrimage took him through 315 countries and all seven continents, where he shared the message of God's love and mercy to individuals from all walks of life -- and a wide variety of religious traditions.

A project of Gener8Xion Entertainment, a California-based studio whose popular and critically acclaimed films include Omega Code and One Night With the King, The Cross offers an up-close view of the motivation and faith of one man as he seeks to fulfill the unique goal of sharing the gospel through the emblem of Christ's suffering.

Explaining the personal motivation behind his nearly 40-year trek around the globe, Blessitt said, "Far too often religious differences have caused the cross to become a symbol of conflict. Part of my mission over the years as I've walked around the world has been to help people understand the cross for what it truly is: the ultimate symbol of God's love for all humanity."

The special Praise the Lord program will come to you live from both Hollywood and Orlando, Florida, and will include interviews with Arthur Blessitt and others involved in the film, as well as an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at the making of The Cross. The film is set to open in theaters across the nation on March 27th.

"TBN is proud to host the premier of this powerful documentary from two locations thousands of miles away," said Paul Crouch Jr., TBN's Chief of Staff, who will also be on hand at the Hollywood premier. "As one audience enjoys the film in the very community where Arthur Blessitt began his journey so many years ago, another group will be experiencing the impact of his spiritual odyssey in an atmosphere that recreates the splendor and impact of the Holy Land -- where Jesus lived, died, and rose again! This will be an unforgettable evening for all, and we're thrilled to carry it live on our Praise the Lord program!"

The special TBN Praise the Lord Program will air live on Tuesday, March 24th, from 7-10 p.m. Pacific Time. For more information visit www.tbn.org.

For more information on The Cross: The Arthur Blessitt Story, visit www.thecrossfilm.com.

About TBN
TBN is the world's largest religious network and America's most watched faith channel. Each day TBN offers 24 hours of commercial-free inspirational programming that appeals to people in a wide variety of denomin ations. TBN now reaches every major continent via 54 satellites and more than 12,000 television and cable affiliates worldwide. In the United States, TBN is available to 92 percent of the total households. Its website receives more than 27 million visitors monthly. In addition to TBN, the network owns and operates seven networks, including: The Church Channel, JCTV youth network, TBN Enlace USA Spanish network, and Smile of a Child TV children's network. For more information on TBN, visit www.tbn.org.