Billy Graham was a man who towered over twentieth-century Christianity and, if I may say so, I had the wonderful privilege of meeting.
Billy, as he liked to be called, was born in 1918 in South Carolina and received Christ at the age of sixteen. After being educated in several Christian colleges he began to lead ever larger evangelistic rallies, first across the States but, after the Second World War, across the world. Over six decades of ministry, Billy Graham reached billions, either in the rallies or through radio and television broadcasts. Billy never really retired as an evangelist but continued into the twenty-first century, dying in 2018, just short of his centenary.
When Billy Graham made that concluding appeal at his meetings, people just seemed compelled to get up out of their seats and go to the front to receive Christ. The truth is that Billy was a man with a God-given gift for proclamation evangelism and through whom God’s Spirit worked powerfully.
To think Billy was simply an evangelist is to limit his significance and influence. At a personal level, he had a great deal of influence on me. It was, however, his significance nationally and globally that was particularly important. Billy began his ministry at a time when Christianity in the States and elsewhere fell into two warring camps: a rigid fundamentalism where faith overruled reason, and a sceptical liberalism where reason overruled faith. Billy, rooted in prayer and the Bible, set out a gentler and more profitable way in which faith and reason stood together. Here his influence spread through two of his creative initiatives. The first was Christianity Today, a magazine which became one of the most widely read Christian publications. The second was that, aided by his near contemporary and good friend John Stott, Billy founded the Lausanne Committee for World Evangelization (the ‘Lausanne Movement’) which for nearly fifty years has encouraged and equipped evangelical leaders across the world. Today, the fact that evangelicalism is the dominant force in global Christianity, owes much to Billy Graham.
We may well find Billy Graham, with all his achievements, rather daunting as a hero. Yet it’s worth bearing in mind that he was given many gifts over and above that of being an evangelist. He had the looks, build and manner that could have brought him success in cinema or politics. He had that gift of being able to identify talent, something that allowed him to build up his very effective Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, with its dedicated team of excellent administrators, publicists and musicians. And last – but definitely not least – Billy was gifted with Ruth, who, as his wife, wisely, patiently and graciously supported him for over sixty years.
Now, if Billy was given gifts, he was also given opportunities. He lived when technology permitted meetings on a scale hitherto impossible; car ownership allowed thousands to easily attend rallies; the wave of American culture and influence which swept the world also opened closed doors. The challenging fact is that Billy Graham made the most of both the gifts and the opportunities he was given.
The key to Billy Graham was his faith. Let me draw your attention to three aspects.
First, Billy was a man who stood firm on his faith. Every account of Billy’s life talks of the spiritual crisis he faced in 1949 when he had doubts as to whether God had indeed spoken in Scripture. Billy faced the challenge head on and resolved that he would stake his ministry on the Bible being trustworthy and reliable. Although Billy’s beliefs broadened with time, he always held to the confident certainty that the Bible held God’s word for all humanity.
Second, Billy was a man who was steered by his faith. Many Christians believe in the authority of Scripture but somehow don’t let it affect their lives. Billy did, and prayerfully let God’s word guide him. His ministry showed frequent occasions when, faced with pressures and challenges, he made the right decision, often against the advice of others. So, when everybody said it was impossible to conduct evangelistic campaigns in the communist world, that’s what Billy decided to do – and that’s what he did. Yet if Billy was guided by his faith he was also guarded. Despite living under an intense media spotlight, no charge of scandal befell him. While others sadly and spectacularly fell to the temptations of money, sex and power, Billy didn’t. In part, his escape was due to his wisdom in taking precautions, but ultimately to his humble dependence on God for guidance.
Finally, Billy was a man who stood out for his faith. At a time when Christians in the West were becoming increasingly reticent in proclaiming their belief, Billy clearly shared the gospel in what he said. Yet, almost as important, Billy witnessed to Christ by who he was. There was a transparent honesty and consistency in Billy’s life: this was a man who didn’t just preach the gospel; he lived it. Billy made mistakes: he later admitted that he should have been quicker in promoting racial equality and slower to accept the friendship of dishonest politicians. Yet his life shone with a gleaming integrity that won him widespread admiration and respect. Even those who disliked Billy’s gospel, could not dislike the man.
Billy was a man who served God faithfully in his long life and he continues to challenge our world today. To those who do not know Christ, he still proclaims God’s offer of hope in the gospel. To those of us who do know Christ, he remains an inspiration to proclaim our faith confidently and boldly.
J.John
Reverend Canon
Image taken from billygraham.org
