c. 1996 Religion News Service

WASHINGTON (RNS)-The Rev. Billy Graham, long known as a technological innovator, used television in the 1950s to spread the Gospel. As recently as last month, his image appeared on television screens across the globe in an MTV-style production called”The Billy Graham World Television Series.” A former tent-revival preacher, he has been ranked among Gallup’s”10 Most Admired Men in the World”37 times since 1955.

Graham converted to Christianity in 1934 at age 16 and later was ordained as a Southern Baptist minister. He was preaching to thousands by age 31, and in 1950 he founded the Minneapolis-based Billy Graham Evangelistic Association.

The evangelist has stood out for his efforts to work with local church leaders of a variety of Christian denominations during the planning, execution and follow-up of his crusades. Converts from the crusades are directed to local churches.

That practice drew praise Thursday (May 2) from a national church leader.”It’s not an ego ministry,”said the Rev. Joan Brown Campbell, general secretary of the National Council of Churches, an ecumenical agency made up of 33 Protestant and Orthodox denominations.”He (Graham) doesn’t try to begin his own churches but calls people to faith and then refers them to local congregations.” In November, the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association announced that Graham’s son, Franklin, 43, will succeed his father as head of the organization should the elder Graham become incapacitated.

Billy Graham remains chairman and chief executive officer of the ministry and his son is now first vice president. Franklin Graham is president of Samaritan’s Purse, an international Christian emergency relief agency based in Boone, N.C.

Despite recent health problems, Billy Graham plans to preach at crusades in Minneapolis in June and Charlotte, N.C., in September.

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