I do not know exactly what it was that caused me to initially forget to dedicate my column today to the memory, legacy, and many contributions that Dr. Billy Graham bequeathed our nation and the world; however, I quickly came to myself and replaced the subject that I was going to consider with an endeavor to honor America’s foremost preacher of our times. In the estimation of millions (myself included), Dr. Billy Graham has exemplified what it meant to be a true servant of God for our generation and nation. Perhaps more than any other religious leader who achieved the level of fame and notoriety that he did, he managed to remain a man of impeccable character, integrity, humility, and simplicity in spite of his unprecedented success. Though I never had the honor and privilege of meeting Dr. Graham in person or attending one of his crusades, I came up watching him on television and reading his autobiography, as well as many of his other literary works. So in a way, I have become quite familiar with Dr. Graham over the years and have been challenged and inspired by his example and uncompromising commitment to the integrity, inerrancy, and absolute authority of God’s Word concerning all matters of life. At this point, I want to include excerpts from an article written by Dr. Joseph Mattera via Charisma Magazine:
I was saddened to learn today that the great evangelist Billy Graham passed away at the age of 99. Truly God blessed this man with a long and fruitful life! Having read his autobiography several times, as well as other books about him, in addition to the fact that I served as a vice-chair for Billy Graham’s last New York City crusade in the 2000s, I have had the opportunity to observe how he operated up close (having met with his team once per month for more than a year to prepare for said NYC crusade).
In many ways, Billy was the Protestant equivalent to a pope—a person with huge influence among a cross-section of evangelical leaders, as well as diverse denominations. His ministry had a broad reach and appealed to conservative, moderate and even some liberal Christian audiences.
He probably preached to more people than any other human being in history, won untold millions to Christ and was responsible for founding or serving as a catalyst to launch numerous evangelical ministries and organizations (for example, Christianity Today magazine and Fuller Theological Seminary, to name a few). The following are my observations regarding ten things that made him great:
1. He was a man of integrity.
Throughout the scandal-plagued era of the 1980s (with various evangelists) Billy was a breath of fresh air as he kept a scandal-free public persona that never embarrassed the evangelical church.
His ministry spanned nearly eight decades with no scandal. That’s an amazing accomplishment. Part of the reason for his integrity were the safe guards he placed in his life—like never being alone with a woman who was not his wife or family—and having a strong board he was accountable to in regard to finances and ministry.
When I was with a small group during the NYC crusade, he spoke candidly about some of his disappointments in ministry, as well as some regrets (one regret was that he did not spend more time cultivating friendships among younger leaders). He was self-aware, humble and transparent, which was the foundation of his integrity.
Truly he built his life-foundation on character development and spiritual formation more than on his gifts, abilities and influence.
2. He was a man of simplicity.
Billy lived a life of simplicity—and eschewed the lavish lifestyle some of his peers lived—in spite of the fact his ministry brought in hundreds of millions of dollars. He had a modest home, a modest salary and lived a modest life, in spite of his significance and celebrity status.
3. He was a man who spoke truth to power. Billy not only preached to the “down and out” but also to the “up and in” and was a pastor/friend to virtually every president of the United States for the last four decades. He’s also met with many international heads of state, including various leaders representing numerous religions.
4. He was a man of innovation.
Billy used the latest modes of communication available to him to get the Gospel out, whether it was the radio, newspapers or television of the 1940s and 1950s, to being a catalyst to help found major ministries such as Christianity Today and Fuller Theological Seminary, he was always on the cutting-edge of innovation regarding the release of his prophetic voice to culture, as well as discerning the needs of the evangelical church.
5. He was a man who communicated plainly to the people.
Billy had mass appeal with his evangelistic crusades, primarily because he had an unusual gift of communicating the Gospel in the vernacular of the people. I have heard more eloquent, gifted preachers—but there was no one who could garner a crowd with effective results like Billy.
6. He was a man who worked closely with his team.
Billy had the same team for decades, in spite of the fact that men like song leader Cliff Barrows could have went off on his own but did not. There was intense loyalty among his team because of the way he honored their input, treated them with dignity and valued them as friends. He knew he could never fulfill his ministry without a great, loyal team around him.
7. He was a man who understood the times in which he lived.
Billy crafted his evangelistic messages each year based on his knowledge of current events. He had the newspaper in one hand and the Bible in the other
8. He was a man who left a legacy with his biological family.
It’s a great joy for me to see his biological children carry on the mantle of his ministry. It was also a great joy to see how Billy and his wife Ruth Graham remained true to each other in all the years of their marriage, in spite of the many challenges of an intense evangelistic ministry.
I once heard that Ruth said about her marriage to Billy in spite of his many travels, “I would rather be married to Billy even though I have him only 50 percent of the time than being married to someone else and being with them 100 percent of the time!”
9. He was a man who was a statesman/ambassador for Christ.
Billy was not only an evangelist but also a statesman who represented the evangelical church to popes, presidents, kings, queens, Imams, and every conceivable global leader in politics and religion. In regard to religion, he was ecumenical without compromising the truth so he could reach as many as possible with the Gospel.
10. He was a man who trusted the Bible as the Word of God.
In all his years, he never lost his trust in the fidelity of Scripture in spite of the pushback from liberal theological trends and currents. Although he kept up with contemporary culture and read broadly—he was always primarily a man of one book: the Bible. Perhaps this was the most important reason why God was able to raise him up and trust him with a historic, global platform.
I look forward to meeting Billy again in glory!
As we conclude today with this special tribute to Dr. Billy Graham, I want to reiterate what so many have already asserted and affirmed in regard to his greatness and legacy. Dr. Graham was a very special and unique man whose likeness we will perhaps never see again in our lifetime. He was a true pioneer and pillar in both the spiritual and secular aspects of our culture, who in so many ways and degrees touched and impacted all of our lives. People like me owe a great debt of gratitude for what he bequeathed us who will dare to walk in his steps on the road less traveled where one must divest themselves of pride, selfishness, greed, and such like. Thanks, Dr. Graham!