GRAHAM DIED AT HIS HOME IN NORTH CAROLINA AT THE AGE OF 99.
CHRIS CLACKUM TAKES US THROUGH THE LIFE OF THE FAMOUS TELEVANGELIST.
>> JESUS SAID YOU HAVE TO BECOME AS A LITTLE CHILD.
CHRIS: THE REVEREND BILLY GRAHAM, THE SON OF A NORTH CAROLINA DAIRY FARMER, LIVED TO BECOME ONE OF THE MOST BELOVED AND MOST POWERFUL RELIGIOUS LEADERS OF OUR TIME.
AND NOW ON THIS 20TH DAY OF JANUARY, 1993.
CHRIS: HE WAS THE UNOFFICIAL PASTOR OF THE WHITE HOUSE, GIVING SPIRITUAL COUNSEL TO EVERY PRESIDENT SINCE TRUMAN.
HE MADE THE GALLUP SURVEY OF THE 10 MOST ADMIRED MEN IN THE WOR 37 TIMES, IN AN AGE WHEN OTHER TELEVANGELISTS WERE TOPPLED BY FINANCIAL AND SEXUAL SCANDAL ♪
CHRIS: HE MAY BE MOST REMEMBERED FOR HIS CRUSADES, MASSIVE REVIVALS WHICH FILLED COLISEUMS AND STADIUMS AROUND THE WORLD.
>> HE HAS CONQUERED THE GRAVE.
HE’S ALIVE.
CHRI BILLY FRANKLIN GRAHAM GREW UP ON HIS PRESBYTERIAN FAMILY’S DAIRY FARM.
HIS MINISTRY BEGAN IN 1943 AT A SMALL BAPTIST CHURCH IN ILLINOIS HE PREACHED ON STREET CORNERS, ON RADIO, AND WAS ONE OF T FIRST MINISTERS TO EMBRACE THE
NEW MEDIUM OF TELEVISION.
>> GIVE YOUR LIFE TO CHRIST NOW, RIGHT IN YOUR HOME, BOW YOUR HEAD.
>> AS WE FACE A NEW MILLENNIUM.
CHRI LATE IN LIFE, AS HIS BODY WAS WEAKENED BY PARKINSON’S DISEASE, HIS FAITH REMAINED ROCK SOLID.
>> THE MOMENT THAT I DIE, ’M GONNA BE IN THE PRESENCE OF GOD AND IT’S GONNA BE A WONDERFUL LIFE.
A THRILLING LIFE.
SOMETHING BEYOND ANYTHING THAT WE HAVE IN THIS WORLD.
CHRI FITTINGLY, THREE PAST PRESIDENTS WERE THERE FOR THE DEDICATION OF THE LIBRARY IN CHARLOTTE BEARING HIS NAME, WHICH HE SAID WAS TOO MUCH ABOUT HIM.
>> THE PRIMARY THING IS THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST.
CHRI LESS THAN A MONTH LATER, GRAHAM WAS BACK HIS LIBRA TO BURY HIS WIFE.
>> WE SAT TOGETHER AND PRAYED BECAUSE I KNOW SHE HAD A GREAT RECEPTION IN HEAVEN.
>> LET’S WELCOME THE MAN OF THE HOUR, MY FATHER.
BILLY GRAHAM CHRIS: PUBLIC APPEARANCES AFTER THAT WERE RARE, THE LAST ONE, IN LATE 2013 TO CELEBRATE HIS 95TH BIRTHDAY AND A LIFE WHERE GRAHAM ONCE SAID HE HAD READ THE LAST
PAGE OF THE BIBLE AND IT’S ALL GOING TO TURN OUT ALL RIGHT.
>> IN JESUS NAME, AMEN.
CHRIS: CHRIS CLACKUM, NBC NEWS IAN: TWO OF GRAHAM’S CHILDREN FOLLOWED IN HIS FOOTSTEPS OF MINISTRY.
WANDA STARK FROM ONE OF OUR STATION’S IN NORTH CAROLINA, SPOKE TO FRANKLIN GRAHAM AND ANN GRAHAM LOTZ.
>> HE IS NOT HERE.
HE HAS CONQUERED THE GRAVE.
HE’S ALIVE.
>> AND I BELIEVE GOD WOULD SAY TO THE WORLD AT LARGE, IT’S TIME TO REPENT OF YOUR SIN AND GET RIGHT WITH ME.
>> AND THE BIBLE SAYS WITH ALL SIN THAT WE’VE COME SHORT OF GOD’S GLORY.
WANDA: FRANKLIN GRAHAM AND ANNE GRAHAM LOTZ HAVE FOLLOWED THEIR FATHER’S PATH KNOWING THE COMPARISON WOULD NOT ALWAYS BE FLATTERING.
BOTH KNOW WHY.
