By Katherine Upton | Echo
On Feb. 21, the Rev. Billy Graham died at his home in Montreat, North Carolina. Graham was 99 years old and left behind a legacy affecting millions. During his lifetime, it is estimated that Graham preached the Gospel to some 215 million people at his 400+ Crusades and other such evangelistic events.
At his final Crusade in June 2005, Graham said, "I have one message: that Jesus Christ came, he died on a cross, he rose again, and he asked us to repent of our sins and receive him by faith as Lord and Savior, and if we do, we have forgiveness of all of our sins."
Members of the Taylor community share their thoughts in memory of Graham:
P. Lowell Haines, President of Taylor University
"I had competing senses of sorrow and hope when I learned of the passing of Billy Graham today - sorrow in that the world has lost a great man who preached so faithfully of God's love, and hope in the love and faithfulness of God which Dr. Graham so faithfully proclaimed for seven decades. Dr. Graham demonstrated what it means to be completely devoted to God's calling and purposes, and his tireless work to share the gospel both impacted the world and changed the eternal destiny of millions of people. Our hearts and prayers are with his family, friends, colleagues, and the many millions of people whose lives were changed because of Dr. Graham's faithfulness."Jay Kesler, President Emeritus
"The great issue in today's world concerns the truth claims made about Jesus of Nazareth in the scriptures. The Bible asserts and evangelicals believe that Jesus is the promised Messiah, the Christ, a member of the Trinity, participant in the Godhead at the creation of the world. In the words of G.K. Chesterton these truths, "make nothing but dust and nonsense of comparative religion." With his constant repetition of "the Bible says," accompanied with a tolerant attitude and an irenic spirit, Billy Graham has held forth without embarrassment or apology the truth claims that make Christianity distinct from all other options as noble, yet tied to time and mortality as others claim to be. When all the dust is settled, Christ is either who He claimed to be or a well-meaning imposter. Billy Graham consistently pressed the promise that to truly put ones faith in Christ and seek God's forgiveness through His atonement on the cross, our sins are forgiven and eternal life is granted by God's grace."Michael D. Hammond, Dean of the School of Humanities, Arts and Biblical Studies
"Billy Graham defined the worldwide evangelical movement over the course of his public ministry. In recent times, the term "evangelical" has been questioned, largely due to a variety of uses and applications of the term in public life. Historian George Marsden once said that an evangelical is "anyone who likes Billy Graham." That test worked because Graham's ministry embodied the core tenets of the gospel - a belief in the Bible, Christ's salvation, and practice of the Great Commission and the Greatest Commandment. The Lausanne movement for global evangelization brought coherence and worldwide cooperation for missionary and relief work. Graham's belief in sharing the gospel was paired with social concerns, such as when Graham took a stand against segregation at his stadium meetings in the South. He pointed the evangelical movement toward a public stand for justice when he invited Martin Luther King, Jr. to open his New York crusade at Madison Square Garden in 1957.Graham was also an innovator in the use of television, radio, print media, film, and music. He appeared on the Tonight Show, spoke to troops in war zones, preached in massive stadiums around the world, befriended Hollywood stars, politicians, and athletes, and performed on hit records with Johnny Cash. He was counselor to every president from Harry Truman through Barack Obama. Christian higher education is indebted to him for motivating generations of sincere Christians toward college and a lifetime of ministry calling."
Despite some misappropriations of the term "evangelical" today, Graham's legacy as a humble, honorable, savvy spokesman for the gospel remains.
