Billy Graham: A Lion in Winter

The Rev. Dr. William Franklin Graham, Jr., better known as “Billy,” was born in Charlotte, NC, on Nov. 7, 1918. Raised in a Presbyterian home, Graham professed faith in Christ in 1934 under the preaching of Mordecai Ham. Graham was ordained as a Southern Baptist minister five years later.

After graduating from Wheaton College, Graham joined Youth for Christ and traveled throughout the United States and Europe as an evangelist. Since that period he has conducted “crusades” the world over. He gained prestige in the late 1940s and early 1950s for his work. The Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, formed in 1950, has sponsored not only evangelistic crusades all over the world, but also the Hour of Decision, a weekly radio broadcast that is heard world-wide; a column, My Answer, carried by many U.S. newspapers; Decision magazine, the official publication of the BGEA; and World Wide Pictures, a company responsible for producing and distributing over 130 evangelistic videos/movies.

When thinking about the life and ministry of Billy Graham, there is much to commend. No public scandal has ever tainted his life or ministry. The BGEA has long been known for integrity in financial matters. The “Modesto Manifesto,” drawn up by Graham and his associates in 1948, sought to maintain integrity in matters related to finances, sexual purity and other vital areas. Billy and Ruth Bell Graham, whose parents were medical missionaries in China, have long been loving and faithful in relation to each other. This is due, in large part, to the extra precautions Graham has taken in protecting his marital fidelity. He has refused to be alone with women other than his wife/family members. He and Ruth have three daughters, two sons, 19 grandchildren and 27 great-grandchildren.

It is estimated that Billy Graham has proclaimed the Gospel of Jesus Christ to live audiences of over 210 million people in more than 185 nations and territories. He has held evangelistic meetings in places deemed “impossible.” During the Cold War he addressed crowds in Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union. During Apartheid he addressed crowds in South Africa, but only after refusing to speak unless blacks and whites were gathered in a desegregated setting. He had acted in a similar fashion in the U.S. when he stood for Civil Rights in relation to African-Americans.

Although the work of the BGEA will continue on under the leadership of Franklin Graham, Billy Graham is now a “lion in winter.” He stated that the last crusade held at Flushing Meadows Park in New York City on June 24, 2005, would be his last. However, he has since conducted the “Festival of Hope” with Franklin on March 11-12, 2006, in New Orleans, and spoke at the Metro Maryland Franklin Graham Festival held in Baltimore. It is unknown whether he will be able to speak at any other such gatherings due to declining health.

Billy Graham and the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association have impacted my life in several ways. First, I have learned about being a man of integrity and protecting my reputation, especially in marital and financial areas. Second, one of my mentors, R. F. Gates, was converted under the preaching of Billy Graham. Third, I attended the Billy Graham School of Evangelism held in Dallas during 2002. I was very thankful for the overwhelming generosity of the BGEA in providing scholarship resources, materials, books and recordings. I learned much about generosity and hospitality from them.

There is much to commend. Yet, there is also much with which to be concerned….

TO BE CONTINUED