William Franklin Graham Jr.

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An influential leader, William Franklin Graham Jr. was born November 7, 1918 in Charlotte, North Carolina. He is known to be called Billy Graham. His parents are William and Morrow Graham. Graham is the oldest of four children and was raised on a farm. Graham’s parents were Calvinist so from the beginning, Graham was guided on a spiritual path. When Graham was 16 years old he sat in a meeting that evangelist Mordecai Ham speaking. In the meeting, Ham’s preaching of sin got through to Graham. After high school, Graham headed to Tennessee to be in a Christian school, named Bob Jones College. While attending Bob Jones College, Graham felt disconnected and switched to Florida Bible Institute. In 1940, at Wheaton College in Illinois, Graham took an extra undergraduate degree. Graham met his future wife at Wheaton College, Ruth McCue Bell. Ruth grew up with missionary parents and lived in china until she was 17. On Graham and Ruth engagement they shared their first kiss. In August 1943, Ruth and Graham were married and they ended up raising five children.

Graham has been preaching the Gospel all his adult life. Graham was ordained, at Southern Baptist Church. Graham served temporarily as a pastor in the Chicago congregation, but he felt called to being in a broader ministry. In 1945, with a Mission Group named “Youth for Christ,” Graham focused and reached out on city wide campaigns throughout the nation. This event was covered all over magazines and newspapers. Billy Graham became the best and most well-known Protestant preacher in America. Billy Graham became president of Northwestern Schools in Minnesota. He resigned from Youth for Christ in 1948 and focused on Northwestern Schools until 1952, when he resigned to focus on ...

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