BILLY GRAHAM DESERVES BETTER

Last week, I received a mass e-mail that is making the rounds among (mostly) evangelicals.  It’s an exciting story saying that Billy Graham just led a victory march through New Orleans “winning souls for Christ” (as we say) singing and praising God, and testifying that “like Caleb, although I’m 85-years-old I have the strength of a young man”.  Sadly, the story is COMPLETELY UNTRUE.  An Assemblies of God minister checked out the story with the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association.  They said the story is spreading all over the internet like wildfire, but is not true at all.  Sunday morning, someone else sent me that same story, and I e-mailed the sender back advising him that the story is not true.

I guess some prankster wanted to make fools of born-again Christians in general and of Billy Graham specifically.  Maybe the Christians who don’t check out the story but simply believe it ARE fools; but Billy Graham certainly does not deserve to be characterized in that way.

In fact, Billy Graham is not 85, he is 88.  Billy turned 88 on November 7.  I know that because November 7 happens to be my sister’s birthday.  (Obviously, my sister is a lot younger than Dr. Graham!)

I have enormous respect for Billy Graham.  He is probably the person I’ve most admired in life.  I’d love to (even briefly) meet Billy Graham in person and have a short conversation with him.  I don’t suppose that will happen in this life.  I first heard the true Gospel from Billy Graham’s lips via television in late 1969.  At that time, I didn’t understand it, but I was intrigued by Graham’s preaching.  Through the “witness” and encouragement of my friend George Barnett, I wrote away to Graham’s organization during the Summer of 1970.  They sent me back a letter with several pamphlets telling me how to receive Jesus Christ as my Personal Savior and Lord.  I did so at that time.  I also took the Graham “Christian Life and Witness Course” by mail in 1970.  It was very simple discipleship material, but it made a big difference in my life.  In the 1970s, I devoured anything by Billy Graham that I possibly could, and I watched him on television and listened to him on radio as much as possible.  Billy Graham made a HUGE difference in my life.  My early evangelical Christian theology and philosophy came from Billy Graham, and I have no doubt that his influence comes through in my ministry today.

Graham is NOT a typical televangelist.  Although his books have generated a huge income, he has turned most of the royalties over to Christian ministry and has kept only a small percentage for himself.  (I don’t think I’d have been as generous, were I receiving large royalties!)
Graham lives in a nice but simple house in the mountains of western North Carolina.  All of his expenses for attending his Crusades were (of course) covered by the Billy Graham Evangelistic Associaton (which is NOT run by Graham, but by a Board of upright Christian leaders and businessmen). However, Billy Graham took a relatively modest salary which I don’t think ever got above 5 figures annually.  

Billy Graham’s personal friendship with President Richard Nixon confused a lot of people.  He was seen as a shill for Nixon and the Republican party.  That’s ironic, because Graham is actually a Democrat and was probably closer to Lyndon Johnson that he was to Richard Nixon.  Some liberals have criticized Graham for being a defender of the Establishment and the status quo.  In fact, Billy Graham took a very strong stand for civil rights in the 1950s- praising Martin Luther King, Jr., and insisting that all of the Billy Graham crusades held in the South be fully integrated.

No, that e-mail about New Orleans is not true.  But it IS true that Billy Graham is a fine, decent man who loves God and has been used of God to bless many people including me.

“But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry.” (2 Timothy 4:5)  

He has!