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William Franklin 
(Billy) Graham 
came from a 
Southern dairy-
farming family and 
was raised a 
Baptist. At 18 he 
went to Bible 
School, then
took a degree in 
anthropology. His 
was, at first, a 
conventional 
pastorate, but he 
was to be no small-
town preacher: the 
whole world was to 
be his congregation
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On his "crusades" 
to Britain in the 
Fifties, Billy 
Graham drew 
vast crowds to his 
meetings, never 
failing to impress 
with his rich 
baritone and the 
passionate sincerity
of his message
#
Graham filled 
entire sports 
stadiums. Whether 
the crowds came 
to hear the word
of God or for an 
entertaining night 
out is open to 
question. Beyond 
doubt is the fact 
that Graham could 
in a few nights 
preach to more 
people than Jesus 
did in his entire 
ministry
#
Graham was always 
an indefatigable 
traveller. He took 
Jesus' last words 
very literally; "Go 
ye into all the 
world, and preach 
the gospel to every 
creature." Graham 
travelled to the 
Soviet Union - 
years before the 
end of the com-
munist regime 
- and held 
services there
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Billy Graham 
expressed deep 
concern for the 
state of the world. 
He tended to the 
right wing and 
condemned com-
munism as "a 
conspiracy of 
Satan", but was 
a powerful advo-
cate of world 
peace and of
social reform. 
He spoke up for
racial integration 
and an end
to poverty
#
Graham mellowed 
with the years. 
The rallies grew
less theatrical,
there was less of 
the fire and brim-
stone. But he 
remained just as 
persuasive, and 
never a shadow of 
self-doubt showed 
in his features
#
Graham was the 
first evangelist 
to realise the 
potential of the 
mass-media. He 
also understood 
the role of 
religion in 
American politics. 
Richard Nixon, 
George Bush, 
Ronald Reagan and 
Jesse Jackson
were among his 
friends and 
acquaintances, 
and he influenced a 
succession of US 
administrations
#
Billy Graham was 
brought up in the 
revivalist tradition, 
he set great store 
by the personal 
salvation of 
individuals. But he 
was able to cross 
barriers, to appeal 
to all denomi-
nations, to Roman 
Catholics, to 
Anglicans, to
Nonconformists
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