Billy Graham : Man and Ministry

5468 Words11 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Billy graham leadership style

Billy Graham: Man and Ministry in the Fifties

Go ye into all the world and preach the gospel to every nation. (Mark 16:15)

While the world is full of Christians, few actually take this commissioning seriously. It is regarded as impractical or even impossible. For one servant of Christ, Billy Graham, impossible does not exist in the realm of the faithful. The Bible teaches that with God all things are possible, and looking at Graham's resume, one would almost be convinced that was true. Graham is quite possibly the greatest preacher of all time. He has preached in 185 countries to over three billion people. That number is more people than even the apostle Paul preached to. He has been personal friend and minister to ten United States presidents. For thirty seven years he has been on the Gallup organization's list of the ten most admired men in the world. His is a ministry that has been heard and felt around the world, beginning in the nineteen fifties. It is this beginning decade that perhaps gives the most insight into the ministry, how and why it started, and how people reacted. It is the strength of the ministry built in this decade that continues to carry Graham's ministry to this day, even while Graham is now slowed by Parkinson's disease. A look at the man in relation to the decade reveals some interesting facets of the national attitude in the fifties, and his reaction to the issues strongly shows what was on the minds of the people. As instrumental as he was in shaping the moral outlook of the era, a look at the issues of the fifties would not be complete without a look at this preacher to the nations, Billy Graham.

Train up a child in the way he shall go, and when he is old, he will not depart from it. (Proverbs 2...

... middle of paper ...

...of American Righteousness. Boston: Little, Brown and Company. 1979.

Graham, Billy. Just As I Am. San Francisco: Zondervan. 1997.

High, Stanley. Billy Graham. New York: McGraw Hill Book Company, Inc. 1956.

20/20. Interview with Billy Graham. NBC. May 2, 1997.

O'Donnell, Bro. Cornelius, O.P. "A Graham of Faith: Inquiring into the Life and Preaching of Rev. Billy Graham." 2 Nov. 1995. http://digidesk.p52s.hioslo.no/niwg/bgraham.htm (16 Apr 1997).

Pollock, John. Billy Graham: the Authorized Biography. New York: McGraw Hill Book Company. 1966.

"Profile -- William (Billy) F. Graham." http://www.graham-assn.org/bgea/bginfo/bgbgbio.htm#profile (16 Apr 1997).

Scharpff, Paulus. History of Evangelism. Grand Rapids, Michigan: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company. 1966.

"What is a Billy Graham Crusade?" http://www.asheville.com/crusade1.html (16 Apr 1997)

Show More
Related

  • The Challenge Of Jesus Summary

    542 Words  | 2 Pages

    N.T. Wright: During my first semester at Northwestern College, I was assigned the book, “The Challenge of Jesus” by N.T. Wright for one of my Biblical Studies courses. This book and every other book Tom Wright has written has dramatically impacted my Christian faith. Dr. Wright has not only defended the basic tenants of the Christian faith, but also has shown how an academically-minded pastor ought to love and care for his or her congregants. N.T. Wright was previously the Bishop of Durham and pastored some of the poorest in the United Kingdom. His pastoral ministry has helped shape his understanding of God’s kingdom-vision which he is diagramming within his magnum opus “Christian Origins and the Question of God”. This series has instructed myself and countless other pastors to be for God’s kingdom as we eagerly await Christ’s return. Additionally, I have had the privilege of meeting with N.T. Wright one-on-one on numerous occasions to discuss faith, the Church, and his research. I firmly believe Tom Wright is the greatest New Testament scholar of our generation and he is the primary reason why I feel called into ministry.

    Read More

  • The American Evangelical Story Sparknotes

    1718 Words  | 4 Pages

    First, although Sweeney is an expert in American religion and culture, the book has inaccuracies. According to Mullin, “Pat Robertson's second-place finish in the 1988 Iowa caucuses surprised "all but his supporters," he did not win as Sweeney reports (150)” and “the World Relief Commission of the NAE began in 1944 (not 1945) as the War Relief Commission (172).” However, these inaccuracies do not take away from his premise. Yet, the reader is left wondering if the author’s research was specious. Next, while Sweeney does mention women as a vital part of the American evangelical story, a themed chapter devoted to their labors would be beneficial to both laity and scholar. Ziefle agrees. In his review, he states, “one cannot help but think a separate chapter specifically set aside to discuss women’s roles would have also been desirable.” Nevertheless, Sweeney does represent the rich heritage that women have contributed to the movement. Lastly, Sweeney disappointingly concludes his history of evangelicalism with the 1960s. Leaving the reader to assume there has been no significant change in the movement in the past forty-five years. However, this seems unlikely, since Robert Warner has written a book entitled, Reinventing English Evangelism, 1966-2001: A Theological and Sociological Study. Therefore, Sweeney premise lacks the rich and spiritual powerful heritage of the movement from 1970s to

