Franklin Graham
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William Franklin Graham, III (born July 14, 1952) (known publicly as Franklin Graham) is an American Christian evangelist and missionary.
The fourth out of five children of evangelist Billy Graham and wife Ruth Bell Graham, he was born and raised in the Appalachian Mountains outside Asheville, North Carolina.
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Early Years
As a teenager, he attended Stony Brook, a Christian boarding school in Long Island, New York. During his junior year he dropped out and had to finish high school in North Carolina. In 1972 he attended LeTourneau College in Longview, Texas, and was expelled from the school for keeping a female classmate out past curfew.
After this period, he would later describe in his biography being a rebellious, beer-drinking motorcyclist.
Conversion
In 1974, Graham become a Christian at age 22 in a hotel room while on a trip to Jerusalem. He would marry Jane Austin Cunningham later that year.
Shortly after becoming a Christian, Graham joined Dr. Bob Pierce, founder of the organization Samaritan's Purse, on a six-week mission to Asia. It was during this trip that Graham decided to focus on world relief. He became the president of Samaritan's Purse in 1979 after the death of Dr. Pierce.
Graham began conducting evangelistic events in 1989. Each year, he conducts at least five Graham Festivals around the world as an evangelist associated with the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association. Since 1989, he has preached to more than three million people. Franklin Graham is currently the president and CEO of the BGEA.
He spoke at the 1999 Columbine High School memorial. He also gave the opening prayer at the 2001 inaugration of George W. Bush.
Graham came under criticism for comments he made against Islam in the wake of the September 11th attacks, when he referred to Islam as "wicked, violent, and not of the same God." Further criticism came on April 18, 2003 when he travelled to Baghdad to conduct a Good Friday service in that city, nine days after it fell to American military forces.
Quotes
- "Just being the son of Billy Graham won't get me into heaven."
- "I've been called to the slums of the streets and the ditches of the world."
- "Evangelistic preaching is what Daddy [Billy Graham] does, I never thought I would."
Books
- "Rebel With A Cause" (1995), autobiography
- "Living Beyond the Limits" (1998)
- "The Name" (2002)
External links
- People magazine - timeline history (http://edition.cnn.com/CNN/Programs/people/shows/graham/timeline.html)
- Father and Son bio (http://www.cleveland.com/religion/index.ssf?/religion/more/070602.html)