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Billy Graham, a renowned American evangelist, earned respect for his hands-on approach to Christian identity and urging new converts to join local churches. He began his career in the late 1940s and traveled extensively around the world, connecting with millions of people. Despite not having many theology degrees, he was a powerful public speaker and maintained friendly ties with US presidents. He avoided scandals and controversies and reached out to people across the Christian spectrum. Graham passed away in June 2007.
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 within the Christian faith and beyond. Graham’s hands-on approach to the foundations of Christian identity coupled with his exhortation of new converts to seek and sustain a local church house helped him serve people across a wide range of denominational lines. Beginning his career as a preacher in the late 1940s, Graham and his work continue to inspire countless people today.
Born William Franklin Graham, Jr. on November 7, 1918, Graham’s early religious education 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 at what is now known as Bob Jones University. However, Graham found the institution’s approach overly strict and legalistic. As he neared expulsion due to violations of college rules, Graham was urged by Bob Jones, Sr. not to throw away his gift and to continue pursuing formal training as a minister.
Transferring to what was then known as the Florida Bible Institute in 1937, Billy Graham continued his studies, although he eventually earned a BA in anthropology from Wheaton College in 1943. His time at Wheaton was also a time when the conceptions Graham’s fundamentals of Christianity were solidified, and he helped 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 ministry partner, Ruth Bell.
During the 1940s, Billy Graham engaged in a variety of ministerial roles, including a radio program and as a co-founder of the national Christian organization Youth For Christ. He also began his time as a traveling preacher both in the United States and in a number of locations in Europe. Wherever Graham preached, local churches reported an increase in new members, as the preacher often urged new converts to seek out a local church and live out their Christian stewardship within a covenant community.
While not possessing a large number of theology degrees, Billy Graham proved to be a powerful public speaker and had no trouble inspiring many people to commit themselves to the Christian faith. The turn of the decade saw Graham stage a series of Tent Revival meetings in Los Angeles, California that ran five weeks longer than originally planned. This is often considered the point where Billy Graham truly became an international figure in the world of Christianity.
Over the next few decades, Billy Graham traveled extensively around the world, holding evangelistic crusades that allowed him to connect with millions of people. It is estimated that during his career, over two billion people participated in the 48 crusades he led in the early 21st century. His hands-on approach to the foundations of Christian faith and identity led Billy Graham to maintain friendly ties with a number of US presidents, earning him the informal title of “pastor to presidents.”
Billy Graham is an evangelist who has managed to avoid the scandals and controversies that have often been common with other high-profile evangelical and charismatic ministers over the years. Graham’s organization provided comprehensive information on its finances long before other international ministers felt the need to do so. His devotion to his wife Ruth was unwavering from the date of their marriage until his death in June 2007. Because he refused to get involved in denominational membership competitions, Billy Graham reached out to people across the Christian spectrum, not just the evangelical sector of the faith.
