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{{Infobox_Contents | topic_name = Billy Graham[[Image:BillyGraham.jpg|thumb|center]] | subtopics = [[Billy Graham Crusades]] * [[Billy Graham's Biography]] | opinion_pieces = {{short_opinions}} | }} {| class="videos" style="width: 20em; float:right; clear:right; font-size:95%" cellspacing="4"

Billy Graham (or William Franklin Graham) (born: 1918) is an American Christian [[evangelist]] who has preached the message of [[Christianity]] around the [[world]], reaching live audiences of 210 million people in 185 countries. Many He has led hundreds of his sermons center on the topic: Jesus Christ is the only way thousands of people to make personal decisions to accept [[salvationJesus Christ]]into their lives.

===Ministry=======Beginning====While still a seminarian at Wheaton College, Graham was ordained a Southern Baptist minister in 1939 and served briefly as pastor of the Village Church in [[Western Springs, Illinois]], not far from Wheaton, in 1943-44. While there, a friend of Graham's, Torrey Johnson, pastor of the Midwest Bible Church in [[Chicago]], told Graham that his radio program "Songs in the Night" was about to be cancelled for lack of funding. Consulting with the members of his church in Western Springs, Graham decided to take over Johnson's program with financial support from his parishioners. Launching the new and revitalized radio program on [[January 2]] [[. 1944]], still called "Songs in the Night," Graham recruited the [[baritone]] [[George Beverly Shea]] as his director of radio ministry. While the radio ministry continued for many years, Graham decided to move on in early 1945. He served as president of [[Northwestern College (Minnesota)|Northwestern College]] in [[Minnesota]] in 1948, and at age 30 was (and still is) the youngest person to serve as a sitting college president.

Initially, Graham intended to become a [[chaplain]] in the armed forces, but shortly after applying for a commission he came down with a severe case of [[mumps]] that ended that plan. After a period of recuperation in [[Florida]], Graham went on to co-found [[Youth for Christ]] with evangelist [[Charles Templeton]]. He traveled travelled throughout the [[United States]] and [[Europe]] as an evangelist. Unlike many evangelists then and now, Graham had little formal theological training; he turned down offers to attend [[Princeton Theological Seminary]].