The Preacher and the Presidents: Billy Graham in the White House

Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks on January 29, 2009

Billy Graham has had personal contact with ten U.S. presidents, from George W. Bush back to Harry Truman. He had close, personal friendships with a number of them, and counseled and prayed with all of them. These relationships have given Billy Graham the title of America’s pastor and access to the most powerful men in the world.

The book The Preacher and the Presidents: Billy Graham in the White House, by TIME magazine veterans Nancy Gibbs and Michael Duffy, profiles Graham’s relationship with each president and their families. The book goes into incredible detail, digging through personal correspondence and White House records.

The result is a 50-years snapshot of presidential politics that have tried and tested the world’s greatest evangelist. Though Graham tried to stay out of politics and offer neutral prayer and counsel regardless of political party, he didn’t always live up to that. On multiple occasions he allowed his bias to sway votes, though he would often step back from the brink and regret too much political action.

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Presidential Inauguration Prayers & Sermons by Billy Graham

Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks on January 8, 2009

While Billy Graham won’t be participating in Barack Obama’s inauguration in a few weeks (though many comparisons have been made between Billy Graham and Rick Warren, who will be delivering the prayer), Graham has participated in nine presidential inaugurations. That ties Chief Justice John Marshall’s record from the early 1800s. While he didn’t participate, Billy Graham did attend a tenth inauguration, that of Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1953.

The Billy Graham Center has an archive of the presidential inauguration prayers and sermons given by Billy Graham:

• 1965: A sermon at Lyndon Johnson’s inauguration.
• 1969: A prayer at Richard Nixon’s first inauguration.
• 1973: A sermon at a White House worship service following Nixon’s second inauguration.
• 1981: A prayer at a private service following Ronald Reagan’s first inauguration.
• 1985: A sermon at Washington Cathedral preceding Reagan’s second inauguration.
• 1989: An invocation at George H.W. Bush’s inauguration.
• 1993: An invocation at Bill Clinton’s first inauguration.
• 1997: A prayer at Clinton’s second inauguration.
• 2005: Opening prayer at the National Prayer Service for George W. Bush’s second inauguration.

The 2008 book Preacher and the Presidents gives more details on Billy Graham’s interactions with U.S. presidents.