The Billy Graham Library—The Life of an Evangelist

February 1, 2007 - The Billy Graham Library is scheduled to open early this summer on the grounds of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association headquarters in Charlotte, N.C.

by Jim Dailey

Guests who tour the 40,000-square-foot facility will learn about Billy Graham’s life and ministry and will see how God can take a life yielded to Christ and use it for His glory.

Guests will enter the Library through a large, cross-shaped entrance, a reminder that one enters eternal life only through the cross of Jesus Christ. Multimedia presentations, Billy Graham’s papers and correspondence with prominent world figures, photographs, artifacts, displays and information kiosks will highlight God’s power at work in the life of a man and ministry committed to the work of evangelism.

Inside one gallery, guests will join a 1949 Los Angeles audience in a large tent to hear Billy Graham preach at one of his first Crusades. They will see how people in the 1940s struggled with the same problem that all people encounter today: the problem of sin. Other galleries will show Mr. Graham’s impact on world crisis situations such as the Berlin Wall, the Cold War and racial strife, as well as his relationships with 11 U.S. presidents. Library guests will hear a clear Gospel message woven into the various presentations, challenging visitors to commit their lives to the only One who forgives sin and grants eternal life. One presentation will feature individuals who share how this message has dramatically changed their lives.

The Library will have displays illustrating how God has worked through Billy Graham’s life: his 1934 conversion as a 16-year-old boy, his calling to preach the Gospel, his family life and how he began an evangelistic ministry that has spanned the world for more than 60 years. The current worldwide ministry of BGEA also will be highlighted. One gallery will be devoted to Billy Graham’s wife, Ruth Bell Graham.

The Library’s overall design and layout will capture a setting reminiscent of the dairy farm where Billy Graham lived during his formative childhood years and will include a café and a bookstore.

If you are in the Charlotte area this summer, the Library will be open for visitors and tour groups Tuesday-Saturday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Admission will be free of charge.