79 Facts About Franklin Graham

William Franklin Graham III was born on July 14,1952 and is an American evangelist and missionary in the evangelical movement.

Franklin Graham frequently engages in Christian revival tours and political commentary.

Franklin Graham has been considered as one of the most influential and best-known evangelicals in America, leading one of the largest charitable organizations in the United States, with $1.111 billion in private donations.

Franklin Graham became a "committed Christian" in 1974 and was ordained in 1982, and has since become a public speaker and author.

William Franklin Graham III was born in Asheville, North Carolina, on July 14,1952, to evangelist Billy Graham and Ruth Graham.

Franklin Graham's grandfather was named William Franklin Graham and was known as Frank within the family.

Franklin Graham's mother, Ruth Graham, was a Chinese-born American, born in Qingjiang, Jiangsu, China to American medical missionaries serving at a Presbyterian hospital 300 miles north of Shanghai.

Franklin Graham was raised in China in a devoutly religious household.

Franklin Graham was raised in a log home in the Appalachian Mountains of North Carolina, surrounded by a family deeply committed to Christian ministry.

Since Billy Graham was frequently away preaching, Franklin's mother, Ruth Graham, oversaw the construction of the home.

Billy Franklin Graham was often absent during his children's upbringing, leaving his wife to take on the primary role in maintaining the family.

Franklin Graham noted that a similar method had been used in his father Billy Graham's childhood, when his own father employed the same approach to deter him from smoking.

Franklin Graham refused to conform to the school's order or way of thinking and repeatedly broke the rules, including the prohibition on smoking.

Franklin Graham finished Owen High School in North Carolina, close to his home.

In 1970, Franklin Graham attended LeTourneau College in Longview, Texas, and was expelled from the school for keeping a female classmate out past curfew.

In 1973, Franklin Graham joined Bob Pierce, founder of Samaritan's Purse, on a six-week mission to Asia.

Franklin Graham would go out with his gun and dogs, build a campfire, and listen to music by artists such as Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, Chuck Berry, and Little Richard on a transistor radio.

Franklin Graham experienced a significant Christian conversion at the age of 22, though he retained his interest in motorcycles and cowboy boots.

Franklin Graham was ordained in 1982 by the Grace Community Church in Tempe, Arizona, a non-denominational church.

Franklin Graham gained his first experience in ministry in 1975 when he was invited by Bob Pierce, President of Samaritan's Purse, to accompany him on an international trip.

In 1982, Franklin Graham was ordained, marking the beginning of his evangelistic career.

Franklin Graham denied that he was groomed to become a successor of his father.

Franklin Graham argued that God had called him for his own work in the Samaritan's Purse.

In 1989, Franklin Graham held his first evangelistic event, continuing his father's preaching to large audiences in stadiums and other venues worldwide.

Franklin Graham has preached at more than 325 outreaches across all 50 US states and territories, as well as in over 55 countries.

Since 1989, Franklin Graham has delivered sermons in Mexico, Poland, Vietnam, Italy, United Kingdom, and other countries.

In early 1990's Franklin Graham was second second vice-chairman of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association.

Franklin Graham was the only child of Billy Graham on the BGEA's board.

In 1995, at a crusade in Toronto, Billy Graham collapsed from a bleeding colon and, despite his hosts' efforts to find another preacher, insisted that his son Franklin take his place, highlighting Franklin's emerging role as his father's successor.

Billy Graham stated that Franklin's experience as the president of a global Christian relief and evangelism organization made him well-qualified to lead BGEA.

In 2000, Franklin Graham was named the CEO of the organization, since his father retired from ministry.

In 2001, Franklin Graham succeeded his father, Billy Graham, as President of BGEA.

Franklin Graham continued the crusade ministry following his father's final evangelistic event, the Greater New York Crusade, held in June 2005.

For example, during his early career, Franklin Graham met with President Jimmy Carter.

At President George W Bush's inauguration, Franklin Graham delivered a prayer of invocation.

In March 2025, Franklin Graham led a large-scale evangelistic event, Encountering God Ethiopia, at Meskel Square in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Franklin Graham agreed to assist with administrative responsibilities and initiated contact with approximately 30 mission hospitals to assess the need for short-term medical assistance.

Franklin Graham has regularly called on the global Christian community to pray for those affected, emphasizing prayer for peace in Ukraine, the Middle East, and other crisis zones.

Franklin Graham has stated that Samaritan's Purse 'does not force religion on anyone' but shares Christian faith while meeting urgent needs.

In 1993, Franklin Graham was contacted by British businessman Dave Cooke, who had founded Operation Christmas Child in 1990.

In 2012, Franklin Graham stated that individuals with HIV or AIDS are often marginalized, similar to how those with leprosy were treated in biblical times, and asserted that the church should respond with compassion and support.

