Evangelist
🇺🇸Billy Graham
1918–2018 · American · Evangelist & Founder of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association
“I have one message: that Jesus Christ came, he died on a cross, he rose again, and he asks us to repent of our sins and receive him by faith as Lord and Savior.”
Biography
William Franklin Graham Jr. was born on November 7, 1918, near Charlotte, North Carolina, on a dairy farm. He was converted at age 16 during a revival led by evangelist Mordecai Ham. After studying at Florida Bible Institute and Wheaton College, Graham burst onto the national stage with his 1949 Los Angeles Crusade, which lasted eight weeks and drew three hundred thousand people. His career spanned seven decades, taking him to more than 185 countries and territories. He preached in person to an estimated 215 million people, more than any other individual in history, and his television broadcasts and film ministry reached hundreds of millions more. Graham founded the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association (BGEA) in 1950 and launched 'Christianity Today' magazine in 1956. He counseled every American president from Harry Truman to Barack Obama. Known for his integrity, he maintained strict financial accountability and gender propriety throughout his ministry. He also championed racial integration at his crusades in the American South during the 1950s, insisting on desegregated seating before civil rights legislation required it. Graham died on February 21, 2018, at his home in Montreat, North Carolina, at the age of 99, mourned worldwide as 'America's Pastor.'
Key Works
Graham's New York Crusade of 1957 ran for sixteen weeks at Madison Square Garden, drawing 2.3 million attendees. He launched 'Hour of Decision,' a radio program that eventually broadcast to millions worldwide. His film ministry produced evangelical features including 'The Restless Ones' and 'The Hiding Place.' His books, including 'Peace with God' (1953), 'The Secret of Happiness,' and 'Angels: God's Secret Agents,' sold tens of millions of copies. The Amsterdam conferences (1983, 1986, 2000) he organized trained over 10,000 itinerant evangelists from across the globe. Decision magazine, launched in 1960, became one of the world's most widely circulated Christian publications.
Legacy
Billy Graham transformed twentieth-century evangelism, establishing a model of integrity-driven, culturally engaged, large-scale crusade ministry. His commitment to racial equality and financial transparency set ethical standards for para-church organizations. The Billy Graham Evangelistic Association continues crusade ministry, digital outreach, and evangelism training. The Billy Graham Library in Charlotte, North Carolina, and the Billy Graham Center at Wheaton College serve as ongoing centers for research and training. His son Franklin Graham leads BGEA and Samaritan's Purse, carrying forward a global humanitarian and evangelistic mission.