It is hard to describe the global influence on Christianity and the world, including US Presidents, that American evangelist Billy Graham, who died today, had.
My father. Rev Reuben Donald Elley, known as Rev Don Elley, a leading Presbyterian clergy and evangelist, told me in the 1970s, when I was young, that all the preachers of his day tried to emulate Billy Graham’s style. And that dad did to, then realised that it was important for us all to be ourselves in God.
I never went to one of his crusades, but I remember the excitement amongst Christians in New Zealand in 1959, aged 3, about his crusades there in 1959. I was only 3. He also went to Australia.
| 1959 | |||
| 76 | Febr 15 – March 15 | Melbourne | Australia |
| 77 | March 29 – April 4 | Auckland | New Zealand |
| 78 | April 12 – May 10 | Brisbane | Australia |
| 79 | May 15–22 | Perth | Australia |
| 80 | May 17–31 | Brisbane | Australia |
| 81 | Adelaide | Australia | |
| 82 | March 30 – April 6 | Wellington | New Zealand |
| 83 | April 1–8 | Christchurch | New Zealand |
| 84 | Canberra | Australia | |
| 85 | Launceston | Australia | |
| 86 | Hobart | Australia | |
| 87 | |||
| 1968 | |||
| 193 | Brisbane | Australia | |
| 194 | Sydney | Australia | |
| 195 | Portland | United States | |
| 196 | San Antonio | United States | |
| 197 | Pittsburgh | United States | |
| 1969 | |||
| 198 | Auckland | New Zealand | |
| 199 | Dunedin | New Zealand | |
| 200 | Melbourne | Australia | |
| 201 | New York | United States | |
| 202 | Anaheim | United States | |
| 1979 | |||
| 255 | São Paulo | Brazil | |
| 256 | Tampa | United States | |
| 257 | Sydney | Australia | |
| 258 | Nashville | United States | |
| 259 | August 11 | Milwaukee | United States |
| 260 | Halifax | ||
Wikipedia – Billy Graham
Crusades in Australia
The crusades in Australia were mega – on a scale hard to imagine.
Billy Graham’s crusade in Melbourne, Australia in 1959 is the largest crowd ever to assemble there.
Extract Sun Herald article, “The 25 most memorable moments in MCG history”, Brendan Casey, Sunday Herald Sun, November 17, 2013:
“Billy Graham’s Crusade
The 1959 Billy Graham Crusade demonstrated that, for Melbourne, the MCG was not just a sporting ground, but a focal point in Victorian life.
Surprisingly, it is not a sporting event that holds the record for the highest attendance at our great ground, as that honour belongs to American evangelist Billy Graham, whose appearance attracted an estimated crowd of 140,000, many of whom had spilled onto the arena”.
Preparation
I read an authorised biography of Billy Graham in the 1970s, when I first became a devoted Christian, as an adult, aged 19. One of many things that stood out to me was his integrity. Another is his influence on American Presidents.
A team would come to a city and mobilise all Protestant denominations in unity and prayer. Often this was the only times denominations in a city had unity.
A lot of preparation went into these mega-events.
Billy Graham’s influence
Billy Graham’s influence cannot be underestimated or understated. Many of my parents’ generation came to Christ in Billy Graham crusades, and many became lifelong Christians.
Bill Graham’s influence on American Presidents was consistent, unwavering and continued from the 1960s until his later life. Even Barrack Obama, a bit of a Universalist in his Christian faith, paid homage to him.
You can read about these things on-line or in books about the great man, Mr Graham.
Parkinson’s Disease
Billy Graham has suffered from Parkinson’s Disease for many decades.
“Later Life:
Graham suffered from Parkinson’s disease since 1992.
Graham said that his planned retirement was because of his failing health. In August 2005, Graham appeared at the groundbreaking for his library in Charlotte, North Carolina. Then 86, he used a walker during the ceremony. On July 9, 2006, he spoke at the Metro Maryland Franklin Graham Festival, held in Baltimore, Maryland, at Oriole Park at Camden Yards.
In April 2010, Graham, at 91 and with substantial vision and hearing loss, made a rare public appearance at the re-dedication of the renovated Billy Graham Library.”
Wikipedia extract – Billy Graham
Billy Graham’s legacy
Billy Graham will be remembered on many levels and in many ways.
In America, Billy Graham is known as “America’s pastor” or “America’s evangelist”.
America was founded by great Protestant Christians seeking freedom to enjoy their life and faith away from the hounding and oppression of the Roman Catholic Church and Roman Catholic governments and authorities in Europe and the United Kingdom. 60 per cent of Americans still call themselves Christians. This is why Donald Trump has gained office and has massive popular support amongst Christians, Evangelical Christians (like Billy Graham was), Jews and Muslims. This voter base is conservative and has Christian or similar morals. After all the Muslims embrace much of the Holy Bible.
So Billy Graham spoke to the heartland of America and has great influence for many decades, particularly in the 1959s to 1970s. His influence waned from 1980 but was still very strong in the 1980s.
