Posted on 03/05/2018 6:41:26 PM PST by metmom
Evangelist Billy Graham lived 99 years, wrote 30 books, met with 12 sitting American presidents and preached the gospel to millions. But when he is buried this Friday, March 2, in his hometown of Charlotte, North Carolina, he will be remembered not only as a world-changing hero of faith but as a humble preacher whose personal integrity set the gold standard for every minister in this country.
Why was this man so respected? How was he able to keep his ministry free from scandal for more than 75 years?
In 1948, when Graham was just 30 years old, he and his small ministry team met for Bible study and prayer at a tiny motel in Modesto, California. The other men in that meeting including assistant evangelist Grady Wilson, singer George Beverly Shea and song leader Cliff Barrows. Graham challenged them to pray about what codes of behavior they needed to adopt in order to keep the ministry clean.
The results of that meeting were profoundly prophetic. The men outlined what would become "the Modesto Manifesto"—a list of core ministry values that became the guiding principles of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association. The BGEA was founded two years later, in 1950, just one year after media coverage of Graham's eight-week gospel campaign in Los Angeles made him a household word.
Here are the four key components of the Modesto Manifesto, along with notes that Cliff Barrows jotted down in their meeting:
Honesty: "It was resolved that all communications to media and to the church would not be inflated or exaggerated. The size of crowds and the number of inquirers would not be embellished for the sake of making BGEA look better."
Integrity: "It was resolved that financial matters would be submitted to a board of directors for review and facilitation of expenditures. Every local crusade would maintain a policy of 'open books' and publish a record of where and how monies were spent."
Purity: "It was resolved that members of the team would pay close attention to avoiding temptation—never being alone with another woman, remaining accountable to one another, etc. A practice of keeping wives informed of their activities on the road and helping them feel a part of any and all crusades they undertook would be encouraged."
Humility: "It was resolved that members of the team were never to speak badly of another Christian minister, regardless of his denominational affiliation or differing theological views and practices. The mission of evangelism includes strengthening the body of Christ as well as building it!"
Graham has always been a spiritual hero to me for this reason. Early in his ministry—in fact, before he ever became famous—he realized that his ministry was a stewardship from God and that he could not run it any way he wanted. He had to manage it according to clear biblical principles.
Graham never forgot his humble roots, and he never let popularity change him into an egotistical monster. Even though he was invited to dine with presidents, queens and celebrities, his passion was taking the message of Christ to the common person. And when an usher tried to segregate black and white sections of an auditorium in Chattanooga, Tennessee, in 1953, Graham removed the barriers himself. Related Articles
"I am not a great preacher, and I don't claim to be a great preacher," he once said. "I've heard great preaching many times and wished I was one of these great preachers. I'm an ordinary preacher, just communicating the gospel in the best way I know how."
He also carried with him a healthy fear that he might try to touch God's glory or take credit for evangelistic results.
Graham said: "So many people think that somehow I carry a revival around in a suitcase, and they just announce me and something happens—but that's not true. This is the work of God, and the Bible warns that God will not share His glory with another. All the publicity that we receive sometimes frightens me because I feel that therein lies a great danger. If God should take His hand off me, I would have no more spiritual power. The whole secret of the success of our meetings is spiritual—it's God answering prayer. I cannot take credit for any of it."
So much of what we call ministry today has been compromised by ego, marketing and man-made agendas. Some of our own "Spirit-filled" preachers are happy to sell a healing or a financial miracle for $29.95. Others claim spiritual superiority because they have the largest following on social media or because so many lined up to attend their packed conferences.
We have exchanged honesty, integrity, purity and humility for hype, fake anointing, manipulated photos, inflated attendance reports, sensuality and boastful swagger. God forgive us.
Billy Graham raised the bar for all ministers. I pray we will never forget his legacy.
He said the babies are made Christian through the baptism.
Profanity is in the eye of the beholder.
XXXX = walk
XXXX = live
Matthew 7:5
Happy St. Patrick’s day.
I’d bet if you followed your family tree, you’d find a relative who screamed about Christ healing on the Sabbath.
What was removed by the RM was outright profanity.
Started with an sh and went on from there.
It’s not a matter of being in the eye of the beholder and your examples prove nothing.
