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Who is Billy Graham?

Malcolm Tatum
Malcolm Tatum
Malcolm Tatum
Malcolm Tatum

Considered by many in the American Evangelical community to be the premier evangelist in the world today, Billy Graham has earned the respect of many persons within the Christian faith as well as others. Graham’s straightforward approach to the fundamentals of Christian identity, coupled with his urging of new converts to seek out and support a local church home, have helped him to minister to persons over a broad range of denominational lines. Beginning his preaching career in the late 1940’s, Graham and his work continues to inspire large numbers of people today.

Born William Franklin Graham, Jr. on 7 November 1918, Graham’s early religious training was in the Associated Reformed Presbyterian Church. According to several sources, Graham experienced a personal religious conversation at the age of sixteen. After graduating from high school, Billy Graham enrolled in what is known today as Bob Jones University. However, Graham found the approach of the institution to be overly strict and legalistic. While he came close to expulsion due to infringements against the rules of the college, Graham was urged by Bob Jones, Sr. to not throw away his gift and continue to pursue formal training as a minister.

During the 1940’s, Billy Graham engaged in a number of ministerial roles, including a radio program.
During the 1940’s, Billy Graham engaged in a number of ministerial roles, including a radio program.

Transferring to what was then known as the Florida Bible Institute in 1937, Billy Graham continued his studies, although he eventually obtained a degree in anthropology from Wheaton College in 1943. His time at Wheaton was also a period in which Graham’s core understandings of Christianity solidified, and helped to set the stage for his ministry. Billy Graham formally became an ordained minister in the Southern Baptist Convention in 1939 while still studying at Wheaton. The college was also where he met and married his wife and partner in ministry, Ruth Bell.

Billy Graham began as a traveling preacher.
Billy Graham began as a traveling preacher.

During the decade of the 1940’s, Billy Graham engaged in a number of ministerial roles, including a radio program and as the co-founder of the national Christian organization Youth For Christ. He also began his time as a traveling preacher in both the United States and a number of locations in Europe. Wherever Graham preached, local churches reported increases in new membership, as the preacher often urged new converts to seek a local church and live out their Christian stewardship within a covenant community.

While not possessing a wide number of degrees in theology, Billy Graham proved to be a powerful public speaker, and had no trouble inspiring many persons to make a commitment to the Christian faith. The end of the decade saw Graham establish a series of tent revival meetings in Los Angeles, California that lasted for five weeks longer than originally planned. This is often considered to be the point at which Billy Graham truly became an international figure in the world of Christianity.

Over the next several decades, Billy Graham traveled extensively around the world, holding evangelistic crusades that allowed him to come into contact with millions of people. There are estimates that during his career, over two billion people attended the 48 crusades that he conducted by the early years of the 21st century. His direct approach to the basics of Christian faith and identity led to Billy Graham maintaining friendly ties with a number of United States presidents, earning him the informal title of “pastor to the presidents.”

Billy Graham is one evangelist who has managed to avoid scandals and controversy that has often been common with other high-profile Evangelical and charismatic ministers over the years. Graham’s organization provided full disclosure regarding their finances long before other international ministers felt the need to do so. His devotion to his wife Ruth was constant from the date of their marriage to her death in June 2007. Because he refused to become embroiled in denominational competitions for members, Billy Graham appealed to persons across the Christian spectrum, not just the Evangelical sector of the faith.

Malcolm Tatum
Malcolm Tatum

After many years in the teleconferencing industry, Michael decided to embrace his passion for trivia, research, and writing by becoming a full-time freelance writer. Since then, he has contributed articles to a variety of print and online publications, including PublicPeople, and his work has also appeared in poetry collections, devotional anthologies, and several newspapers. Malcolm’s other interests include collecting vinyl records, minor league baseball, and cycling.

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Malcolm Tatum
Malcolm Tatum

After many years in the teleconferencing industry, Michael decided to embrace his passion for trivia, research, and writing by becoming a full-time freelance writer. Since then, he has contributed articles to a variety of print and online publications, including PublicPeople, and his work has also appeared in poetry collections, devotional anthologies, and several newspapers. Malcolm’s other interests include collecting vinyl records, minor league baseball, and cycling.

Learn more...

Discussion Comments

mobilian33

Even if you don't know much about Billy Graham and all of the good things he has done in his life, you might want to visit the Billy Graham Library. The library, which includes a museum, is located in Charlotte, NC and it is very impressive. I know people who are not even Christians who have visited the complex.

Sporkasia

I once volunteered to work for a charity that delivered items to children around the world during Christmas time. All of us volunteers got together and stuffed shoe boxes with various items that would appeal to children around the world. As I remember the process, the items in the shoe boxes were separated as they appealed to specific age groups.

In other words, there were boxes for 6-year-old children and then there were boxes for 10-year-old children and so on. And there may have been a division for girls and boys, too. I think this was how the process worked. Anyway, not until after I volunteered for this project did I learn that the charity sponsoring the giveaway was associated with Billy Graham and his ministry.

Feryll

I was talking on the phone to a friend from North Carolina the other day, and somehow we got onto the subject of preachers and religious organizations in that state. He was telling me about all of the good things Billy Graham has done, and how he has traveled all over the world helping people and spreading Christianity.

I was aware of the name Billy Graham, but the entire time we were having the conversation, I was thinking of another evangelist from NC, who was involved in a sex scandal. Anyway, according to my friend, Billy Graham is a very well respected man in the state, and people used to come from all over to see him and hear him speak.

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    • During the 1940’s, Billy Graham engaged in a number of ministerial roles, including a radio program.
      By: greg mercurio
      During the 1940’s, Billy Graham engaged in a number of ministerial roles, including a radio program.
    • Billy Graham began as a traveling preacher.
      By: Fabio Roncaglia
      Billy Graham began as a traveling preacher.