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Franklin Graham
President, First Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
Profile
Growing Up Graham
"Just being the son of Billy Graham won't get me into heaven."
--Franklin Graham, 1996
William Franklin Graham, III, born July 14, 1952, is the fourth of five children of evangelist Billy Graham and his wife, Ruth Bell Graham. Raised in a log home in the Appalachian Mountains outside Asheville, North Carolina, Franklin now lives in the mountains of Boone, North Carolina.
At age 22, after a period of rebellion and traveling the world, Franklin committed his life to Jesus Christ while alone in a hotel room in Jerusalem. Soon after that, Dr. Bob Pierce, founder of Samaritan's Purse, invited Franklin to join him on a six-week mission to Asia. It was during that time that Franklin felt a calling to work with hurting people in areas of the world affected by war, famine, disease, and natural disaster.
Franklin Graham the International Relief Worker
"I've been called to the slums of the streets and the ditches of the world."
--Franklin Graham, 1998
Franklin was elected to the board of Samaritan’s Purse in 1978, and one year later, following the death of Dr. Pierce, he was elected president of the organization. Today, he serves as president and CEO of the international relief organization headquartered in Boone, N.C. Samaritan’s Purse has an annual budget of $264 million and provides relief and assistance in more than 100 countries worldwide. It has international offices in Canada, the United Kingdom, Ireland, the Netherlands, Germany, Australia plus field offices in more than 20 developing countries.
Franklin Graham the Evangelist
"Evangelistic preaching is what Daddy [Billy Graham] does, I never thought I would."
--Franklin Graham, 1995
Franklin conducted his first evangelistic event in 1989 and committed to spend 10 percent of his time preaching. Now he conducts Festivals around the world as an evangelist for the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association (BGEA). Since 1989, he has preached to more than 4 million people in cities from Johannesburg, South Africa to Tupelo, Mississippi. Franklin’s 2007 Festival schedule includes events in Panama City, Panama; Norfolk, Va.; Binghamton, New York; Kiev, Ukraine; Guayaquil, Ecuador; Busan, Korea; Tacoma, Wash.; and Hong Kong, China.
The Billy Graham Evangelistic Association appointed Franklin Graham CEO in 2000 and president of the organization in 2001. He has served as first vice-chairman of the BGEA Board since 1995.
Franklin has authored several books, including "A Wing and a Prayer" (Tommy Nelson, 2005), "All for Jesus" (coauthored with Ross Rhoads, Thomas Nelson, 2003), "The Name" (Thomas Nelson, 2002), "Living Beyond the Limits: A Life in Sync with God" (Thomas Nelson, 1998), and his autobiography, "Rebel With a Cause: Finally Comfortable Being Graham" (Thomas Nelson, 1995).
Franklin and his wife, Jane, live in North Carolina and have four children, Will, Roy, Edward, and Cissie, and four grandchildren.