LIBERTY UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF DIVINITY
Reflection Essay: The Life and Ministry of Billy Graham
Submitted to Professor Malcom Hester
in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the completion of the course
THEO 650 -D03
Public Theology
by
May 13, 2021
Billy Graham was born William Franklin Graham Jr. in 1918 near Charlotte, North
Carolina and was regarded as the leading preacher in 20th century America. Graham committed
himself to Christianity at the age of fifteen through Mordecai Ham’s ministry and first came into
public limelight in 1949 when he held a crusade in Los Angeles.1 Between 1949 and 1971,
Graham progressed from leader to idol and although he retired in 2005, he had ministered to
more than 215 million people in approximately 185 countries. Graham ministered in various
public and christian arenas mainly in the United States but also other continents including
Europe, Africa and Asia. Further, he published about 27 books which have recorded massive
sales and numerous translations.2 His appeal is made evident by the numerous honors he received
during his evangelical tenure. Notably, in 1983 he received the Presidential Medal of Freedom
and in 1996, together with his wife they received the Congressional Gold Medal.3 These are the
top two honours for any civilian to receive.
As noted by Wacker, politically during the period of cold war between the United States
and the Soviet Union, Graham called for increased understanding and global peace.4 Officially,
Graham did not belong to any political party and repeatedly admitted to being on the side of
morality as Christ showed impartiality. This is despite being a Southerner and a registered
Democrat.5 The culmination of this is that he continuously expressed belief in the overlap
between the church and the state and always aimed to work with those in power. Hence, it was
easy for Graham to speak out on politics that negatively impacted human life such as those of
communism and division.6 Similarly, he advocated for prayer and reading of the Bible in public
schools.
1 Wacker, Grant. "Billy Graham's America," Church History 78, 3 (2009): 489-511.
2 Ibid., 489-511
3 Ibid.
4 Ibid., 489-511
5 Ibid.
6 Wacker,489-511.
With regards to global justice, Graham impressively showed commitment towards the
alleviation of world hunger, poverty and ensuring equal access to health care while caring for the
environment. In particular, he expressed great dissatisfaction in the arms race which he termed
“madness”. This situation arises as he was keen to express that the suffering in the world was one
and not segregated depending on regions. Graham was of the opinion that theological,
ideological and political affairs impacted Christ’s ministry hence key players needed to be
brought together for the simultaneous attainment of both global justice and ministry. In the same
vein, he distanced himself famous personalities who were obviously discordant such as Jerry
Falwell.
Billy Graham was an ardent supporter of the civil rights movement that sought to end
racism and segregation. This outcome culminates from the fact that in 1952 despite massive
criticism, Graham put an end to the conduct of separate evangelical seminars and championed
for integration.7 In the same vein, together with Dr. Martin Luther King, he showed enormous
courage by lobbying to put a stop to segregation on the streets and even bailed King out of jail.
In addition, Graham worked with the nation’s presidents to resolve racial divisions and unite all
persons including encouraging healing through open conversation and initiatives that fostered
peace. Indeed, he was adamant to express that a Christian who is racist is not a Christian but an
oxymoron. However, Graham became the centre of controversy when he advised President
Richard Nixon to bomb the dikes and ensure that the economy of Vietnam collapsed.8 His
support for the war in Vietnam came as a surprise to the Jews who thought that Graham
supported Israel. The culmination of this was that he was likened to the prophets in the Old
Testament who told the leaders what they wanted to hear instead of calling out their injustices.
7 Ibid.
8 Ibid.,489-511.
By around 1975, Graham had gained the title of ‘American Pastor’ with many regarding
him as the protestant saint. Religiously, Graham pulled huge crowds and is notably remembered
for leading prayers in New York in the wake of the 9/11 as well as communing in memoriam
following the bombing in Oklahoma. In addition, Graham presided over the hope festival after
Hurricane Katrina. Without fear, Graham presented his own account of the Gospels as the only
one to be applied. He cooperated with churches that were aligned with national and world
council of churches as he believed that Christians were not defined by a specific church. This
aspect showed modernity as well as the adaptation of cultural trends which did not augur well
with other evangelical ministers. He delivered his sermons in a clear and compelling manner
hence easily incorporated himself into new media and made use of platforms such as social
media to preach.
Personally, through his marriage to his wife Ruth Bell Graham and the family they raised,
Graham sought to embody and reiterate the significance of family life as per the doctrines of
Christianity. His global mission was to inform the direction of modern Christianity. Here, he
succeeded in the Iron Curtain penetration where he continued to preach the gospel and encourage
Christians in the Soviet. In the same vein, Graham was a man of many faces with the distinction
between Graham the humble man of God and Graham the White House servant remaining
unclear. Further, his self presentation markedly differed from that by his Evangelistic Association
and the media. Graham was also an entrepreneur who took advantage of the fact that the
Heartland Christians yearned for a consensus after the Cold War and the Vietnamese War. He
formed the parachurch which is a coalition across various denominations that eventually led to
the mushrooming of parachurch institutions such as the Youth for Christ and the Samaritan’s
Purse.
Bibliography
Wacker, Grant. "Billy Graham's America." Church History 78, no. 3 (2009): 489-511.
