WILLIAM “FRANKLIN” GRAHAM III BIOGRAPHY
Born: July 14, 1952, Asheville, North Carolina Parents: William Franklin “Billy” Graham Jr. and Ruth Bell Graham (both deceased) Married: Jane Austin Cunningham Graham, 1974 Children: William Franklin “Will” Graham IV Roy Austin Graham Edward Bell Graham Jane Austin “Cissie” Graham Lynch Grandchildren: 11 Education: Montreat College, (A.S.), 1974 Appalachian State University, (B.A.), 1978 Ordained: Grace Community Church, Tempe, Arizona, 1982 Ministries: President and CEO, Samaritan’s Purse President and CEO, Billy Graham Evangelistic Association Boards of Directors: Samaritan’s Purse Billy Graham Evangelistic Association Author: Rocks, Dirty Birds, and Briars: Sowing Truth in a Time of Lies (co-authored with Donna Lee Toney, Worthy, 2016) Operation Christmas Child: A Story of Simple Gifts (co-authored with Donna Lee Toney, B&H Publishing, 2013) The Sower: Finding Yourself in the Parables of Jesus (co-authored with Donna Lee Toney, Worthy, 2012) Billy Graham in Quotes (co-authored with Donna Lee Toney, Thomas Nelson, 2011) A Wing and a Prayer (Tommy Nelson, 2005) All for Jesus (co-authored with Ross Rhoads, Thomas Nelson, 2003) Kids Praying for Kids (Thomas Nelson, 2003) The Name (Thomas Nelson, 2002) Living Beyond the Limits: A Life in Sync with God (Thomas Nelson, 1998) Rebel with a Cause: Finally Comfortable Being Graham (autobiography, Thomas Nelson, 1995) Miracle in a Shoe Box (Thomas Nelson, 1995) Bob Pierce: This One Thing I Do (Word, 1983) Honors: Hall of Faith, Conference of Southern Baptist Evangelists, 2014 Watchman Award, presented by the Family Research Council, 2014 Honorary Chairman, National Day of Prayer, 2010 “Daniel of the Year” by World magazine, 2002 “Tar Heel of the Year” by The News & Observer (Raleigh, North Carolina), 1999 William Booth Award, presented by the Salvation Army, 1996 Honorary Doctorates: Lees-McRae College, LeTourneau University, Liberty University National University, Toccoa Falls College, Whitworth College Growing Up Graham William Franklin Graham III was born July 14, 1952, and is the fourth of five children of the late evangelist Billy Graham and his wife, the late Ruth Bell Graham. Raised in a log home in the Appalachian Mountains outside Asheville, North Carolina, Franklin now resides in Boone, North Carolina, with his wife, Jane. They have four married children—Will, Roy, Edward, and Cissie—and 11 grandchildren. In his autobiography, Rebel with a Cause, Franklin explained that “just being the son of Billy Graham won’t get me into heaven.” He knew that he was being called to do more with his life and to make a real commitment to God. So at age 22, after a period of rebellion and traveling the world, Franklin committed his life to Jesus Christ while alone in a hotel room in Jerusalem.
International Relief Worker When Franklin was in his early twenties, Bob Pierce, founder of Samaritan’s Purse, invited Franklin to join him on a six-week mission to Asia. It was during that time that Franklin felt a calling to work with hurting people in areas of the world affected by war, famine, disease, poverty, and natural disaster. He said, “I’ve been called to the slums of the streets and the ditches of the world.”
Franklin was elected to the board of Samaritan’s Purse in 1978; one year later, following the death of Pierce, he was elected president. Today, he serves as president and CEO of the international relief and evangelism organization headquartered in Boone, North Carolina. Samaritan’s Purse works in the Name of Jesus Christ to provide relief and assistance in more than 100 countries. It has affiliate offices in Canada, the United Kingdom, and Australia, plus partners and field offices around the world.
Evangelist Franklin conducted his first evangelistic event in 1989 and now conducts Crusades, called Festivals, around the world for the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association. He has proclaimed the Gospel message at more than 194 evangelistic events in 38 states and U.S. territories and 49 countries since 1989. In 2016 Franklin launched the Decision America Tour and traveled to all 50 state capitals to hold prayer rallies. During these rallies, Franklin challenged Christians to pray for the United States and its leaders, and to live and promote Biblical principles at home, in public, and at the ballot box. In 2017, he held similar events with tours across Tennessee and Texas. In 2018, Franklin will continue the Decision tour with events in 17 cities across California, Oregon, and Washington.
The Billy Graham Evangelistic Association appointed Franklin Graham CEO in 2000 and president of the organization in 2001.
Christian Leader As a speaker and author, Franklin regularly addresses current moral and social issues, calling Christians to stand for Biblical values and challenging them to make a difference in the world for the sake of the Gospel. He offers Biblical context and application to national and world events. Through the organizations he leads, he has been instrumental in helping people impacted by crises including 9/11 and other terrorist attacks; civil war in Sudan; the Iraqi and Syrian refugee crises; and natural disasters ranging from the Ebola outbreak in West Africa to earthquakes in Japan, Haiti, and China. He has met privately with six U.S. presidents as well as world leaders from Europe, Africa, Asia, and Latin America.
Franklin is editor-in-chief of Decision magazine, the “Evangelical Voice of Today,” which features solid Biblical teaching as well as cutting-edge stories about issues and events in today’s world, from a Biblical worldview.
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