The Rev. Billy Graham, considered the most widely heard Christian evangelist in history, passed away this morning. He was 99.
Reverend Graham had long suffered from cancer, pneumonia, and other ailments. He died at his home in Montreat, North Carolina, says his spokesman Mark DeMoss.
The pastor and evangelist led his “crusades” in more than 185 countries and territories. Many millions of the faithful and the seeking filled auditoriums and stadiums to hear his sermons. He earned the nickname “America’s pastor” as a counselor to U.S. presidents from Eisenhower to George W. Bush.
In 1983, President Ronald Reagan awarded the Reverend with America’s highest civilian honor: the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Three former presidents attended the dedication of the Billy Graham Museum and Library in Charlotte, North Carolina: George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton, and Jimmy Carter.
Beyond just his public appearances, Reverend Graham reached millions more with the message of God’s grace and love through television, radio, newspapers, and even feature films. He preached a straightforward message of forgiveness for sins through Jesus. His style was not flashy or showy, but he spoke with conviction. He truly believed that scripture was “the sword of the Spirit. Mr. Graham was known for constantly referring to it with his catch phrase, “The Bible says…”
By his final crusade in 2005 in New York City, Reverend Graham had preached in person to more than 210 million people worldwide.
In his autobiography, Just As I Am, Mr. Graham told of his coming to faith at age 16. A farmboy raised Presbyterian, he said that his faith became his own personal testimony and direction for life at a local tent revival. “I did not feel any special emotion,” he wrote. “I simply felt at peace,” and afterward, “the world looked different.”
The world looks different again today with the passing of one of God’s well-known and respected saints into eternal glory.
(AP Photo: May 31, 2007. Former presidents George H.W. Bush, left, Bill Clinton, second left, and Jimmy Carter, right, join Billy Graham, center, and his son Franklin, second right, in front of the Billy Graham Library in Charlotte, North Carolina.)