    Read More

  • Biography of Billy Graham and His Accomplishments in His Career

    4591 Words  | 10 Pages

    "This is the Hour of Decision with Billy Graham, coming to you from Minneapolis Minnesota" Billy Graham, has preached to more than 210 million people through a live audience, more than anyone else in history. Not only that, but Mr. Graham has reached millions more through live televison, video and film. This has led Billy to be on the "Ten Most Admired Men in the World" from the Gallup Poll since 1955 a total of thirty-nine times. This includes thirty-two consecutive more than any other individual in the world, placing him as the most popular American for about forty years. This essay is going to talk about Graham's personal life, and what kind of family he grew up in and im also going to talk in detail about how he became an evangelist, because I feel it is very important yet interesting. His accomplishments in the fifties are uncomparable, so I will be including a considerable amount of information concerning that topic. Finally I will be talking about his personal achievements, books written, and how he has been a companion to some of the American Presidents. William Franklin Graham Jr. was born in Charlotte, North Carolina on November 17, 1918. Graham was raised on a dairy farm by William Franklin (deceased 1962) and Morrow Coffey Graham (deceased 1981). In 1943 he married his wife Ruth McCue Bell, and had four children Virginia 1945, Anne Morrow 1948, Ruth Bell 1950, William Franklin, Jr. 1952, and Nelson Edman 1958. At age eighty, he keeps fit by swimming, playing with is nineteen grand children, and from aerobic walking, in the mountains of North Carolina, where he currently lives. (Billy Graham Best Sellers, 1999) Billy Graham told Time Magazine in one article about his life before becoming a preacher. "I lived on a farm. The only difference was I had to get up early in the morning and go milk cows. When I came back from school that day, I had to milk those same cows. There were about twenty cows I had to milk. By hand. That was before they had those machines. I loved being a farmer. But God called me to this work that I'm in now. I knew it was God calling. I said, "Yes. I will follow what God wants me to do." And so I went to two or three schools to get education.

    Read More

  • Western Kinship Case Study

    1329 Words  | 3 Pages

    “Children have never been very good at listening to their elders, but they have never failed to imitate them.” – James Baldwin

    Read More

  • Billy Graham Research Paper

    1060 Words  | 3 Pages

    To start off, Billy Graham impacted the world because he was an activist for racial equality, which brought together black and white people inside the church. Graham once said, “Christianity is not a white man’s religion and don’t let anybody ever tell you that it’s white or black. Christ belongs to all people; He belongs to the whole world.” As silly as it sounds, that means that God does not reject a person based on skin color, but rather on the person’s heart and relationship with Christ. Imagine believing in the same thing as someone, but not going to the same church just because the person has a different pigment of skin? What’s next, black people’s heaven and white people’s heaven? Fortunately, in the 1950s Graham fought to end segregation in churches, which was a vital thing to do because God does not look at the skin color of a person, but the heart of man. He also ordered that his staff hire African Americans (Mayer). It is said that Graham began to combine races in his crusades before the start of Brown v. Board of Education. This led to, “… [him winning] the support of prominent African American associates, numerous black pastors, and multitudes of minority lay followers (Wacker).” It is clear that Graham was not just saying these things, but he actually put feet to his words, and made progress in desegregation. In later years Graham supported Kennedy’s actions of a nonviolent resolution during the Cuban missile crisis. Furthermore, “Graham continued to advocate desegregation and denounced violence against the Freedom Riders…” (Mayer). Billy Graham addressed many concerns that was going on during that time and fought for what was morally right.

    Read More

  • Martin Luther the Evangelical Educator

    1428 Words  | 3 Pages

    Before the Reformation, medieval Christians all worshipped under the same universal idea of Christendom. The catholic faith had existed for centuries (since 325 C.E. Constantinople, Council of Nicaea) without opposition to it legitimacy, but at the turn of 1500s new ideas on Christian belief erupted all over Europe causing a split between the Church. Christianity prior to the reformation was a part of the worshippers’ everyday life. Their home, work, and social lives were oriented around the Church, yet many 16th century Christians before the Reformation did not fully understand why. Most 16th century Christians were not educated enough to understand the mandatory sermons and mass services that were preached in the medieval church because these services were in Latin. Only the upper echelon of society were sophisticated enough to understand sermon. This upper crust included the clergy, nun, monks, monarchs, nobles, and the patricians which made up a small portion of the medieval population. The clergy consisted of the Pope (Top), Cardinals (princes of the church and electors of the pope), Bishop (overseers of the dioceses), and Priest (lowest and served at each parish). The clergy were the intermediaries between the laity and God and their most important job was to ensure proper following of the sacraments .

