Franklin Graham

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Franklin Graham
Born July 14, 1952 (1952-07-14) (age 55)
Asheville, North Carolina, USA
Occupation Protestant Christian Evangelist

William Franklin Graham III (born July 14, 1952), known publicly as Franklin Graham, is an American Christian evangelist and missionary. He is the president and CEO of both the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association (BGEA) and the international Christian relief organization Samaritan's Purse.

He currently lives with his wife, Jane, in Boone, North Carolina.

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[edit] Early years

The fourth of five children of evangelist Billy Graham and wife Ruth Bell Graham, Franklin Graham was born and raised in the Appalachian Mountains near Asheville, North Carolina.

As a teenager, Graham attended Stony Brook School, a Christian boarding school on Long Island, New York and finished high school in North Carolina. He graduated from Montreat-Anderson College (now Montreat College) with an A.S. and Appalachian State University with a B.A.

In 1974, 22-year-old Graham became a Christian in a hotel room while on a trip to Jerusalem. He married Jane Austin Cunningham later that year. They have four children: William Franklin Graham IV (Will), born in 1975; Roy Austin Graham (1977); Edward Bell Graham (1979); and Jane Austin Graham (Cissie) (1986). They have five grandchildren.

[edit] Evangelist

Graham began conducting events for the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association in 1989 and became the CEO in 2000 and its president in 2002.[1] Each year, he conducts at least five Graham Festivals around the world as an evangelist associated with the BGEA. Since 1989, he has preached to more than three million people in 126 evangelistic events.

He went to Hong Kong from November 29, 2007 to December 2, 2007 to host the Hong Kong Franklin Graham Festival, the first major evangelistic rally in Hong Kong since its 1997 transfer of sovereignty, which drew more than 420,000 attendees.

Graham spoke at the 1999 Columbine High School memorial, and he also gave the opening prayer at the 2001 inauguration of George W. Bush.

[edit] Work with Samaritan's Purse

Shortly after becoming a Christian, Graham joined Dr. Bob Pierce, founder of the organization Samaritan's Purse, on a six-week mission to Asia. It was during this trip that Graham decided to focus on world relief. In 1979, after the death of Pierce, he became the president of Samaritan's Purse. Graham now also serves as the organization’s CEO, and heads efforts on behalf of the organization in more than 100 countries, including programs such as Operation Christmas Child and the Children’s Heart Project, among others.

[edit] Criticism

Graham came under criticism for comments he made about Islam in the wake of the September 11, 2001 attacks when he referred to Islam as "a very evil and wicked religion." Further criticism came on April 18, 2003 when he preached at a Good Friday service at the Pentagon.[2][3][4]

Franklin Graham was also criticized in 1994 for allegedly refusing to be part of peace negotiations between Sudanese Muslim and Christian fighting factions: the Sudan People's Liberation Army and the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) as well as Ugandan government intermediates.

The doomed 1994 peace negotiations headed by the Carter Center in which Joseph Kony the leader of the Lord's Resistance Army was considering releasing a large portion of his child slave solders, to the United Nations Children's Fund in return for political representation and immunity's was hindered when Franklin Graham refused to be involved. Despite being seen by many Sudanese as a Christian leader and thus political force in southern Sudan due-to his missionary work there.

After Franklin Graham allegedly refused to help talks disintegrated and re-newed fighting that still persists to this day began. This is often cited or inferred most notably by the Jun 2005 issue The Walrus [1] as the precursor to the modern-day Darfur genocide.

On Iraq, Graham says he is, "poised and ready" to send representatives of the charity he runs to Iraq as soon as possible. While the purpose is humanitarian aid, Graham also admits, "I believe as we work, God will always give us opportunities to tell others about his Son. ... We are there to reach out to love them and to save them, and as a Christian, I do this in the name of Jesus Christ."

As an evangelist, Franklin Graham stirred controversy when he was chosen by George W. Bush to offer a prayer at Bush's January 20, 2001 inauguration -

"Now, O Lord, we dedicate this presidential inaugural ceremony to you. May this be the beginning of a new dawn for America as we humble ourselves before you and acknowledge you alone as our Lord, our Savior and our Redeemer.

We pray this in the name of the Father, and of the Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen."

American Jews, Muslims and citizens of other faiths were not included.

[edit] Quotes

  • "The Bible tells us that God loves us and he cares for us. He's provided a way for us to be with him in heaven, and that's through faith in his Son, Jesus Christ." (CNN, April 18, 2007)
  • "The god of Islam is not the same God of the Christian or the Judeo-Christian faith. It is a different god, and I believe Islam is a very evil and a very wicked religion." [2]
  • "We need to confess our sins to God, asking for forgiveness as a nation, and seek his wisdom in what we should do in the days to come, especially the president." (CNN, September 14, 2001)
  • "I believe that God created one man and one woman. He gave sex to us, God did, and sex is to be enjoyed and is to be used within the bounds that God created.... In sexual behavior outside the parameters that God created, we're at high risk, and we're seeing the evidence of this with HIV/AIDS. We're outside of these parameters, and we have a huge global problem now." [5]
  • "But let's use the weapons we have, the weapons of mass destruction if need be and destroy the enemy." (CNN, September 14, 2001)

[edit] Books

  • "A Wing and a Prayer" (2005)
  • "All for Jesus" (2003), with Ross Rhoads
  • "Kids Praying for Kids" (2003)
  • "The Name" (2002)
  • "Living Beyond the Limits: A Life in Sync with God" (1998)
  • "Rebel With A Cause: Finally Comfortable Being Graham" (1995), autobiography
  • "Miracle in a Shoe Box" (1995)
  • "Bob Pierce: This One Thing I Do" (1983)

[edit] References

  1. ^ USATODAY.com - Billy Graham's son takes the pulpit, his own way
  2. ^ Muslims at Pentagon Incensed Over Invitation to Evangelist
  3. ^ Pentagon's Preacher Irks Muslims, Graham To Host Good Friday Service; Has Called Islam 'Evil' - CBS News
  4. ^ CNN.com - Franklin Graham conducts services at Pentagon - Apr. 18, 2003
  5. ^ FRONTLINE: the age of aids: interviews: franklin graham | PBS

[edit] External links

[edit] Video links

Preceded by
Bob Pierce		 President, Samaritan's Purse
1979–present		 Incumbent
Preceded by
Billy Graham		 President, Billy Graham Evangelistic Association
2001–present		 Incumbent