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Franklin Graham

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Franklin Graham
Born
William Franklin Graham III

(1952-07-14) July 14, 1952 (age 72)
Asheville, U.S.
EducationLeTourneau University
Montreat College (AS)
Appalachian State University (BA)
OccupationChristian evangelist
Political partyRepublican (before 2015)
Independent (2015–present)[1]
Spouse(s)Jane Cunningham, 1974
Children4, including Will
Parent(s)Billy Graham
Ruth Graham
For other uses, see Franklin Graham (disambiguation).

William Franklin Graham III (born July 14, 1952) is an American evangelist and missionary in the evangelical movement. He frequently engages in Christian revival tours and political commentary. The son of Billy Graham, he is president and CEO of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association (BGEA) and of Samaritan's Purse, an international Christian relief organization. Graham became a "committed Christian" in 1974 and was ordained in 1982, and has since become a public speaker and author.[2]

Early life and education[]

William Franklin Graham III was born in Asheville, on July 14, 1952, to evangelist Billy Graham and Ruth Graham. He is the fourth of their five children.[3] As a teenager, Graham attended The Stony Brook School, a Christian private school on Long Island, but dropped out. He finished high school in North Carolina.[4]

In 1970, Graham attended LeTourneau College in Longview, and was expelled from the school for keeping a female classmate out past curfew.[5] In 1973, Graham joined Bob Pierce, founder of Samaritan's Purse, on a six-week mission to Asia. During this trip, Graham decided to focus on world relief.[6] In 1974, he graduated from Montreat-Anderson College, now Montreat College, with an A.S. That same year on a trip to Jerusalem, he repented and experienced a new birth.[7] In 1978 he graduated from Appalachian State University with a B.A.[7]

He was ordained in 1982 by the Grace Community Church in Tempe, a non-denominational church.[7]

Ministry[]

Billy Graham

On the left, with his father Billy Graham, June 1994

William Franklin Graham III (evangelist)

Graham preaching in Knoxville, Tennessee

In 1979, after the death of Pierce, he became the president of Samaritan's Purse.[8]

In 1995, he became vice-president of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association[5] and became the CEO in 2000.

Two salaries[]

Franklin Graham drew scrutiny in 2009 for drawing a full-time salary from Samaritan's Purse while simultaneously receiving a full-time salary from Billy Graham Evangelistic Association (BGEA). This was called into question after his 2008 compensation from both organizations totaled $1.2 million. (Most of this was the result of a new IRS rule that required him to re-report deferred retirement contributions that had already been reported over the previous three years.[9]) Some experts on non-profit organisations have questioned whether one person can perform two full-time jobs leading organizations that employ hundreds and spend hundreds of millions around the world. In response to the questions about his compensation, Graham decided to give up his salary from BGEA, stating his calling to the ministry "was never based on compensation." He also had contributions to his retirement plans suspended until the economy bounced back. However, Graham was again criticized in 2015 when it was revealed he had again taken up his salary from BGEA and that his annual compensation was significantly higher than that of the CEO's of similar, but much larger, non-profit organisations. [10]

According to 2014 data, Graham is the highest paid Samaritan's Purse employee at $622,252 annually and leads other charities in compensation.[11] The preacher gave up a salary at the evangelistic association during the late economic downturn,[12] but the leaders urged him to accept compensation again and he now receives increased retirement contributions as well as a regular salary.[13] The evangelistic association reported 2013 revenues as $106.5 million and 2014 as $112,893,788.[14][15]

Support for conversion therapy[]

In 2017 Graham spoke against a bill proposing to ban conversion therapy. Referencing the biblical text of Leviticus 18:22, he said, "Homosexuality is defined by God as sin, an abomination to Him." He also compared conversion therapy to Conversion to Christianity.[16]

Personal life[]

Graham married Jane Austin Cunningham of Smithfield, in 1974.[7] They have four children: William Franklin Graham IV (Will), born in 1975, Roy Austin Graham (b. 1977), Edward Bell Graham (b. 1979) and Jane Austin Graham Lynch (Cissie) (b. 1986). Graham and his wife have twelve grandchildren. He now lives in the mountains of Boone, with his wife.[17]

Graham underwent heart surgery in November 2021.[18]

Published works[]

  • Bob Pierce: This One Thing I Do (1983)
  • Rebel With A Cause: Finally Comfortable Being Graham (1995), autobiography
  • Miracle in a Shoe Box (1995)
  • Living Beyond the Limits: A Life in Sync with God (1998)
  • The Name (2002)
  • Kids Praying for Kids (2003)
  • All for Jesus (2003), with Ross Rhoads
  • A Wing and a Prayer (2005)
  • The Sower. Worthy Publishing (2012).

References[]

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  1. ↑ Gibson, David. "Evangelist Franklin Graham quits the Republican Party over Planned Parenthood funding", December 22, 2015. 
  2. ↑ "Franklin Graham", Billy Graham Evangelistic Association. (in en-US) 
  3. ↑ Franklin Graham biography. billygraham.org.
  4. ↑ "The prodigal son comes home", CNN.com. 
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 The Associated Press, Billy Graham Chooses Son as Likely Successor, nytimes.com, USA, November 9, 1995
  6. ↑ George Thomas Kurian, Mark A. Lamport, Encyclopedia of Christianity in the United States, Volume 5, Rowman & Littlefield, USA, 2016, p. 2015
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 Paula Zahn, Franklin Graham Timeline, cnn.com, USA, 2001
  8. ↑ Robert Wuthnow, Boundless Faith: The Global Outreach of American Churches, University of California Press, USA, 2009, p. 136
  9. ↑ Associated Press, File (October 8, 2009). Franklin Graham moves to address concerns about his $1.2 million pay packages. cleveland.com.
  10. ↑ Tim Funk, Ames Alexander (August 8, 2015). Franklin Graham takes pay he once gave up. The Charlotte Observer.
  11. ↑ Funk, Tim and Alexander, Ames. (August 8, 2015). "Franklin Graham takes pay he once gave up". Charlotte Observer. (Charlotte, NC). Charlotte Observer website
  12. ↑ McClatchy-Tribune News Service. Funk, Tim and Alexander, Ames, contributors. (October 7, 2009). "Franklin Graham moves to address concerns about his $1.2 million pay packages" The Plain Dealer. (Cleveland, OH).Cleveland.com
  13. ↑ Wicker, Christine. (August 18, 2015). "Why Franklin Graham's salary raises eyebrows among Christian nonprofits" Washington Post. (Washington). Washington Post website
  14. ↑ Funk and Alexander, 2015
  15. ↑ Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability. Retrieved January 21, 2016. ECFA website
  16. ↑ Hartropp, Joseph (April 28, 2017). Franklin Graham hits out at anti conversion therapy bill, calls homosexuality an 'abomination'.
  17. ↑ Franklin Graham - Biography.
  18. ↑ Franklin Graham undergoes heart surgery at Mayo Clinic (November 8, 2021).

External links[]

Religious titles
Preceded by
Robert Pierce 		President of Samaritan's Purse
1979–present



Incumbent
Preceded by
Billy Graham 		President of Billy Graham Evangelistic Association
2001–present



Incumbent

Template:Billy Graham

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