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CHARLOTTE — For evangelist Billy Graham’s 90th birthday, on Nov. 7, his son Franklin Graham and others at the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association wanted to do something unique.
“Everywhere that Franklin Graham goes, he talks to people who want to tell him about the difference that his father, Billy Graham, has made in their life,” explained BGEA Vice President of Administration David T. Yerry, who has been with the ministry since 1995 when the headquarters was still located in the Twin Cities. “Given that Mr. Graham’s 90th birthday is coming up in November, Franklin thought that it would be great if people could tell their stories directly to Mr. Graham in special birthday greetings.”
To facilitate this idea, the BGEA prepared a Web site (www.billygraham90.com) where visitors submitted stories and birthday greetings to Graham through Nov. 1.
“Mr. Graham will spend his 90th birthday with his family at his home in the mountains of North Carolina. A week later, a special dinner will take place with family, friends and colleagues where Mr. Graham will be surprised with all of the greetings from well-wishers across the globe.”
“My father is a humble man who would never expect to be honored and recognized like this on his birthday,” said Franklin Graham, BGEA President and CEO, and Billy Graham’s oldest son.
According to a press release, Billy Graham has preached the good news of God’s love in person to nearly 215 million people for more than 60 years. His message has reached millions more via television and radio.
“His life of ministry has influenced millions of people, and those individuals have gone on to influence many more, whether it be their children, family, friends or church,” Yerry said. “His impact has been felt worldwide, and this tribute offers a way for people to tell their stories to Billy Graham as he reaches a major milestone. He has been a blessing to so many, and we want to bless him.”
Even after the Nov. 1 deadline, Yerry encouraged people to visit www.billygraham90.com, or www.billygraham.org.
“Though they may not be in time to get to Mr. Graham for the special dinner, any messages sent to him after the deadline will continue to be packaged together and presented to him for the foreseeable future,” Yerry said. “The Web site is also a great way to find out more about the exciting new ministries of BGEA, including My Hope World Evangelism Through Television, which has seen millions of people on multiple continents make decisions for Christ since 2002, and the Billy Graham Rapid Response Team, a nationwide network of crisis-trained chaplains who deploy to bring hope during our nation’s greatest tragedies.”
From its headquarters in Charlotte, N.C., the BGEA runs a wide range of domestic and international ministries, including: large-scale festivals led by evangelists Franklin Graham and his son Will Graham; Dare to Be a Daniel, a youth evangelism training project; My Hope World Evangelism Through Television; the Billy Graham Rapid Response Team; and other ministries through print, television, telephone, radio and the Internet.
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