Anaya Nolan
Reverend Billy Graham's brother-in-law, Leighton Ford, spoke to WYFF News 4 after his death in 2018. Ford shared memories of Graham's life, as the Secret Service prepared for President Donald Trump to attend the funeral.
| Characteristics | Values |
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| Name | Leighton Ford |
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What You'll Learn
Who was Billy Graham?
Billy Graham was one of the most influential Protestant preachers of the 20th century. He was a powerful speaker and an evangelical Christian who became a household name, reaching millions of people worldwide with his sermons and writings. Graham's career spanned over half a century, and he preached in person to more people than anyone in history, including popes, presidents, and royalty.
William Franklin Graham Jr. was born on November 7, 1918, in Charlotte, North Carolina, the son of a dairy farmer. He was a shy, modest man who grew up during the Great Depression and was raised in the Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church. As a young man, he committed his life to Christ at a tent revival meeting in 1934 led by travelling evangelist Mordecai Ham. He then began studying at the Florida Bible Institute, now Trinity College, and was ordained in 1939 by a church in the Southern Baptist Convention.
Graham's rise to prominence was swift. He first gained a reputation as a powerful preacher in the 1940s, and by the early 1950s, he had become a national figure, holding large-scale revivals across the US and later around the world. He was a pioneer of using new media to spread his message, from radio and television to film and satellite broadcasts. His Crusades, as they were known, often took place in sports arenas, and he had a particular talent for connecting with people from all walks of life.
Graham was also known for his close relationships with a number of US presidents, acting as a spiritual advisor and offering counsel and support. He was particularly close to Dwight D. Eisenhower and Richard Nixon, and his influence extended beyond the religious sphere into the political and social arenas. Despite his close ties to the White House, Graham was always careful to maintain his independence and non-partisan stance, and he was critical of any merging of religious and political power.
Throughout his career, Graham published numerous books, many of which became bestsellers, and he also wrote a syndicated newspaper column for many years. He received numerous awards and honors for his work, including the Presidential Medal of Freedom and the Congressional Gold Medal. He was also noted for his efforts to improve relations and dialogue between different Christian denominations and faiths, and he opposed racial segregation, refusing to preach to segregated audiences from the mid-1950s onwards.
Billy Graham died on February 21, 2018, at the age of 99, leaving behind a profound legacy. His influence extended far beyond the realm of religion, and he remains one of the most renowned and respected figures of the modern era.
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Who is Leighton Ford?
Leighton Ford is the brother-in-law of Billy Graham, having married his sister, Jean. He is a preacher, speaker, and author, having spoken to large crowds in 40 countries. He has also been featured on radio and television spots in the United States, Canada, and Australia. Ford is the president of Leighton Ford Ministries, which offers career coaching, personal development, and professional development services. He has also served on the boards of World Vision US, Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, and Duke University Cancer Center.
Ford spent 30 years as an associate evangelist and vice president of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association before founding his own ministry focused on mentoring. He has been involved in the Lausanne Movement, serving as programme chair of Lausanne's First International Congress on World Evangelization from 1973 to 1975. He continued this role from 1976 to 1992 as chair of the Continuation Committee for the Lausanne Committee for World Evangelization (LCWE). In 1987, he convened younger leaders from 65 countries in the first Lausanne Younger Leaders Gathering in Singapore. In 1989, he chaired the Second International Congress on World Evangelization in Manila and was appointed honorary lifetime chairman of the LCWE in 1992.
Ford is also an artist and poet, working with pencil, pastel, and watercolour to create natural scenes. He lives in Charlotte, North Carolina, with his wife, Jean, and has two children, Debbie and Kevin.
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What did Leighton Ford say about Billy Graham?
Leighton Ford, Billy Graham's brother-in-law, was an associate evangelist for the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association for 30 years. He travelled and preached with Graham for decades and observed the growth of his international ministry firsthand.
Ford recalled that, in 1949, Graham left for Los Angeles to start his first history-making campaign. He also remembered that Graham met with every United States president since Harry S. Truman, the first of whom he got to know well being Dwight Eisenhower. Ford described Graham as being "like an arrowhead—sharp at the point, broad at the base, and with a deep shaft. The point has always been the gospel, always Christ—whether he’s speaking to a great stadium or university group or a group of scientists or whatever".
