Billy Graham

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William "Billy" Franklin Graham (born November 7, 1918) is a prominent evangelical Christian preacher. Active for more than 50 years, Billy Graham was originally known for tent revivals and soon became known for city "crusades" in large auditoriums. One of the most well known Christian preachers of his time, Mr. Graham has inspired over 215 million people in 185 countries around the world.

Career

Born in Charlotte, North Carolina, Graham began his studies for the ministry at Bob Jones University. But he was unhappy with its confining creed and moved on to become one of 75 students at Florida Bible Institute, where he stayed two and a half years before transferring, in 1940, to Wheaton College in Illinois, graduating in 1943. In 1944 Graham went on the road for the Youth for Christ movement and loved the traveling life so much that in the years ahead he spent little time at home, in Montreat, North Carolina, with his family.

His message caught fire in the 1950s. The mass circulation national magazines (much more important in those days than today), including Life, Time, Look, and Newsweek put Graham on their covers a dozen times. Advertising experts gave Graham awards two years in a row for being the most publicized person in America.

He attracted massive turnouts in the United States, Britain , and Australia.[1] Audiences responded to his authenticity and the message of self help. He worked with local ministers to steer people into membership in local churches, and did not attempt to build his own megachurch. A master of television, he turned this medium into the cornerstone of his $40 million international conglomerate, the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, headquartered in Minneapolis, Minn., which also coordinated weekly radio broadcasts, a weekly newspaper column, a movie studio, a publishing house, a monthly magazine, and a mail-order distribution of religious objects. He wrote numerous inspirational books, most of which became best-sellers, such as The Jesus Generation (1971), Angels: God's Secret Agents (1975), and How to Be Born Again (1977).

Youth appeal

Graham studied his audiences closely and realized in the late 1960s that he was not reaching enough young people. In 1971, Graham came to the realization that a new nationwide spiritual awakening was on the way. He believed that such a revival was necessary, and he saw the emerging Jesus Movement as the harbinger of that revival. Graham and the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association placed an evangelical spin on youth culture. Their efforts to give legitimacy to the Jesus Movement demonstrated evangelicalism's uncanny ability to harness popular movements for the furtherance of its own mission. Graham's interest in and support of an evangelical youth culture grew, perhaps, out of his own personal struggles with his son, Franklin. For those who believed that the Jesus people were proof that one could be a hippie and a Christian, Graham gave their position prestigious support.[2]

Politics

Graham has counseled every United States President since Dwight D. Eisenhower.[3]. He also has a widely distributed syndicated column.

He was a close advisor to numerous presidents, and helped the Republican party attain respectability and dominance in the South, his major base of support.

Graham was a tireless foe of left-wingers and Communists. His support of the Vietnam war (1965-73) was unstinting, though later he said, "I was like a babe in the woods, [on that issue]. I didn't know what was really going on."

Recent

Now 90 years old, he has only recently retired for good after previously continuing to pop up from time to time to headline more events. He is now writing a book on growing older at 90 and that even if the body is no longer strong, that the spiritual journey to God still can be.

His son Franklin has largely taken over his father's role and is now in charge of the day to day runnings of the Billy Graham ministry. [4] [5]

On June 14th, 2007, Graham was parted from his wife of over 60 years, Ruth Graham (formerly Ruth Bell). They had 5 children together and currently have 19 grandchildren. Billy Graham looks forward to seeing her again soon when his work is done and God calls him home.

"There would have been no Billy Graham as we know him today had it not been for Ruth" -- T.W. Wilson (longtime friend)

Further reading

  • Bruns, Roger. Billy Graham: A Biography (2004) excerpt and text search
  • Graham, Billy. Just As I Am: The Autobiography of Billy Graham (1997, 2007) excerpt and text search
  • Long, Michael P. The Legacy of Billy Graham: Critical Reflections on America's Greatest Evangelist (2008) excerpt and text search
  • Miller, Steven P. Billy Graham and the Rise of the Republican South (2009)

References

  1. ↑ Judith Smart, "The Evangelist as Star: The Billy Graham Crusade in Australia, 1959." Journal of Popular Culture 1999 33(1): 165-175.
  2. ↑ Larry Eskridge, "'One Way': Billy Graham, the Jesus Generation, and the Idea of an Evangelical Youth Culture." Church History 1998 67(1): 83-106. 0009-6407
  3. ↑ http://www.cnn.com/2008/LIVING/wayoflife/11/06/billy.graham.turns.90/index.html
  4. ↑ http://www.dailyherald.com/suburbanliving/story.asp?id=295087
  5. ↑ http://www.billygraham.org/mediaRelations/bios.asp?p=1
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