He became an author, columnist and wrote of his religious past and challenges in a book Farewell to God. The Life Of Luxury Of Reverend Billy Graham: Did The Beloved He was an unofficial chaplain to 10 U.S. presidents, starting with Harry Truman. The essential problem of Christianity is that it teaches poverty, but its disciples practice wealth accumulation. He was the pastor of the First Baptist Church in Western Springs, Illinois from 1943-1944. Here's what we know about Billy Graham's money. Evangelist Billy Graham at his home in the mountains of Montreat, July 25, 2006 near Asheville, North Carolina. Much is unknown about the famous evangelist's wealth. According to the wealth-tracking site TheRichest.com, Billy Graham's net worth was an estimated $25 million at the time of his death. Since that time, Christianity has left behind the major, underlying teachings of Jesus to love God with all your heart and soul and love your neighbor as yourself. Graham would go on to share his pulpit with President Richard Nixon, and would advise presidents from both parties over the ensuing decades including George W. Bush, whose relationship with Graham was explored in the 2004 FRONTLINE documentary The Jesus Factor. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent. an aging Billy Graham approached his own death According to Samaritans Purse (the nondenominational evangelical Christian organization led by the late pastors son, Franklin), Graham died peacefully surrounded by family. While many believe that pastors make a modest living, Graham was an unusually wealthy man who preached to millions of people who traveled to hear him speak. 2023 USA TODAY, a division of Gannett Satellite Information Network, LLC. At least one close friend of King had no doubt that Graham evolved on issues of race. Web Site Copyright 1995-2023 WGBH Educational Foundation. But even some of his biggest supporters say Graham accepted segregation at some of his crusades, criticized marches and sit-ins, and would not risk his popularity by confronting segregation head-on. Billy Graham speaks during the Albany, N.Y., Crusade in 1990. Graham's main tactic was to reach into the secular world as a "bridge builder." Born on a dairy farm in North Carolina, Graham had a reported net worth of $25 million. FRONTLINE is a registered trademark of WGBH Educational Foundation. In 1952 his salary was $15,000, according to Martin; by the late 1990s he earned nearly $200,000 a year from his organization, according to MinistryWatch, a North Carolina-based group that rates the financial health of Christian ministries. But his name became nationally famous in 1949 in Los Angeles. At the age of 91, in 2010, Graham began experiencing substation vision, hearing, and balance loss. This is why Jesus told people to give away their possessions, and Paul taught people should not marry. Within a few years the civil rights movement began to sweep the nation. Kelsey Grammer reflected on refusing to "apologize" for his faith. Instead, Graham called for a council of several Protestant denominations, united by evangelist intent, to organize and fund the event and follow up with newborn believers. Randall Balmer, a scholar of American religious history, said in, How the Supreme Courts Conservative Majority Came to Be, Americans Increasingly Uneasy When Politicians Talk Religion, "In God We Trust" Reaffirmed as National Motto Again, From the Archives: How the World's Deadliest Ebola Outbreak Unfolded, Russias Invasion of Ukraine, One Year Later, War Crimes Watch Ukraine: More Than 650 Documented Events, From the Archives: How the U.N. & World Failed Darfur Amid "the 21st Century's First Genocide". Having founded the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association in 1950, he took a straight salary, comparable to that of a senior minister of a major urban pulpit, no matter how much in money his meetings brought in. REUTERS/Shannon Stapleton /Landov, William "Billy" Graham at age 17 on his graduation from Charlotte High School in June 1935. I underscore the word yet. Maybe I havent done all I could or should do.. The Billy Graham Library, opened in Charlotte in 2007, was built at a reported cost of $27 million. How his mind works is a mystery to me. Graham was also a prolific writer. Here's What We Know About His Money. document.getElementById("ak_js_1").setAttribute("value",(new Date()).getTime()); Olivia Wilson is currently a reporter for AffairPost based in London, United Kingdom. The Graham name will endure for a long time, he said. Billy attended Sharon High School and then Bob Jones college. $25 million is no chump change. Although collections were still sought at each of his crusades, Graham agreed after the Atlanta crusade to take a fixed salary from the newly formed Billy Graham Evangelistic Association. I have never met an envious or greedy person who was at peace. Graham sits in his home in the mountains of Montreat, North Carolina, on July 25, 2006. Producer of so many evangelical movies, films, videos and television programs that his associationclaims to be the world leader in this field. AS we build our foundation on shifting sand, later in life, we end up replacing our insecurities, with pride and self justification. Opinions expressed on this site are the author's alone, not those of a third-party entity, and have not been reviewed, approved, or otherwise endorsed. They say King and Graham made a deal: Graham would confine his message to his crusades, while King would take his message to the streets. Of course he could have spoken out more forcefully against segregation, but he spoke out more forcefully than anybody expected him, Martin says. In the