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Tales from a ‘Billy Graham Kid’

From my earliest days, Mr. Graham shaped my life and my calling.
Tales from a ‘Billy Graham Kid’
Image: Provided by the author

I can’t remember a day when I didn’t know the experience of being in a large stadium filled with people sitting on the edge of their seat, clinging to every word spoken by Rev. Billy Graham. I am a “Billy Graham Kid”—the child of a staff member from the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association (BGEA).

Both of my parents served on the team of leaders and strategists behind the Grahams’s ministry for nearly 30 years. My dad, Rev. Bob Williams, was the director of international ministries for BGEA for 12 of those years, overseeing everything the organization did outside the United States and Canada. He was still serving the Grahams in this role when he died in 2000.

Billy Graham, to me, was both a giant in the faith, and a giant of a person. Standing at 6’2”, he towered over me and seemed larger than life. In many ways he was. Yet, he was also a man who deeply loved my family. They were more than simply coworkers—Billy prayed a prayer of dedication ...

May/June
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