George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton and Jimmy Carter thanked my father for his ministry to their families as well as to the nation and world during their years in the White House. In particular, they recognized him as a voice of freedom in the face of racial segregation in the 1950s and 1960s and atheistic communism in the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s. Bush described “the moral awakening that Billy helped to ignite starting here in America which then spread like wildfire across the country and ultimately … around the entire world.”
In response, my father gave all the glory to God. All he has ever tried to do is lead people to Jesus. The world changed because millions of hearts were changed as he preached the Gospel, which the Bible says is “the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes” (Romans 1:16, NIV).
The Bible talks a lot about freedom, not necessarily in the way presidents do, but rather in terms of how Jesus Christ has set us free from the bondage of sin and death. Jesus said, “If the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed” (John 8:36, NKJV).
The Billy Graham Evangelistic Association remains dedicated to preaching the eternal truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ around the world. The Billy Graham Library is one more way we can do this. Over the course of a year, the Library will draw as many visitors as some of my father’s largest Crusades.
From the time people enter the building–literally at the foot of a cross–they will hear the Gospel. Before they leave, they will have an opportunity to commit their lives to Christ. Along the way, they will see how much God has accomplished through the life of a North Carolina farm boy who was totally surrendered to Him.
If you can visit, I hope you will bring along a friend or family member who needs to know Jesus. Already, we have had people make commitments to Christ as Lord and Savior.
These are exciting days to be involved in the work of evangelism. God keeps opening doors for us to reach the ends of the earth. Since the dawn of the 21st century, the BGEA has seen more than 8.5 million people give their lives to Christ through My Hope, our world TV project. While we continue to conduct Crusades around the world, we have also developed innovative ministries tailored to the needs of our changing world, including our Rapid Response Team chaplains and the Dare to Be a Daniel evangelism program.
The week of July 4, I’ll be following in my father’s footsteps to preach the Gospel in Kiev, Ukraine, a city that was behind the Iron Curtain fewer than 20 years ago. Pray that thousands will find freedom from sin and guilt–freedom found only in a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.