If you want to excuse the use of it, that’s your prerogative, but you can’t say it wasn’t when it was. You can’t change the facts of the matter.
If Jesus does something, I’m ok with it.
Look, this thread is about the integrity the man displayed and how he kept it all these years when precious few other men have done so.
If you want to take issue about what he taught, then start your own thread instead of hijacking someone else’s.
Well, the title says how he avoided scandal his whole life, and that’s not true.
He might have avoided sexual scandal, and good for him, but he did not avoid scandal his whole life at all.
He erred in doctrine. He wasn’t a great parent.
Does that take away from what he accomplished?
I’d say that’s for onlookers to decide what’s more important to them.
If he cheated on his wife, that wouldn’t be as important to me then if he cheated on God’s Word, which I believe he did.
Was it for vanity? Was he trying to be a people pleaser? Did he think the end justified the means?
I honestly don’t know. But it’s a great discussion to have.
Because really, where does the buck stop?
Where and upon who do we confer a status of “Here Lies a Man that Shall Not Be Discussed?”
I guess nothing or no one is good enough for some people.
I wish I could find the video of Bill Clinton and Billy Graham together during Clinton’s impeachment. The way Billy Graham became his minister was heart warming. If my memory is correct, Billy almost had a small crusade to help propel Bill’s redemption.
He literally preached the gospel of Christ to the entire world.
What have you done lately?
“You almost have to have a dirty mind to think ahead what ways they might try to trap you and avoid them.”
Or just have a dang good understanding of human nature.
And you have the Gospel down pat? Perfectly understood? Baptist, huh?
Seriously y’all, if you can’t discuss ALL the things about him, why discuss him at all?
Just start a thread saying, “I Don’t Care What Heresies or False Doctrine Bill Graham Believed, He is Perfect in My Eyes” and be done with it.
Or you could shorten it to “Billy Graham is My Sacred Cow” or something like that.
The quote you cite is from 1961 and Billy Graham joined the Southern Baptist church after that. The SBC does not teach infant baptism. If you cannot show he preached or taught such after that time, then I think it is safe to say he no longer held to that position. Besides, even in the citation you gave, he is not asserting a dogmatic position only that it "may" and "can" but not "will". Many other denominations do what is called infant dedication where the parents and family present the baby and vow to bring up the child in the "nurture and admonition of the Lord". That is not a false gospel.
You implied for instance that BG was a lousy father. However his rebellious Son, Franklin, started and runs a worldwide charity that feeds and clothes and educates people all over the planet in Christ’s name.
So you didn’t answer my question.
What have YOU done lately?
How is your ministry superior to that of Billy and Franklin Graham?
Get over yourself.
Maybe you should start a thread “Billy Graham is burning in Hell!” And be done with it.
This thread was not about Billy Graham’s theology. He was not called to be a Theologian. He was called to be an evangelist. In his calling he displayed all the fruits of the spirit.
It would appear that you have been called to be a jerk. You are quite good at it.
IOW, if he’s not perfect in EVERYTHING in your eyes, he and everything he’s ever done is all trash?
It’s all or nothing?
Would Jesus even be good enough for you?
For my part, I respect his integrity and his ability to avoid scandal as the number of men with his track record is about nil. There are many, Catholic, Protestant, Evangelical, and Charismatic, who could take lessons in how to conduct himself in morals.
And as for why we’re not discussing ALL things about him, so what?
If you want to discuss everything about him, start your own thread.
I wanted to discuss this topic about him and so posted the thread.
I respect and admire a man who is so careful about his life. Even if he weren’t a Christian I would.
Just because you don’t approve of everything he did or said, doesn’t mean that all the rest of his life doesn’t count.
1961, eh?
FIFTY-SEVEN years ago someone has to go back to dredge up something to use against him?
flashbacks to going back 11 years to try to discredit Trump.
That year they raised over $14K - which they had been raising $2-3K per fundraiser.
I learned early on to not have hands near the donation plate if I was doing any of the other administrative aspects.
Even now, if I am helping with a sale or something else, I don't handle the money. (And I trust the one who does handle it.)
Knowing your potential temptations and how to resist it on the front end is how you keep the integrity.
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