Greg MaGee, Associate Professor of Biblical Studies
"As a preacher Billy Graham spoke with sincerity, warmth, and a contagious confidence in the power of Christ and biblical truth. As a leader Graham promoted a broad, vibrant, and biblically-anchored vision of evangelical Christianity. His emphasis on the central doctrines and practices of the faith rather than secondary issues made it easier for many different types of churches to rally behind Graham's crusades (which were large-scale, multiple-day preaching events in various cities). . . . I'm deeply grateful for Billy Graham's ministry. When I was in sixth grade God used Graham's preaching to spark my desire to trust in Christ for the forgiveness of sins and eternal life."Ed Meadors, Professor of Biblical Studies
"As one who served in the early nineties at a week long Billy Graham crusade in Aberdeen, Scotland, I can testify first-hand that God worked through Billy Graham's simple messages to bring many, many people to an authentic saving relationship with Jesus Christ. He was an evangelist first and foremost. I was stirred personally on many occasions by his tv and radio broadcasts, each time being moved by the Holy Spirit to rededicate my life to Lord with greater commitment and trust. The conversions at his crusades that I know of were authentic, as the testimonies still bear witness many years later. With the decline of Christianity in America, we need a resurgence of evangelists who, like Billy Graham, will surrender their all to Jesus. We need genuine revival in the spirit of 2 Chron 7:14: "If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin and will heal their land." Today, as ever, we desperately need the Lord."Michael Harbin, Professor of Biblical Studies, Department Chair of Biblical Studies, Christian Ministries & Philosophy
"Billy Graham had a profound effect on the nation. Some sources suggest that historically this country has had a series of mass revivals beginning in the 1700's, the last of which was in the 1950's and 1960's. They would argue that it was this series of revivals that made America great. [Billy] Graham's crusades and television broadcasts were a significant factor in that. I don't think we have any real awareness of the scope of his impact. For example, a close friend of mine who went to seminary with me reported that he was saved listening to Billy Graham on TV in the 1960's, and as a result after he retired from the Navy, he began a second career as a pastor. I have always wondered how many more there were like him who do not show up in any statistics. It seems to me that a peripheral effect of his work on the secular population was a heightened moral standard. This is not to say that our country was perfect-until Christ returns, we will still live in cultures populated by fallen human beings and all that that entails. The only thing keeps any culture from degenerating into general lawlessness is the restraining work of the Holy Spirit especially working through the lives of convicted believers (2 Thes 2:5-12). While sin was prevalent during those decades, for the most part it was not blatantly broadcast through the media (especially movies and television), and many who indulged did so with an awareness of guilt and shame. It is my observation that beginning with the late sixties, about the time that Billy Graham was reducing his work, our culture has changed drastically, resulting in a significant overall deterioration of the moral climate. . . . Like Vice-President Pence I am convinced that yesterday [Billy] Graham was welcomed home with the words, 'well done good and faithful servant.'""In terms of the overall faculty, I cannot give an answer, although as one colleague put it, he had a life well-lived. It does remind me that we are all mortal-as Jay Kesler has put it, the probability of us dying is 100% (pending of course the second coming of Jesus). As a result, it gives me pause as well as a re-motivation to be faithful in the calling God has given me."
Michael Jessup, Professor of Sociology
"Billy Graham was undoubtedly one of the most influential modern Christians. Clearly, he was a giant. He shared the gospel with over 200 million people, yet was somehow able to unify Christians and Christianity. In a world of division and strife, he was a peacemaker; in a culture shaped by narcissism, he was humble. He intimately knew the power of prayer. He spent most of his career talking about someone else. He worked closely with nine Presidents, Harry S. Truman, Dwight D. Eisenhower, John F. Kennedy, Lyndon B. Johnson, Richard M. Nixon, Gerald R. Ford, Jimmy Carter, Ronald W. Reagan, George H. W. Bush, William J. Clinton, George W. Bush, and Barack Obama, and crossed the political divides liked he crossed time zones. He was "America's pastor.
For additional reading, see these articles written by Dr. Michael D. Hammond, Dean of the School of Humanities, Arts and Biblical Studies:
http://usreligion.blogspot.com/2013/10/the-deep-and-wide-worlds-of-billy-graham.html?m=1
http://usreligion.blogspot.com/2014/11/review-americas-pastor-billy-graham-and.html?m=1
