Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks on November 30, 2009
Last week former vice presidential candidate and Alaskan governor Sarah Palin met with Billy Graham. She had dinner with Billy as well as Franklin Graham, accompanied by some of her family. Billy Graham issued the following statement afterword:
“It was an honor having Governor Palin and her family in our home this evening. I, like many people, have been impressed with her strong commitment to her faith, to family and love of country. I appreciated hearing her speak of her own spiritual journey and her life in Alaska. I shared with her my own memories of preaching in the Sullivan Arena in Anchorage in 1984.
“We had an opportunity to pray together. Life in the spotlight is not easy and I pray that whatever lies ahead for this family that their faith in God and His Son, Jesus Christ, would remain strong and that God would put a hedge of protection around her and all those she holds dear. Sarah and her family will always be welcome in the Graham home.”
Sarah Palin is also featured on BillyGraham.org talking about facing challenges, her faith and the experience of meeting Billy Graham.
This encounter does at least add some substance to the previous comments about Palin attributed to Graham.
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 12, 2009
I saw an awesome Google ad on my site today: “Is Franklin Graham Sexy? The world’s 50 sexiest men over 50—Did Franklin Graham make the list?”
The answer is yes. According to wowOwow’s 50 Sexiest Men Over 50 list, Billy Graham’s oldest son Franklin made the cut: “[Franklin] is best known as Billy Graham’s rebel son. The title rebel automatically denotes sexy in our book.”
Admittedly that’s only one opinion (and who the heck is wowOwow?), but it’s not the first time. Lark News included Franklin Graham in its 2004 “Sexiest Man Alive in Christ” poll. So is this perhaps the first serious sexiest man list Franklin has made?
No disrespect intended, but Franklin Graham as sexy? Really? Others have pointed to Franklin’s suspicious hair which may disqualify him.
I know Billy Graham was quite the looker in his day, but I don’t think they ran ’sexiest men’ lists back then.
Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks on February 9, 2009
Dedicated on May 31, 2007 with a crowd of dignitaries and former U.S. presidents,the Billy Graham Library is a vital stop on any Billy Graham pilgrimage tour. Located next to the BGEA headquarters, the Library is part museum, part memorial and part on-going crusade. But that’s not how the BGEA would prefer to describe it.
“The new Library will not be a memorial to Billy Graham,” said BGEA board member Graeme Keith. “Nor will it be a museum. It will be a ministry that we believe will touch and change the lives of thousands of people in the years ahead as they visit this facility.”
Though the memorial aspect of the Billy Graham Library is hard to miss, especially since Graham’s wife, Ruth Bell Graham, is buried at the Library and Graham himself will be buried next to her when he dies. Ruth Graham had reservations about being buried at the Library, calling it a “circus” and a “tourist attraction,” before apparently relenting and agreeing to be buried there.
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Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks on February 7, 2009
Billy Graham’s coffin is ready and waiting for the day the 90-year-old evangelist passes away. He’s been looking forward to heaven for a long time, and his earthly preparations have been made. The simple coffin is made of birch plywood, lined with a foam mattress pad covered with fabric, and is adorned with brass handles on the sides and a cross on the top. It cost $215, matches the casket Graham’s wife Ruth was buried in when she died in 2007, and was made with care by a convicted felon.
Serving a life sentence at Angola State Penitentiary for second degree murder, Richard Liggett handcrafted simple plywood coffins for his fellow prisoners. The simplicity of the coffins struck Billy Graham’s son, Franklin Graham, who saw the coffins on a tour of the prison and requested a pair be made for his parents. The Billy Graham Evangelistic Association supports a Bible college and chapel at the prison. Liggett became a Christian while at the prison and was honored to build the caskets for the Grahams.
They were among the last caskets he made. Richard Liggett died of cancer in March 2007 and was buried in one of his own caskets.
Despite controversy over the burial site, when Billy Graham dies he will be buried next to his wife at the Billy Graham Library in Charlotte.
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Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks on February 5, 2009
On Monday longtime Billy Graham soloist George Beverly Shea celebrated his 100th birthday. More than 250 people came to The Cove retreat center in Ashville, N.C., for the private party.
“I couldn’t have had a ministry without him,” Billy Graham said, too frail to hold the microphone himself. “Thank you and God be with you. I love you.”
Shea was presented with a Rodgers organ as a gift, which he tried out for the crowd, though the organ is more of a loaner. Franklin Graham noted that Shea can keep it as long as he lives. After his death it will be donated to the Angola State Penitentiary.
Billy Graham’s public appearance might give some measure of credibility to speculation that he’ll travel to Minneapolis later this year to attend a dedication at Northwestern College, where he served as president in the 1940s.
Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks on January 22, 2009
Today is the 36th anniversary of Roe v. Wade, the ground-breaking Supreme Court decision that legalized abortion. Throughout his career Billy Graham has taken a stand against abortion, but what is perhaps worth noting is his gentle and loving stance.
While his son Franklin Graham makes headlines for calling abortion murder, Billy Graham has a gentler, more understanding tone. There are four separate My Answer columns in the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association’s spiritual help section addressing abortion, and each one, though firm, still drips with grace.
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Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks on January 7, 2009
Billy Graham has had personal interactions with every U.S. president going back to Harry Truman and has counseled many of them. But that historic role, chronicled in the book The Preacher and the Presidents, may be coming to an end. Franklin Graham, Billy Graham’s son and CEO of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, told USA Today that Billy Graham would not be mentoring Barack Obama, though the 90-year-old evangelist would like to meet and pray with the president elect.
“My father feels like his time and day for that is over,” Franklin Graham said. “But he would certainly like to meet [Obama] and pray with him.”
Obama tried to meet with Billy Graham during the campaign but wasn’t able to due Billy’s poor health.
While Billy Graham is a registered Democrat (a fact that still seems to raise eyebrows in some circles), Franklin Graham made it clear that he and his father disagree with Obama on abortion and gay marriage.
“President-elect Obama heard our position,” said Franklin Graham. “And I told him that this was very difficult for us and hard for us. It’s a moral issue that we just can’t back down on.”
Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks on January 1, 2009
In a recent interview with Christianity Today, Billy Graham’s son Franklin Graham commented about his father’s age:
“He’s 90 years old. He’s just happy to get up in the morning.”
The interview covered the controversy over evangelical pastor Rick Warren being invited to pray at president-elect Barack Obama’s inauguration and Graham was responding to a question about Billy Graham not serving as Obama’s spiritual adviser. Billy Graham is also currently writing a book about growing old.
Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks on December 29, 2008
Billy Graham—the 90-year-old evangelist who suffers from Parkinson’s disease, has a shunt in his brain, has had prostate cancer and most recently spent a night in the hospital for observation after tripping over one of his three dogs—is writing a book about growing old.
“He’s always been ready to die,” said his son Franklin Graham, “But nobody’s prepared him for getting old.”
The book will cover Billy Graham’s personal experience with growing old and will focus on how people can prepare both emotionally and spiritually for what can be the most fulfilling years of life.
“I never expected to live this long, and it is hard to believe I have reached the age of 90,” said Billy Graham. “Every day is a gift from God, no matter how old we are. I have discovered that just because we grow weaker physically as we age, it doesn’t mean that we must grow weaker spiritually. In fact, we ought to be growing stronger spiritually because our eyes ought to be on eternity and heaven—on the things that really matter.”
Family and friends have expressed concern over Billy Graham’s health and note that he still struggles with the loss of his wife, the late Ruth Bell Graham, who died in 2007.
“He could catch a cold and his life could come to end,” Franklin said. “At his age, any little thing could be a serious event. We realize that.”