end, the choice for positive change still yet lies in his own hands. You have preachers who draw on politics and politicians who are using religion for their own public policy reasons, Stephen Prothero of Boston University says in God in America of Grahams emergence as a political force. "Greed causes a great deal of harm," Graham said in one interview. Join half a million readers enjoying Newsweek's free newsletters. In 1952 his salary was $15,000, according to Martin; by the late 1990s he earned nearly $200,000 a year from his organization, according to MinistryWatch, a North He preached to more than 215 million people in 185 countries; wrote more than 30 books, including a 1997 best-selling autobiography titled Just as I Am; and counseled 12 presidents, starting with Harry Truman. As a teenager in the late 1930s, Billy Graham took a summer job as a salesman for the Fuller Brush Company. No where in the Bible does it say that he had to be poor. They say he distorted his relationship with King, that his nods to racial tolerance were token and inconsistent, and that he refused to risk his fame by championing the movement while other white ministers lost their jobs, and lives, for their activism. So, do you want to find out more about Billy Graham, from his early life to his death, including his career and personal life? It has been estimated that during his lifetime, Billy's sermons have reached an audience across television and radio of more than 2.2 billion people. On Templetons deathbed his wife talks about his Acknowledgment and love of Jesus. In June 1995, the Southern Baptist Convention met in Atlanta for its annual assembly and passed a resolution apologizing for slavery and condemning racial injustice. A fall led to a partial hip replacement in January 2004. Never again would they pocket any money raised at his crusades it all went to the local crusade committee. Graham was never one to seek out controversy. Graham supporters say the pastors were friends and collaborators. This is where Graham missed the mark.. Just came across this. WebThe Billy Graham Evangelistic Association (BGEA) reports, "nearly 215 million people in more than 185 countries" have been reached through his ministry. Grahams reluctance to embrace the civil rights movement wasnt just complicated by his yearning for popularity. Grahams rise coincided with the most turbulent years of the movement, when pastors and public figures were forced to make choices that would define them for the rest of their lives. He was an evangelist who lived the way he preached.". Billy Graham met with President Dwight D. Eisenhower for a personal chat that lasted 45 minutes in Gettysburg on Sept. 8, 1961. The notion that Graham and King would have been collaborators is far-fetched, says Miller, author of Billy Graham and the Rise of the Republican South. Miller says he also never found proof that Graham bailed King out of jail, as some Graham supporters have claimed. Wed 21 Feb 2018 10.51 EST. By the time of Barack Obama's rise from an Illinois Senate seat to the presidency, Graham had already retired and no longer visited Washington. In 2001, George W. Bush invited him as well, but Grahamwas recovering from surgery the month before. WebBilly Graham has preached the gospel of Christ in person to more than 80 million people and to countless millions more over the airwaves and in films. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. Grahams legacy is definitely tarnished by the way he approached racial justice.. Still, with Grahams death, one thing seemed certain. No, thats language, says Vivian, who was recently awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom for his civil rights activism. One of the volunteers most important tasks was to counsel those who had responded to the altar call at the end of each days sermon. WebFind many great new & used options and get the best deals for Just As I Am by Billy Graham (1997, Hardcover) at the best online prices at eBay! But criticism of the evangelist gradually receded as he became an American folk hero in his old age. He passed away on the 21st February 2018 at the age of 99. Guaynabo, PR 00968. I want to say, thank God. He had established "checks and balances" at the BGEA via an independent board of directors that established his salary and housing allowance, which is believed to have been under $150,000, according to the Los Angeles Times. There are scattered examples in audio recordings and in print including Billy Graham and the Beloved Community of Graham telling a variation of the same story. Graham thought that if he could convert certain well-known individuals, that that would have a greater effect in terms of bringing others into the Kingdom, the Rev. Graham spoke eloquently about the need for such an organization: If you give to any Christian charity (including the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association), and you dont insist on an understandable financial accounting of your gift, you are in danger of falling prey to (dishonesty), Graham was quoted as saying in Martins book, A Prophet with Honor.. Besides Jesus, my favorite mentors have been Billy Graham, and Mother Teresa. How did evangelist Billy Graham make his money before he died? But the expression "Billy Graham Crusade" was so ingrained in the popular usage that by 2004 it was back in use. As the Soviet Union successfully tested an atomic bomb and Americans grew fearful of nuclear annihilation, Grahams message resonated, amplified by coverage from media baron and staunch anti-communist William Randolph Hearst. Graham, though, could not embrace a Christianity that went beyond saving souls, says Baldwin, author of The Voice of Conscience: The Church in the Mind of Martin Luther King Jr., 10 things you didn't know about Billy Graham, He opposed racism and segregation in principle but refused to consistently attack it publicly and also refused to march with King and other ministers who protested against these social evils, Baldwin says. I believe today that the battle is between communism and Christianity, he said in a speech that was excerpted in the documentary. Olivia studied journalism at Cardiff University, graduating in 2010. Whats important is not what Graham did or said in the 1950s and 60s, Vivian says: For one Graham scholar, questions about Grahams stance on race do not diminish his legacy. