For the last several decades the most prominent leader within the religious movement known as “evangelicalism” has been the Reverend Billy Graham. Evangelicalism is a Christian movement that focuses on the need for personal conversion, sharing the gospel, and salvation. Billy Graham is well known for his large evangelistic crusades that draw people by the thousands. These crusades have given Graham the distinction of preaching the gospel, in person, to more people than any other person in history. It is widely believed that over 2 billion people have heard Billy Graham preach the Gospel while more than 2.5 million of them made a public declaration of faith in response (Aikman 53).
Evangelism is a very important Biblical task and successful evangelistic campaigns, where people turn to Jesus Christ for salvation, are cause to praise God. So it is natural that many Christians hold Graham in extremely high regard. But one question still remains: is Billy Graham a modern day prophet or is he just one of the most famous preachers that has ever lived? In biblical times the word prophet meant a delegated messenger; someone that delivers the direct word from God. While there is no den
William Franklin Graham was born on November 7, 1918 near Charlotte, NC. Graham was not drawn to the Bible instantly. Graham was raised on a dairy farm in Charlotte, North Carolina. In 1943 he married Ruth McCue Bell, daughter of a Christian missionary. In his early years, the Graham family was members of the very conservative Presbyterian Church although he eventually became a Southern Baptist preacher. In 1934, at age 16, Graham made a personal commitment to Christ during a revival meeting conducted by Mordecai Ham. His newfound trust in the lord led him to pursue a career in religion. He graduated from the Florida Bible Institute, now Trinity College of Florida and was ordained in 1939 by a church in the Southern Baptist Convention. Later in 1943, he graduated from Wheaton College, pastored the First Baptist Church in Western Springs, Illinois, and then joined Youth for Christ. It was during this time that he accepted the Bible as the infallible word of God. Graham’s new beliefs would set the basis for all of his future ministries.
But it wasn’t until several years later that Billy Graham would change the worlds view on Christianity. In 1950 Graham formed the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association (Long 23), which main purpose was to spread the gospel of Jesus Christ to anyone that would listen. At the outset Billy made several rules. First he made the commitment to trust the Bible without error so there would never be a question as to what he believed or practiced. He also formed a Board of Directors to oversee the organization so there would never be a question of how he was paid or how the association was administered. In an effort to not only preach the gospel but also rise up other evangelists to become the first to take the gospel around the world, Billy and the BGEA started hosting conferences in major cities around the world. Beginning with the Berlin Congress on Evangelism in 1966 (Long 55), which served as a catalyst for many new efforts in evangelism.
Billy Graham’s counsel has been highly sought over the last sixty years by nearly every President since Harry Truman. Billy had personal friendships with most of those Presidents including Eisenhower, Nixon, Carter, Reagan, and Clinton. Many other world leaders have also sought spiritual guidance from Graham including: Martin Luther King, Jr., Prime Minster Winston Churchill and Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. Among his many awards throughout his lifetime, Reverend Graham has the distinction of being one of the Gallop Polls “Ten Most Admired Men in the World” (Wellman 89).
Graham’s popular appeal was the result of his extraordinary charisma, his forceful preaching, and his simple homespun message: anyone who repents of sins and accept Jesus Christ will be saved. Behind that message, however, stood a sophisticated organization, the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association and their followers.
After studying his ministry in more detail, I had a much better understanding of Graham’s mission. But I also found one underlying theme throughout his life; politics. I have always believed that there should be a distinct separation between church and state. But it does not appear that Graham shares the same belief. I have found that Graham has had a lifelong fascination with politics and especially politicians. Over the years, Graham has become known as the pastor to the presidents because of his ties to several United States Presidents.
Throughout his career Graham mastered the art of participating in the political arena, which makes some question his true motives. Graham would display his political preferences in a way that he felt best served his ministry. Too often though, Graham allowed himself to be used for political, even partisan, ends. And when you become such a public figure, like Graham, they you open yourself to scrutiny, often unprovoked scrutiny.
Billy Graham is a very successful and popular Christian leader. But success and popularity are not the standards for Christians and certainly not the basis for prophets. The standard is the word of God. While I believe that Graham is responsible for spearheading the Christian movement, I do not consider him a prophet. More than anything Graham has the feel of a religious celebrity that came during a time when the people needed him the most.
At ninety-three, Billy Graham remains one of the most respected people in the world today. He has addressed over eighty-two million people face to face and at least one billion people through television, radio, and satellite. His life has not been without controversy, but he has been prompt to accept his mistakes and apologize for them. He is much more than an evangelist; he is a Christian statesman of with integrity whose profound influence on the growth and depth of Christianity across the world will never be forgotten.

References
Aikman, David. Billy Graham His Life and Influence. Detroit, MI: Christian Large Print, 2007. Print.
Long, Michael G. Billy Graham and the Beloved Community. New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2006. Print.
McLoughlin, William Gerald. Billy Graham Revivalist in a Secular Age. New York: Ronald, 1960. Print.
Pollock, John Charles. Billy Graham, Evangelist to the World: an Authorized Biography of the Decisive Years. Minneapolis: World Wide Publications, 1979. Print.
Wellman, Sam. Billy Graham: the Great Evangelist. Philadelphia: Chelsea House, 1999. Print.