Tributes to Billy Graham, from Charles Gardner and Dr Clifford Hill.

On Wednesday 21 February 2018, in his 100^th year, the most tireless, faithful evangelist of our time went home. Used of God to reach millions, from ordinary citizens to presidents and royalty, Billy Graham was renowned for both preaching and living out the true Gospel.

The many thousands of tributes pouring through the media offer but small glimpses of the immense legacy of this one man’s service. Nevertheless, we are honoured to contribute ours below.

May we all have the grace to accept the challenge of his example.

A Humble Servant

Charles Gardner

He carried an awesome presence I have never witnessed in another human being.

Tributes are pouring in from all over the world in honour of one of the greatest evangelists of modern times, and I am privileged to add my own.

Billy Graham has died at his North Carolina home in his centenary year after a life of tireless service to Christ carried out with God’s clear anointing.

It is estimated that he has preached the Gospel to over 200 million people, and his global influence is incalculable. A confidante to many US presidents, he was also a man of true humility.

I remember the occasion, at All Souls, Langham Place, in the 1970s, when he quietly slipped in among the central London congregation, sitting a few rows behind me. No-one would have known he was there until the Vicar, Michael Baughen, (or was it John Stott, the Rector?) publicly welcomed him to the service.

On another occasion, he was actually down to speak and it was flagged up as a ‘guest service’ to which we were encouraged to bring seekers. I brought my mum along and he spoke with powerful eloquence on Psalm 23, but I remember how gutted I felt at my mother’s reaction – she was totally unmoved. I had to learn that no matter how good the preacher is, Jesus said: “No-one can come to me unless the Father draws him” (John 6:44).

My son Julian, however, was among the first to respond to his message when Billy came to Sheffield in 1985. He was just nine years old and went marching out onto the Bramall Lane pitch all on his own, indicating that he didn’t need anyone to accompany him. The preacher had chosen what I considered a somewhat obscure Bible passage for his sermon, but thousands of hearts were touched.

It is estimated that he has preached the Gospel to over 200 million people, and his global influence is incalculable.

A year earlier, when he spoke at Birmingham’s Aston Villa stadium, I attended the press conference. I don’t recall what was asked or said, but I will always remember how the atmosphere changed when he walked into the room. He carried an awesome presence about him that I have never witnessed in any other human being.

Perhaps the most significant mark he made on my life was through a Jewish lady called Helen McIntosh, who found her Messiah through Billy’s famous meetings in Haringey, north London, in 1954.

Helen became leader of John Stott’s ‘nursery class’ for new Christians and seekers, a forerunner to the likes of Alpha and Christianity Explored. She always referred to herself as a ‘completed Jew’ and, through the scriptures, taught me a great deal about my new-found faith. She eventually took me under her wing as assistant, and those early years from 1972-4 were foundational to my Christian life.

Thank you Billy for changing lives all over the world through the simple Gospel message that Jesus died for our sins and rose again for our justification! Glory to God!

Billy Graham speaking in Florida, February 1961.

A Man of Integrity

Dr Clifford Hill

My outstanding memory of Billy Graham is how he loved to talk about Jesus. His favourite text was John 3:16 – “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whosoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” He must have preached on this text many hundreds of times, all over the world and in many different nations. It was the same message of God’s love for all people and that the only way to God was through Jesus.

Billy Graham was indeed an evangelist to the world and he was used to meeting presidents, prime ministers, monarchs and world leaders. He was often consulted by presidents of the USA, but in private he was just an ordinary humble man who loved to talk about Jesus. I had quite a bit to do with him in the 1970s and 80s – what now seems another lifetime! But my memories of sitting chatting with him are quite vivid and they were precious times.

We often talked about the state of the Church as well as world events. It was a time when several big-name televangelists were getting unwelcome publicity for either sex or money scandals. These things never touched Billy. His ministry was always clean and despite the size of his organisation he maintained firm standards of righteousness so that scandal never reached him. Billy insisted that members of his team who travelled with him on foreign tours brought their wives with them, because he knew the pressures and temptations that occurred when married couples were separated for long periods.

My outstanding memory of Billy Graham is how he loved to talk about Jesus.

Ruth was his lifelong wife and companion with whom they had five children. She died in 2007 aged 87. Billy has outlived her by more than 10 years but no doubt they have had a glorious reunion and he has achieved his desire to meet Jesus.

Millions have benefited from his ministry and there is no Christian preacher who has ever reached more people or been more influential with ordinary people and with world leaders than Billy Graham. He leaves an amazing legacy and his ministry will continue long after his departure through his writings and recordings, both audio and video. Both in this world and in the next, multitudes of believers will be echoing the words of the Lord, “Well done, good and faithful servant!”