THERE’S NOT LIKELY TO EVER BE ANOTHER BILLY GRAHAM >> I’VE ALWAYS BEEN A LITTLE BI HESITANT OR AFRAID OF BEING COMPARED TO MY FATHER BECAUSE I’M NOT BILLY GRAHAM.
I CANNOT DUPLICATE WHAT HE’S DONE.
I CANNOT IMITATE WHAT HE’S DONE.
>> WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FOR?
WHO ARE YOU LOOKING FOR?
I THINK PREACHING IS JUDGED SUCCESSFUL BY THE RESPONSE OF PEOPLE TO IT.
IN WHICH CASE, NOBODY’S A BETTER PREACHER THAN MY DADDY.
WANDA: BOTH POINT TO THEIR MOTHER, RUTH BELL GRAHAM, AS A MAJOR REASON FOR THEIR FATHER’S SUCCESS.
SHE FUNCTIONED OFTEN AS A SINGLE PARENT IN THE ABSENSE OF A MAN WHO WAS DAD TO THEM BUT THE WORLD’S BEST KNOWN EVANGELIST TO THE PUBLIC.
>> SHE STAYED AT HOME, SHE REARED THE CHILDREN.
NEVER COMPLAINED AND WHEN MY FATHER HAD TO LEAVE HOME AGAIN FOR ANOTHER CAMPAIGN, SHE ALWAYS BACKED HIM, ALWAYS SUPPORTED HIM.
>> THAT’S RIGHT.
AND I BELIEVE IF SHE HADN’T HE COULDN’T HAVE DONE WHAT HE’S DONE.
SO, SHE TOOK OVER THE HOME RESPONSIBILITIES AND REALLY FREED HIM UP.
>> AND LADIES WOULD -- LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, I BELIEVE THERE IS MORE PROOF THAT JESUS ROSE FROM THE DEAD.
WANDA: WE SEE GREAT MEN THROUGH PUBLIC EYES.
BUT HIS TWO BEST KNOWN CHILDREN SAY ONE OF HIS STRENGTHS WAS NOT HOW THE PUBLIC SAW HIM BUT HOW HE SAW HIMSELF.
THE PAPERS AND THE MEDIA HAVE PUT ME ON A PEDISTAL AND T PEOPLE’S THOUGHTS ON A PEDISTAL, THAT I DON’T DESERVE TO BE ON.
I’M NOT THAT GOOD.
I’M NOT A GREAT PREACHER.
>> HE DOESN’T SEE HIMSELF AS A BIGGER THAN LIFE PERSON.
HE JUST SEES HIMSELF AS A COUNTRY BOY FROM MECKLENBURG COUNTY RAISED ON A DAIRY FARM.
>> I NEVER IMAGINED ANYONE WOULD EVER COME OUT TO HEAR ME PREACH.
I’M JUST A COUNTRY DAIRY FARMER FROM NORTH CAROLINA.
>> HE NEVER LOST HIS FOCUS.
AND I THINK A LOT OF PEOPLE IN MINISTRY, ESPECIALLY IN OUR CULTURE TODAY WHEN WE TEND TO MAKE CELEBRITIES OUT OF PASTORS AND MINISTERS, SERVANTS OF THE LORD, HE NEVER HAS BOUGHT INTO
THAT >> DADDY?
[APPLAUSE] WANDA: FRANKLIN HAS HEADED HIS FATHER’S MINISTRY FOR SEVERAL YEARS AS WELL AS HIS OWN SAMARITAN’S PURSE, ONE OF THE TOP CHRISTIAN AID ORGANIZATIONS
IN THE WORLD.
HIS FATHER’S NAME WILL LIVE ON BUT HE MAKES IT CLEAR THAT MORE IMPORTANT THAN THE NAME IS THE WORK.
WE’RE GOING TO DO EVERYTHING WE CAN TO REACH OUR GENERATI , MY GENERATION, WORLDWIDE, WITH THE TRUTH OF GOD’S LOVE.
>> WHEN I’VE BEEN TO ROMANIA THE PASTOR’S THERE GIVE MY FATH CREDIT FOR HELPING BRING DOWN COMMUNISM THERE.
WANDA: SHE TALKS OF A LEGACY AND TRADITION BUILT UP OVER A LIFETIME.
SOMETHING SHE AND HER BROTHER FEEL STRONGLY, BEING A GRAHAM IS NOT A BURDEN, BUT IT MOST CERTAINLY IS A RESPONSIBILIT >> AND I THINK THIS IS PART OF HEAVEN’S TRUST. AND I THINK GOD
HAS ENTRUSTED ME WITH THAT POSITION.
NOT TO USE FOR MYSELF.
SO ANYTIME I USE MY NAME, ANNE GRAHAM LOTZ, I WANT TO USE IT FOR THE SAME PURPOSE THAT GOD GAVE MY FATHER’S NAME TO HIM, BILLY GRAHAM.
I WANT TO USE IT FOR THE KINGDOM OF G