    Read More

  • Why Is Billy Graham A Prophet

    1079 Words  | 3 Pages

    “I feel sorry for the man who has never known the bracing thrill of taking a stand and sticking to it fearlessly. Moral courage has rewards that timidity can never imagine. Like a shot of adrenaline, it floods the spirit with vitality.” (The Cross) Billy Graham knew this was true first hand. Growing up around a family that leaned upon the teachings of his, I knew early on that his absolutely inspirational sermons seen on television and live at crusades had inspired millions of people around the world by his love, respect, and devotion to God and mankind. Billy Graham has enjoyed a career that has spanned more than six decades from growing up in North Carolina after World War 1, barnstorming the country as a dynamic revivalist, touring the world

    Read More

  • Jesus, A Pacifist

    527 Words  | 2 Pages

    he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to

    Read More

  • Martin Luther's Vision And Ethical Leadership

    1746 Words  | 4 Pages

    Many people in across the world attend protestant churches and many of these people do not even understand where the term protestant comes from. The term comes from the Protestant Reformation that really took roots in the 1500’s. Protestantism comes from the letter of protestation that was written by the Lutheran princes in Germany when the Roman Catholic Church signed an edict saying that Martin Luther was a heretic. The Church in the 1500s did not allow for translation of the bible from the original languages which the common person could not read for themselves. After a life changing experience, Martin Luther who was a well-educated man vowed, “I will be a monk,” became an Augustinian monk (Köstlin, pg 53). While studying the original texts,

    Read More

  • Developing a Cross-Cultural Ministry Philosophy

    902 Words  | 2 Pages

    In other words, evidence of God’s intention to establish diversity begins with the table of nations in Genesis 10 and continues throughout both the Old and New Testaments (Patten, 2013). Therefore, catering to or including cross-cultural communities in our ministry planning has biblical basis. Embracing various cultures abroad when preaching the gospel is also clearly outlined as a needed ministry when reading in the book of Acts, “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8).

    Read More

  • Billy Graham's Leadership Style And Leadership

    919 Words  | 2 Pages

    In today’s society, Effective leaders are essential to an organization and exceptional leadership techniques impact the success of reaching goals. Most important leaders often viewed and analyzed as a key component of an organization improperly trained leader can cause both moral and costly negative consequences. Even though unprepared leaders lead in our community today, Billy Graham’s leadership style and communication skills affected the United States because he exhibits characteristic of a leader. There were several obstacles as a leader that Billy Graham endured as a visionary, and his leadership effectiveness and traits observed throughout his ministry.

    Read More

  • Evangelizing Methodists in The Second Great Awakening by Sean Wilentz

    668 Words  | 2 Pages

    In the essay, “The Second Great Awakening” by Sean Wilentz explains the simultaneous events at the Cane Ridge and Yale which their inequality was one-sided origins, worship, and social surroundings exceeded more through their connections that was called The Second Great Awakening also these revivals were omen that lasted in the 1840s a movement that influences the impulsive and doctrines to hold any management. Wilentz wraps up of the politics and the evangelizing that come from proceeding from the start, but had astounding momentum during 1825.The advantage of the Americans was churched as the evangelizing Methodists or Baptists from the South called the New School revivalist and the Presbyterians or Congregationalists from the North that had a nation of theoretical Christians in a mutual culture created more of the Enlightenment rationalism than the Protestant nation on the world. The northerners focused more on the Second Great Awakening than the South on the main plan of the organization.

    Read More

  • Andrea Case Study: Should We Spank Our Children?

    767 Words  | 2 Pages

    Parents need to train their children correctly in the way they should go. Proverbs 22: 5-6

    Read More

  • The Age Of Ideologies And Church History

    1035 Words  | 3 Pages

    This came for America at the end of World War II, and as a result evangelical Christianity returned to prominence. At this time, a young preacher from North Carolina named Billy Graham started his ascent to notoriety in the renewed evangelical movement. Billy Graham, serving as an evangelist, led massive crusades to bring lost souls to the church. More than an introducing people to an ideology or a denomination, Graham was most interested in evangelizing and leading people to Jesus Christ, God’s sacrificial lamb for mankind. Through his work in this area, he was able to assist in uniting the two largest evangelical organizations, the National Association of Evangelicals, and the American Council of Christian Churches. The Continuation Committee for World Evangelism was created. Their goal was, “to encourage and assist where necessary in the formation of regional and national committees to advance world evangelism in every area (Shelley

    Read More

  • Family Ritualss And Family Rituals

    1015 Words  | 3 Pages

    Proverbs 22:6 states, “Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it” (King James Bible. 1973). When you train your children, you are passing doing rituals. Rituals that you learned from your parents and your parents learned from their parents. Some people think that they don’t have any family rituals. However, they do not realize that everyday task that you do with your family can be considered a ritual. Family rituals can consist of eating meals together, watching a favorite show each night, and all the birthdays and holidays that you celebrate with your family they can even help out with some behavior issues. In one particular video, the author talks about how family rituals can help build an

    Read More

More about Billy Graham : Man and Ministry

Open Document