Signs & Wonders Blog

Several decades ago a dairy farmer and his wife in North Carolina held a prayer meeting. One of the things they prayed for was someone in their area who would go on to have a massive worldwide ministry. Their prayers were answered through their own family. On November 7, 1918, the dairy farmer's wife gave birth to William Franklin Graham Jr.   It is widely believed Billy Graham preached the gospel to more people (an estimated 215 million) than anybody else in history. He was also a spiritual adviser to multiple U.S. presidents. In an era when preachers are not as respected as they used to be, Billy was constantly on the upper rungs of Gallup's List of Widely Admired People. During the late 1990s, I worked at World Wide Pictures , the film ministry of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association. My job there was calling pastors throughout the United States scheduling evangelistic films to be shown in their churches. Although telemarketing work can get tedious, my job at...

During the late 1990s, I worked for World Wide Pictures, the film ministry of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association.   My job there was calling pastors throughout the United States scheduling evangelistic films to be shown in their churches as part of an outreach event.   Although telemarketing work can get tedious, my job at World Wide Pictures was quite enjoyable.   Most of the time, I talked with pastors and church secretaries who treated me courteously even if they weren’t interested in booking a film. Occasionally I spoke with individuals who were critical of Dr. Graham (some of my co-workers labeled them “Billy bashers”).   One objection that regularly came up was that Billy is “too ecumenical.”   The New Oxford American Dictionary defines ecumenical as “promoting or relating to unity among the world's Christian churches.”   One can aim to unify the body of Christ without compromising the integrity of the gospel.   Jesus Hims...