I don’t remember his exact words but it was something like, “My friends, I come here feeling a little bit like Paul preaching in Athens. He was surrounded by the greatest minds and philosophers of his day, and he stood up and presented the simple, life changing gospel of Jesus Christ. That’s what I feel like. Here you are as the greatest writers and thinkers of our age, and I’m just a poor country preacher. Nevertheless, it is my prayer that you will join me in witnessing to the love of Jesus Christ to this needy world.”
That was it basically, and who but the hardest of hearts could resist it?
During all his years Billy Graham maintained complete integrity in his relationships, his finances and his witness. He put safeguards in place financially so that he received a simple salary from the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association. That’s it. When he travelled he was never in a room with a woman alone. Although he was friends with politicians he kept to what he did–praying with people and preaching the gospel.
Therefore, apart from being the most famous evangelist of our age, he was also a model of Christian ministry. As such he is a model for all priests, pastors, popes and bishops.
I went on to become first an Anglican minister, and then a Catholic priest, but in that journey I have never turned my back on my good Evangelical upbringing. I have not denied all the good things from that Christian heritage–I have just added to them, and if I take any label at all it is that of an “Evangelical Catholic.”
Billy Graham was part of that foundation and he was a true Man of God
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A Catholic Priest Pays Respects to Billy Graham
