Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks on July 22, 2009
Once upon a time passageway.org was the teen web site of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association. But not for long.
You can still find vestiges of the teen site here. Of course none of the links work and the content has been largely pulled into Dare to Be a Daniel or dumped. But that’s OK. That’s the way of these things. Before Dare to Be a Daniel there was passageway.org. Before passageway.org there was Alive.
If I sound a little nostalgic, it’s because I worked on passageway.org for two years. Good times.
Now it seems the passageway.org url and name are being reused for a children’s curriculum series. The place holder graphic looks like Billy Graham meets Disney. Yikes.
Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks on February 25, 2009
A 1996 TIME magazine article explores the passing of the evangelistic baton from Billy Graham to his oldest son, Franklin Graham. It has a number of interesting tidbits about the rebellious Franklin:
- Billy Graham had asked evangelist John Wesley White to encourage Franklin in preaching. In 1983 White gave Franklin a chance to share his testimony in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, in front of 1,000 people. Not a single one came forward. Franklin later told White: “Don’t you ever ask me to do that again. I’m not Billy Graham!”
- The article also described Franklin Graham’s rebellious streak growing up and the lengths his mother, Ruth Bell Graham, had to go to keep him in line: “On another occasion the mother, provoked beyond reason during a fast-food jaunt, locked her son in the car trunk. When she opened it again, he cheerily placed his order for ‘a cheeseburger without meat, French fries and a Coke.’”
- Some of the details are a little more frightening: “In 1987 neighbors called the local sheriff when he took on the task of chopping down a neighbor’s tree—with 720 rounds of machine-gun fire from a borrowed weapon.” Later in the article it adds: “His only known explanation was that he hadn’t realized it would require so many rounds.”
- The article primarily covers Franklin’s ascension to the leadership of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, which it describes as the “Rolls-Royce of revival ministries.” The article notes that Franklin once said, “I wouldn’t touch BGEA leadership with a 10-foot pole,” though he said he would consider it if Billy Graham asked him. Despite reservations from other board members, that’s eventually what happened.
- There’s also the interesting ‘what if’ that some board members, Billy Graham included, publicly considered the idea of shutting down the BGEA after Billy was gone.
Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks on February 23, 2009
The Billy Graham Evangelistic Association doesn’t seem to be immune from the economic downturn. Maybe. Last week the organization founded almost 60 years ago by Billy Graham announced the layoff of 55 employees, though the organization says it’s not due to a decline in donations:
“I think people see much more of a need to continue to minister to those who are much more in need and need our services, as well as other ministry services. But in this case, it causes us to take pause and make sure, although this ministry has always been very good financially at making sure we are using the funds that we are entrusted with correctly. I think we continue to do that,” said Ken Barun, a senior VP at the BGEA (if that made you scratch your head, join the club).
Laid off employees will receive severance and job search assistance. The BGEA recently cut back about 100 positions when the organization relocated to Charlotte, N.C., in 2002-2003.
Update: The Ashville Citizen-Times has more (including readable Barun quotes) and the Charlotte Business Journal notes that a company spokesperson said, “the poor economy hastened the association’s plans to reduce costs and boost efficiency.”
Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks on February 18, 2009
Billy Graham has joined the Twitter frenzy. What’s Twitter? It’s kind of a mini-blog application where people can share updates of 140-characters or less. These updates can be shared from a computer or cell phone and are valued for their brevity.
BGEA
The Billy Graham Evangelistic Association has an official Twitter feed that offers links and updates about what the BGEA is doing and what’s new on their web site. In addition to pointing to quality content, BGEA on Twitter can also hook you up with some inside information. According to the feed, the BGEA is working on a redesigned web site.
Cliff Barrows
Billy Graham’s long-time song leader, the 86-year-old Cliff Barrows, also jumped on the Twitter bandwagon. Is it really him? He notes that his wife Ann does the typing and he dictates: “I’m 86 and learning. Staying relevant to the times and anchored to the rock.” He also says, “Old soldiers never die, just fade away.” Awesome. When most people on Twitter talk about getting on their scooter to get some ice cream, it’s an entirely different visual.
Billyspot
You can also find the Billyspot on Twitter. We’re cranking out updates on Billy Graham, quotes, links and other fun stuff.
Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks on February 16, 2009
It’s the end of the world as we know it. Or at least that’s what the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association will focus on in 2009.
“The Bible teaches that Jesus is coming again,” writes Billy Graham, “And I don’t see any other hope, because we’re heading toward a catastrophe in our world.”
Even Graham’s daughter, Anne Graham Lotz, is getting in on the act. She recently spoke at the National Religious Broadcasters convention: “I believe we’re living in the last generation before he comes back.”
No theological qualms with the BGEA’s focus (though perhaps with Lotz’ emphasis—how many preachers throughout history have said what she did?), but is it really news? Billy Graham has talked about the end times his entire career, including at least three books on the subject (World Aflame, 1965; Approaching Hoofbeats: The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, 1983; Storm Warning, 1992). The second coming of Christ is hardly new ground for Billy Graham.
Once upon a time passageway.org was the teen web site of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association. But not for long.
If I sound a little nostalgic, it’s because I worked on passageway.org for two years. Good times.
