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U.S. NEWS Saturday 3 March 2018

Billy Graham funeral: Evangelist's children carry on crusade

By TOM FOREMAN Jr. family beforehand.
JONATHAN DREW The funeral planning be-
Associated Press gan a decade ago with
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Billy Graham himself. It also
The Rev. Billy Graham's chil- reflected his family's desire
dren remembered "Ameri- to capture the feeling of
ca's Pastor" on Friday as a the crusades that made
man devoted to spreading him the world's best-known
the Gospel, living his life Protestant preacher of his
at home as he preached era. Graham, who died last
it in stadiums, with a per- week at age 99, brought
sonable humility and an a message of salvation to
unwavering focus on the millions during visits and
Bible. As his oldest son told live broadcasts to scores of
the funeral congregation, countries.
"There weren't two Billy Gra- The funeral served as a
hams." Billy Graham crusade told
His adult children — all through his children. Lotz
speakers or preachers in read Scripture, inserting her
their own right — recalled name into the passages to
being taught by their par- make her relationship with
ents how to read Scripture God more personal and
aloud and deliver sermons, breaking it down intellectu-
but also taking quiet walks The casket of The Rev. Billy Graham is moved during a funeral service at the Billy Graham Library ally, like her father. Young-
with their father and feeling for the Rev. Billy Graham, who died last week at age 99, Friday, March 2, 2018, in Charlotte, N.C. est daughter Ruth told
his embrace even when (AP Photo/John Bazemore) about how she sinned and
they made mistakes.Frank- didn't listen to her father
lin Graham, who delivered he said. "He loved his fam- proximately 2,000. adding: "I believe God is with a hasty marriage, but
the main funeral message, ily. He stood by us. He com- "I believe, from Heaven's saying: 'Wake up church! he was waiting for her with
said all of those qualities forted us." perspective, that my fa- Wake up world!'" open arms when she real-
were part of the whole. Franklin Graham's funeral ther's death is as signifi- The congregation included ized her mistake.
"The Billy Graham that the message, which included a cant as his life. And his life President Donald Trump, And oldest son Franklin,
world saw on television, the Gospel call to repentance was very significant. But I Vice President Mike Pence now CEO of the Billy Gra-
Billy Graham that the world and salvation, followed think when he died, that and their wives. Neither ham Evangelistic Associa-
saw in the big stadiums, shorter remarks by his sib- was something very stra- Pence nor Trump spoke tion, wrapped up with his
was the same Billy Graham lings in a service that lasted tegic from Heaven's point during the service that was father's central theme: that
that we saw at home. There just over an hour before an of view," said his daughter streamed live online, but the only path to salvation is
weren't two Billy Grahams," invitation-only crowd of ap- Anne Graham Lotz, later they met privately with the to accept Jesus Christ.q

Trump-Graham power nexus flows through Franklin

By LAURIE KELLMAN minister to millions more salute this week from po- both evangelical and in- two have in many ways
Associated Press over seven decades. But litical leaders to a religious clusive. been ideological siblings for
WASHINGTON (AP) — The that fleeting moment was one. The preacher, meanwhile, years on issues like immigra-
preacher and the presi- a sign that the son has the Trump is to be in atten- counseled a dozen presi- tion. They share much the
dent, seated side-by- ear of a president, and the dance Friday as Franklin dents and grew especially same audience of white
side in the lit-for-television kind of access to power Graham offers the eulogy close to Richard Nixon — evangelicals who form the
Capitol Rotunda, leaned that the elder Graham at his father's funeral in until the backstory of Wa- core of the president's base
a few inches closer. The came to regret. Charlotte, North Carolina. tergate made Graham of support.
Rev. Franklin Graham whis- "Looking back, I know I The elder Graham died last feel used by the disgraced "Having Franklin Graham,
pered something to Presi- sometimes crossed the week at age 99. president. who was so instrumental,
dent Donald Trump, who line, and I wouldn't do that Like Trump with Twitter, He grew wary after that of we won so big, with evan-
listened as he kept his eyes now," Billy Graham told Billy Graham used the cut- mixing pastoral work with gelical Christians," Trump
on the pine casket at the Christianity Today in 2011. ting-edge technology of partisan politics. said after the 2016 election
center of the room. "My father would not be his age — television — to Not so, Franklin Graham at a rally in Alabama. Exit
They were there to honor comfortable with all of the spread his message across with Trump. The younger polls suggested 81 percent
Graham's father, the Rev. attention in the Rotunda the nation and around the Graham never explicitly of white evangelical voters
Billy Graham, pastor to today," Franklin Graham, world. What Trump might endorsed Trump during the cast ballots for Trump over
presidents of any party and 65, tweeted after the rare call Graham's "brand" was 2016 campaign, but the Democrat Hillary Clinton.q