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc. WebIt was during those 16 weeks that Billy earned a name for himself, since more than 2.3 million people attended his sermons. Jesus spoke very specifically about the world ending in the lifetime of those to whom he preached. His father used the n-word, whites were taught that blacks were inferior, and many evangelical Christians in the North as well as the South saw no contradiction between supporting segregation and being a Christian. From the late 90s onwards, Billy avoided public appearances, due to his failing health; he suffered from hydrocephalus from 1992, and since then his health only declined further. Throughout his career, Billy Graham sponsored, organized, and paid for massive training conferences for Christian evangelists. Discovery Company. Legions of everyday admirers named this willfully modest man among the Gallup Poll's "10 Most Admired Men in the World." When asked if Graham and King were friends and collaborators, the Rev. William Martin, author of "A Prophet with Honor: The Billy Graham Story. Billy Graham missed the birth of his Billy Graham Net Worth In 1984, he led a series of summer sermons in the United Kingdom called Mission England where he used outdoor soccer fields as venues. In the Soviet threat, Graham found a religious message. "He actually proved to be a natural and by the end of the summer he was the most successful salesman in two states," David Aikman wrote in Billy Graham: His Life and Influence. The Rev. Graham finally ended his crusade with a resounding gathering in New York's Flushing Meadows Corona Park in June 2005, delivering the same message he'd given for seven decades an altar call he issued in stadiums and mud huts, disaster zones, cathedrals and Congress: Turn toward the God he believed to be true, he cajoled his audience. In addition, he had a close relationship with Queen Elizabeth II and was often invited by the Royal Family to special events. Your email address will not be published. By June 2004, when the family of Ronald Reagan asked for him to eulogize the former president, Graham had to say no. When provided, we also incorporate private tips and feedback received from the celebrities or their representatives. He stopped calling his events "crusades" in sensitivity to Muslim concerns after 9/11, just as he avoided the militaristic term "campaign" after World War II. You'll receive access to exclusive information and early alerts about our documentaries and investigations. "The longer I've lived, the more I've come to realize just how destructive greed can be. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. CNN Sans & 2016 Cable News Network. They ignore these basic Christian teachings because they dont like them. In December 2001, he was presented with an honorary knighthood by the British Empire for his international civic and religious contributions. Perhaps Billy, could have learned something from her. Despite their differences, the two remained close and in the mid '60s traveled together to the tenth Baptist World Congress of the Baptist World Alliances. Preaching kept him away from the birth of his first child. ", In another Billy Graham quote, he said, "Envy and greed alwaysalwaysexact a terrible price. Only when Christ comes again will the little white children of Alabama walk hand in hand with little black children, Graham said after Kings speech. Their fifth child, son Nelson Edman, who was born in 1958; he is now a pastor and runs East Gates Ministries International. Graham's estimated $25 million net worth is equal to that of Rick Warren, but lower than pastors such as Joel Osteen ($40 million) and Kenneth Copeland ($760 million). More:Billy Graham, America's pastor, has died. King would not have made any kind of deal with anybody. His parents, highly devoted to the church, raised him in the Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church. He was a man who maintained absolute marital fidelity and moral and financial integrity. It was Graham who helped advise Eisenhower on becoming a Presbyterian after it emerged in the 1952 campaign that Eisenhower had never been baptized. Furthermore, he expanded his Christian crusades, visiting 185 countries on all continents, reportedly reaching more than 2.5 billion people across the world, both live and through radio and television broadcasts. He wrote Graham urging him to rescind his invitation to a segregationist governor to open a crusade rally. Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors. That would rank Graham as One Graham biographer says he even tried to sabotage the civil rights movement. Three days after the attacks on 9/11, Graham was invited to lead a service at Washington National Cathedral. They say Graham even bailed King out of jail. In 1972 the association bought more than 1,000 acres in North Carolina's Blue Ridge Mountains, where the Billy Graham Training Center at the Cove now stands. This 16 week event attracted more than 2.3 million visitors from around the country and helped propel Dr. King and the Civil Rights movement into the mainstream conscience. He The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary". The Rev. Evangelist Billy Graham at his home in the mountains of Montreat, July 25, 2006 near Asheville, North Carolina. He graduated from Florida Bible Institute, then went on to Wheaton College, where he found his life-long helpmate in Ruth Bell, daughter of missionaries to China. