Will There Ever Be Another Billy Graham? I Hope Not
On February 21 Billy Graham passed away at the age of 99. It is estimated that he preached to more than 210 million people in over 180 countries. The numbers of people he spoke to through television and radio are incalculable. In 1996 the LA Times estimated that the crusade airing then on KTLA would reach a global audience of 2.5 billion people by the end of its 30-day run. No person in Christian history, including Jesus and the apostles, has shared the gospel with more people than Billy Graham. On February 23 The Wall Street Journal ran a story with the headline asking the question, “Will There Ever Be Another Billy Graham?” Thomas Kidd has written an excellent article posted on the First Things website that echoes the sentiments of many. No. There will never be another Billy Graham. As Kidd points out, Billy Graham came at a unique time in American history in which television became the primary mover of media and the culture had a respect for Christianity. Billy Grah