How much do you know about Franklin Graham? He is the son of the late internationally known American evangelist, William Franklin Graham II, better known as Billy Graham. Like his father, Franklin is a Christian evangelist and missionary who has dedicated his life to spreading the full gospel of Jesus Christ. This article is presented by https://equalityalabama.org/
Beyond his evangelical ministry, he is also a political activist and this has led him to several controversies. Nonetheless, Franklin remains a respected figure beyond the Christian flock. Learn more about him below.
Bio, Age
William Franklin Graham III was born on the 14th day of July 1952 to evangelist, Billy Graham, and Ruth Graham, a Christian author. He was born in Asheville, North Carolina, the fourth of his parents and five of his children. Notable Franklin siblings are Virginia Leftwich (Gigi) Graham (b. 1945), Anne Graham Lotz (b. 1948), Ruth Graham (b. 1950), and Nelson Edman Graham (b. 1958). Everyone is involved in one way or another with the Church.
Franklin Graham studied at a private Christian school on Long Island, New York known as The Stony Brook School. However, he was unable to complete his studies there when he was expelled. He later ended up at another school in North Carolina. In 1970, the preacher’s son entered LeTourneau College in Longview, Texas, but he was expelled again. His expulsion this time was for keeping a classmate beyond the stipulated time. However, he later entered Montreat College, formerly known as Montreat-Anderson College, graduating with an Associate of Science (AS) degree in 1974. Four years later, Franklin earned his Bachelor of Arts degree from Appalachian State University. Let’s discover: Joc net worth
In his autobiography, Rebel With a Cause, Franklin Graham revealed that he knew he had a calling for bigger things in the ministry. Thus, after a conversion experience, he had in 1974. While in a Jerusalem hotel room before his college graduation, he committed himself to serving God at the age of 22.
Around this time, still in his early 20s, Franklin was invited by Samaritan’s Purse founder Bob Pierce to accompany him on a 6-week mission to Asia, which he accepted. It was in the course of this mission that he received a revelation about his calling in the ministry. Franklin Graham felt a great need to seek the welfare of those affected by poverty, disease, famine, war, and natural disasters.
While continuing to work with Samaritan’s Purse, Franklin was elected to its board in 1978 and the following year, after Bob Pierce’s death, he was elected president of the humanitarian aid organization. In addition, he now serves as the organization’s CEO and coordinates its humanitarian activities in more than 100 countries around the world. Some of his most notable projects are the Children’s Heart Project and Operation Christmas Child.
William was ordained by Grace Community Church in Tempe, Arizona in 1982, had his first evangelistic event in 1989, and now conducts crusades (known as festivals) on behalf of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association (BGEA) around the world. He has preached at hundreds of Christian events in more than 38 states in the United States and in more than 49 countries around the world. Franklin became the CEO of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association and its President in 2001. William Franklin Graham III is still very active in spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Salary and net worth
Considering the nature of the faith-based career preacher. As a humanitarian aid worker who has pursued him over the years, Franklin Graham’s net worth is not exactly known. However, the few estimates available indicate that he is worth approximately $10 million. His father had a net worth of $25 million during his time.
According to a 2014 report, Franklin was the highest-paid employee at Samaritan’s Purse, earning $622,252 annually. He was criticized in 2009 for taking full-time salaries from the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association and Samaritan’s Purse, which totaled $1.2 million in 2008. In response, he decided to give up his BGEA earnings stating that his call to ministry was not primarily for money. However, in 2015, it was revealed that he again started taking salaries from BGEA. And his earnings were significantly higher than others working in similar and much larger organizations than BGEA.
Family: wife, children
Franklin Graham is married to Jane Austin Cunningham, a native of Smithfield, North Carolina. The couple married in 1974 and are the parents of four children who are now all adults. Their children are William Franklin Graham IV (Will), who was born in 1975; Roy Austin Graham followed in 1977. Edward Bell Graham was born in 1979; while Jane Austin Graham Lynch (Cissie), the youngest, was born in 1986. Of their children, Franklin and Jane have around 11 grandchildren.