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads. This was followed in 1957 with Graham's extraordinary 16-week stint at New York City's Madison Square Garden, where he spoke to some two million people. Mr. Graham preached the Gospel to more people in live audiences than anyone else in historynearly 215 million people in more than 185 countries and territoriesthrough various meetings, including Mission World and Global Mission. Hundreds of millions more have been reached through television, video, film, and webcasts. "Money represents your time, your energy, your talents, your total personality converted into currency," Graham once wrote. Graham was never out in front of the parade on segregation, but he was always out in front of his unit.. New Autobiography from Greg Laurie regarding Billy Graham talks about this. Billy Graham crusades: How evangelist reached millions - USA Billy Graham, the evangelist who attracted a worldwide following for more than six decades, was found dead at his home on Feb. 21 at age 99. At times, Graham even criticized civil rights marchers. His sole motivation in his career was "to proclaim the Gospel," NPR reported. God knows our heart. The convention was formed in the 19th century when its Northern and Southern members split over the issue. Watch an excerpt from God in America about Grahams early rise below: Jon and Jo Ann Hagler on behalf of the Jon L. Hagler Foundation. The times, though, called for confrontation, King preached, and that belief produced tension between the civil rights leader and Graham. He also corresponded with Nelson Mandela during Mandela's 27-year imprisonment. Billy Graham, left, and his son Franklin Graham smile during a groundbreaking ceremony for the Billy Graham Library in Charlotte, N.C., on Aug. 26, 2005. In the summer of 1936, the 17-year-old Billy threw himself into the job. The Mayo Clinic initially diagnosed him with Parkinson's disease in 1989. Among many special visits, Rev. A traveling preacher led the beanstalk-scrawny, baseball-loving Billy to his decision to be saved. That money was his personal net worth. By 1945, he was the nation's first field representative for Youth for Christ, a newborn evangelical network aimed at teens and young adults seeking faith in a postwar world. In that moment, both Jesus and the role of an itinerant evangelist changing the world one life at a time captured his heart. Todd Sumlin/Charlotte Observer/MCT via Getty Images, Everyone Practices Cancel Culture | Opinion, Deplatforming Free Speech is Dangerous | Opinion. For some, Graham was a civil rights hero. Once he retired from the pulpit, his son and association successor, Franklin, recycled and repurposed thousands of video and film hours of Billy Graham sermons for 21st-century video outreach. (G.K. Chesterton 1874-1936 sums all of this up in his typical way by saying, It may be possible to have a good debate over whether or not Jesus believed in fairies, but it is impossible to have any sort of debate over whether or not Jesus believes that rich people are in big trouble.) In ending, my personal feelings are that there is no doubt that Billy Grahams soul is in Heaven. The New Republicreviewer Andrew Delbanco called the 1997 book unreflective celebrity fluff that "rattles off the great public events of the last 50 years with the hero in ubiquitous attendance, a kind of clerical Forrest Gump.". Yet even Martins book shows that Grahams conduct during the heyday of the civil rights movement was anything but resolute. One reason is because a greedy person is never satisfied," Graham wrote in one column. Historians say he perfected a system that began as a tent revival and was ultimately copied by many other Christian leaders with varying degrees of success. If yes, then stay with us as we are about to bring you closer to one of the most renowned preachers of the USA. That's In 1948, at age 29, he became the president of Northwestern Bible College in Minneapolis and helped the position until he resigned in 1952. And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be. If Billy Graham had worked a work of great proportions to the suffering ones, especially in Africa, by funding expert societies like World Vision, then certainly his eternal reward would be significantly increased. They had five children together; their first child, Virginia Leftwich was born in 1945 and she is now an inspirational speaker and author. His total compensation in 2013: $240,641. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. It points to Grahams limits, his humanity. In recent years, most crusades were webcast a week later or syndicated on TV. You cannot make two races love each other and accept each other at the point of bayonets.. But he grasped the unique appeal of Graham in an era when other preachers churned out books that stoked fears of the apocalypse. After taking a four-week class, counselors were then ready to help people clarify the decision they made, take down their names and addresses, and follow up with them after the crusade to see if they had found a welcoming church home. (RNS) Two photos of evangelist Billy Graham ran prominently in the local paper after his successful 1950 Atlanta crusade.