In November 2007, Franklin Graham led Samaritan's Purse in responding to severe flooding in Mexico's Tabasco region.

Franklin Graham stated that the hospital's mission was to provide compassionate care in Jesus' name, regardless of the patients' background, including injured ISIS militants.

In March 2025, Franklin Graham spoke with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to discuss humanitarian aid efforts and support for Ukraine amid the ongoing war.

Franklin Graham highlighted Graham's role, stating that Ukraine values his voice and relies on his support.

Franklin Graham emphasized the importance of demonstrating Christian compassion, aligning with his approach of deploying rapid assistance to global disaster zones.

Franklin Graham personally visited the site, emphasizing the hospital's role in providing orthopedic care for victims suffering from fractures and crush injuries.

Franklin Graham noted that Samaritan's Purse would remain in Turkey for at least three months, possibly longer, depending on the needs of the people.

Franklin Graham's move reflected broader evangelical frustration with mainstream politics, and he subsequently launched a series of prayer rallies to mobilize Christian voters.

Franklin Graham criticized both Republicans and Democrats for passing a budget that continued funding Planned Parenthood.

On President Obama, Franklin Graham said that he is "a fine man," but could not know whether the president was a Christian in his heart.

Franklin Graham expressed the same belief after Joe Biden was elected president.

Since the 2016 election, Franklin Graham has been a prominent supporter of some of Trump's policies on the US economy, abortion, and religious freedom.

In January 2021, Franklin Graham compared the ten Republican members of the House of Representatives who voted to impeach Trump to Judas Iscariot, suggesting that the Democrats had promised them "thirty pieces of silver".

In 2024, Franklin Graham wrote a private letter to President Trump asking him to stop using profanity.

Franklin Graham supported North Carolina Amendment 1, which was passed by a voter referendum on May 8,2012, prohibiting same-sex marriage and all domestic partnerships.

In December 2017, several British MPs urged the Home Secretary to consider refusing UK entry to Franklin Graham from speaking at an event due to take place in Blackpool in September 2018.

Franklin Graham has played an active role in advocating for religious freedom and challenging restrictions on Christian evangelism.

When Sudanese president Omar Hassan al-Bashir was indicted by the International Criminal Court in March 2009, Franklin Graham argued in an op-ed in The New York Times that Bashir should not be indicted for alleged genocidal acts because the indictment would lead to the collapse of the 2005 peace agreement.

Franklin Graham noted that American media and liberal activists had reacted strongly against the law, while he contrasted this reaction with what he perceived as a decline in American moral standards.

Franklin Graham visited Ukraine in March 2022, immediately after the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Franklin Graham conducted an Easter Sunday sermon from Ukraine and addressed both Presidents Putin and Volodymyr Zelenskyy, calling for a 10-day ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine in observance of the Easter holiday.

Critics of the Ethiopian government questioned whether the event had an implicit political strategy behind it, although Franklin Graham himself maintained that his primary mission was solely to preach the Gospel.

Franklin Graham has cited the work of Samaritan's Purse in describing his support for the vaccine.

Franklin Graham has spoken of seeing the effects of the virus in his own organization.

Franklin Graham has made controversial remarks against Islam saying, "True Islam cannot be practiced in this country," to CNN's Campbell Brown in December 2009.

In September 2010, Franklin Graham stated on ABC's This Week with Christiane Amanpour that building churches and synagogues is forbidden in most countries in the Islamic world.

Franklin Graham drew scrutiny in 2009 for drawing a full-time salary from Samaritan's Purse while simultaneously receiving a full-time salary from Billy Graham Evangelistic Association.

However, Franklin Graham was again criticized in 2015 when it was revealed he had again taken up his salary from BGEA where his annual compensation was significantly higher than that of the CEO's of similar, but much larger, non-profit organizations.

Franklin Graham was born a Muslim, his father gave him an Islamic name.

We were disturbed and disappointed by statements made by Rev Franklin Graham during an interview on MSNBC that questioned whether President Obama is a Christian.

In 2017 Franklin Graham spoke against a bill proposing to ban conversion therapy.

All venues booked for Franklin Graham's planned eight-city 2020 UK tour cancelled his booking after protests by LGBTQ+ activists, petitions and requests from local councils.

Many opponents said statements Franklin Graham had made were incompatible with their values, and that his appearance would be divisive, could be disruptive, or lead to a breach of the peace.

Franklin Graham was inducted into the Hall of Faith by the Southern Baptist Evangelists.

Franklin Graham married Jane Austin Cunningham of Smithfield, North Carolina, on 14 August 1974.

Franklin Graham underwent heart surgery in November 2021, to treat constrictive pericarditis.

Franklin Graham is editor-in-chief of BGEA's Decision magazine, funded by his father in 1960.

Franklin Graham has become a producer of several TV movies on evangelism and Billy Graham.