Ford also observed that, for as much as Graham wanted to spread the gospel message to as many people as possible, "from the beginning he was committed not just to getting decisions, but to making disciples". He noted that Graham partnered with the Navigators ministry, asking key people to lead the follow-up with those who came forward at his crusades. He also held schools of evangelism for church leaders, and the BGEA sent out great quantities of the Living Bible and Bible study materials.
Ford also shared one of his favourite quotes from Graham: "There is no detour to holiness, Jesus came to the resurrection through the cross, not around it".
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What is the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association?
Billy Graham, born on November 7, 1918, was an American evangelist and missionary in the evangelical movement. Graham preached the gospel to billions of people, surpassing the audience of any other preacher in the history of Christianity. He was also a civil rights advocate and was cited by the George Washington Carver Memorial Institute for his contributions to race relations. Graham received several awards, including the Templeton Foundation Prize for Progress in Religion and the Sylvanus Thayer Award for his commitment to "Duty, Honor, Country".
The Billy Graham Evangelistic Association (BGEA) was founded by Billy Graham in 1950. The BGEA is based in Charlotte, North Carolina, and is led by Graham's son, Franklin Graham, who is also an evangelist. The BGEA's headquarters is the site of the Billy Graham Library, which was dedicated in 2007 and visited by former US Presidents Jimmy Carter, George H. W. Bush, Bill Clinton, and Donald Trump.
The BGEA has been involved in several projects and initiatives to spread Christianity and provide spiritual support. In 2002, the association began an international evangelism project called My Hope, where Christians invited others to their homes to watch a telecast featuring Billy or Franklin Graham, translated into their language. The BGEA claims that this project helped over 9.8 million people "make decisions for Christ".
Franklin Graham, through the BGEA, has advocated for religious freedom and challenged restrictions on Christian evangelism. He has been involved in legal battles in the UK, particularly in Blackpool and Glasgow, where his events faced cancellations due to concerns about his comments on LGBTQ+ issues and Islam. However, court rulings in these cases set legal precedents protecting Christian evangelists' right to public speech and religious expression.
The BGEA is also involved in humanitarian aid efforts through Samaritan's Purse, an international evangelical Christian organization led by Franklin Graham. Samaritan's Purse has provided emergency assistance in crisis zones worldwide, including Ukraine and Pakistan, becoming a leading global Christian relief organization.
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What is Reverend Billy Graham known for?
Reverend Billy Graham, born William Franklin Graham Jr., was an American evangelist, ordained Southern Baptist minister, and civil rights advocate. Graham gained prominence in the mid-to-late 20th century for his large-scale preaching missions, or crusades, which were often broadcast via radio and television. He is known for preaching the gospel to more people than anyone else in the history of Christianity, with a lifetime audience of billions. Graham's simple and direct message of sin and salvation, delivered without condescension, was key to his popularity.
Graham was also known for his close relationships with several US presidents, which brought him further international prominence. Notably, in 2001, just three days after the World Trade Center attacks, Graham was invited to lead a service at Washington National Cathedral, which was attended by President George W. Bush and other past and present leaders. Graham was also an advocate for racial equality, declaring apartheid a "sin" at a 1973 rally in South Africa. He received the Gold Award from the George Washington Carver Memorial Institute for his contributions to race relations.
Graham was the first non-musician inducted into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame in recognition of his influence on Christian music artists. He also helped to revitalise interest in hymns and create new songs. Graham received several other awards during his lifetime, including the Templeton Foundation Prize for Progress in Religion and the Sylvanus Thayer Award for his commitment to "Duty, Honour, Country".
Graham's brother-in-law, Franklin Graham, is also a prominent figure in evangelicalism. He is the president and CEO of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association and Samaritan's Purse, a leading global Christian relief organisation. Franklin Graham has been at the centre of several controversies due to his comments on LGBTQ+ issues and Islam, with some UK venues cancelling his events. However, legal rulings in Blackpool and Glasgow have established precedents protecting Christian evangelists' right to free speech.
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Frequently asked questions
Leighton Ford.
Yes, he spoke to WYFF News 4 after Rev. Billy Graham's death.
Ford spoke about the Rev. Billy Graham's funeral, which was attended by President Donald Trump.
Leighton Ford is a reverend.
