Memories of Billy Graham, God’s Evangelist

I became aware of Billy Graham during his evangelistic crusade in Los Angeles in 1948 because of the media coverage. Then I got word he was coming to Seattle for a crusade. In 1951 I drove a car full of early 20 year olds for two hours to his Seattle Crusade. It was a deeply moving experience. I saw hundreds respond to his invitation. Cliff Barrow’s choir songs sang in my heart for years.

In 1963 I interviewed Dr. Helmuth Thielicke, a German pastor, theologian and book author, for Christian Life Magazine. He had been a leading critic of the Billy Graham crusade in Germany. Now he had been invited to speak to American pastors at The Firs, near Redlands, CA.

“One day my host invited me to the Billy Graham Crusade in Lost Angeles,” he told me. “I was resistant because I had been his leading critic in Germany, but to honor my host I agreed to accompany him—on the condition I not be invited onto the platform. At the crusade my host ushered me to a seat behind the platform and someone alerted Dr. Billy Graham I was there. Dr. Graham came and invited me to sit with him on the platform. I could not refuse the invitation.

“I listened carefully to his altar call. I had criticized him for being too emotional, but there was nothing emotional about his invitation to come forward. I saw two young men quickly come forward and stand side by side—one was white, the other black. Extraordinary! A few days later I addressed the students at Biola. After it a young man came up to me and asked, ‘Do you remember me? I was the white man you saw standing with the black man at the Crusade.’ That experience led me to write an apology for Decision Magazine for my criticism of Billy Graham.”

Years later as an editor I met Billy Graham at events sponsored by Christian book and magazine publishers. We listened to and watched The Hour of Decision; I participated in writers conferences sponsored by the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association. In the 1970s I placed Moody Press books with the Association that they used as giveaways on The Hour of Decision.

My wife Rita and I attended crusades in Chicago (1962 and 1972), singing in the choir, Winnipeg, where my employer raised the funds for the crusade from his contacts, and Calgary, Canada, and Anaheim, CA. Each created memories.

In 1981 I was vice-president of books and book clubs at Christian Herald Association when a packager offered us a collection of Billy Graham sayings. We received approval from his office, but we needed to visit his lawyer for final permission. In New York I was picked up by a limousine which already contained Billy Graham and his media organizer, and driven through busy streets to his lawyer. I mentioned that we had provided a room for the son of his pastor when we lived next to Wheaton College. Billy told me they were sponsoring him for graduate studies in a university in England. When we got to his lawyer, she killed the book project because of copyright issues.

Twenty years later a publisher approached me about writing a first draft of a book for Billy Graham on heaven on a tight schedule. Billy’s wife’s illness prevented him for personalizing it, so it was not published. I expect to discuss it with him in heaven.

After moving to Tryon, NC, we visited the Billy Graham Library in Charlotte. Each time I was deeply moved by how God used one man and his committed associates to impact more than 200,000 million in person, plus all those exposed to faith in Jesus Christ on radio and TV. To God be the glory!

3 thoughts on “Memories of Billy Graham, God’s Evangelist

  1. Les, this is an outstanding and wonderful salute to Dr. Billy Graham. God used him in amazing ways worldwide over and over again! He was filled with the love of Christ. His impact will continue now and for many years to come. It was my privilege to write poetry that appeared regularly in Decision magazine. And I developed my craft by attending the Decision School of Writing.

  2. Congratulations on your return to your writing career, Les! May you continue to bless many people with your wisdom, insights, and sincere encouragement for many years to come.

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