A Legacy of Faith
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A Legacy Anne Graham Lotz carries on her father's tradition of saving souls—even her own aring for three small childrea had begun to wear on Anne Graham Lotz. "I was so £nis trated with being in a small house with small children, small sticky fingerprints and small clothes and small toys and small words/' she recalls of her life as a housewife 25 years ago. **1 took it out on them, losing my temper." That may be understandable for many young mothers, but Lotz is the daughter of evangelist Billy Graham and holds herself to "She uses some of the same motions her father did—like what I call the two-pistot gesture," says Gra i feel it's a sacred trust, says Lotz ham biographer (with Graham in '92) of her lineage. William Martin of Lotz. PEOPLE 9/11/00 153 higher standards—not just her fa by three full-time staffers, a $1.5 ther's, but God's. After attending the million budget and a pack of volun Lausanne conference on evangelism teers, Lotz, who doesn't charge a in Switzerland in 1974, Lotz was in fee, is currently in the midst of a spired to invite some neighbors to five-city revivaltour called "Just her home in Raleigh, N.C., to share Give Me Jesus"—not coincidentaliy her faith—without saying why until the title of her recently published after they arrived. "One cried," re third book—that will take her to calls Lotz, 52. "One got afraid, one Kansas City, Mo., this month and left." San Diego in October. "I was seated Undaunted, Lotz took a different up front at a revival," says Linda tack. Two years later she asked the Eure, 53, of Knoxville, Tenn.'s Bible Study Fellowship—then a na Wj •• : *' ^ • Cedar Springs Presbyterian Church, tional, now international, school— "and several women were down on to establish a class in Raleigh. When the floor, just weeping.There's a no one else stepped forward, Lotz S"A /•! power that goes forth from Anne herself led the group until 1988. "I Graham Lotz that touches hearts was so desperate for that kind of dis- and changes lives." ciphne," she says of the regimen of "Who is this beautiful blonde gal?" Dan While that may be true, Lotz daily Biblestudy.What began as a Lotz(with his bride in 1966) first thought. wants to make it clear that she is six-week pilot program in the spring not an evangelist like her celebrated of 1977, with 150 to 200 women, founded AnGeL Ministries in 1988 father. "An evangelist gets people soon grew to 500. (the name incorporates her initials), out of the bondage of sin and leads Lotz has since become an inter she appears about 100 times a year them to take that first step of faith. nationally recognized religious in venues ranging from tiny My gift and calling is to take them speaker and Bible scholar. Having churches to massive arenas. Backed after that first step," she says of her mission to help followers develop a personal relationship with God. "It's the difference between an ob stetrician and a pediatrician." Dis tinctions aside, Lotz has received a sterling rating from her father, who is battling Parkinson's disease. "Anne's the best preacher in the A -/j family," says Graham, 81. Given her passionate delivery, honeyed voice and experience as a board member of the Billy Graham Evangelical Association, Lotz would seem a natural to be an ordained minister. But she is the first to acknowledge that within the church's framework, the scriptures do not grant women equal religious authority. Her brother Franklin has vwJ been named as their father's succes sor, and Lotz unquestionably ac cepts her role as a teacher. "God has forbidden me to be ordained or be a senior pastor," she told The New York Times. Indeed, Lotz embraces hard-line fundamentalism. Sherigidly op poses abortion and homosexuality. And she supports the death penalty—even though in 1984 she prayed with convicted North Car olina murderer Velma Barfield Evenwith a famous father,"Motherwanted us to have a normal childhood,"says Lotz(be shortly before she was executed. tween mother Rutitand ReverendGraham,with sisters Gigi, front, and Ruth,right, in1954). "Three days later a reporter called 154 9/11/00 PEOPLE .V kin me and said, 'Aren't you going to disciplinarian with Lotz and her sib fight the death penalty in North lings—Gigi, now 54, Ruth, 49, Carolina?'" Lotz says. "He said, Franklin, 48, and Ned, 42. "She 'Doesn't it malce you hate the sys spanked us," Lotz says. "Not in tem?' And I said, 'No. It makes me anger. She did it to discipline us, hate the sin.'" which is the way that ought to be." The second of five children, Lotz Despite her foundation of piety says she experienced divine inter and prayer, Lotz flirted in youth with vention at an early age. One Easter the idea of becoming a model. But in when she was no more than 10, she high school in 1965, with an eye to became engrossed with Cecil B. ward college, her life course changed De Mille's original silent version when her father set her up on a date. of The King ofKings, the story of "I met Anne at a Fellowship of Christ. Right then, she decided to Christian Athletes conference," says follow Jesus. "I remember being husband Dan Lotz, 63, the son of a very moved by the crucifixion "They feel a part of wiiat I'm doing," street-corner preacher from New scene," she says. "And it wasn't says Lotz (with, from left, Rachei-Ruth, York City. He was 28, a dentist in just feeling sorry for somebody Dan,Jonathan and Morrow,ca. 1989). the Air Force, and Billy Graham had being mistreated." wanted his daughter to stop seeing Although Lotz is her father's would see a light burning in her her then beau. After their first daughter in the pulpit, in other areas mother's room. "I would go down evening together, Dan Lotz phoned of her life she is more like her stairs and she would be on her knees his mother and told her, "Mom, quit mother, Ruth, now 80. No matter in prayer," Lotz recalls. As faith- praying. I found the girl I'm going to how late the hour, she says, she bound as she was, Ruth was also a marry." He proposed after their third date, but they didn't marry for a year, until Sept. 2, 1966. They have three children: Jonathan, 30, Mor row, 27, and Rachel-Ruth, 25, all of whom are married and involved in the family's evangelist enterprises. It was during the early days of moth erhood that Lotz faced her greatest tests. "I remember one time they got into a fight upstairs, and I came so close to really doing something I would regret," she says, without elaboration. "Instead I just went to my room, closed the door, fell to my knees and just told the Lord I was sorry, I didn't want to be that kind of mother." According to Morrow, Mom turned out just fine. "She's just a role model and everything else all in one," she says. "She has so many responsibilities, and yet she's such a great mom." As much as she has come to enjoy preaching, Lotz looks forward to life at home. While Dan jogs, Lotz walks three miles a day, clearly un burdened by her legacy. "Who can be as good as Billy Graham?" she says. "I never, never think about that. What I would pray is that in a small way, God would use me for his kingdom like he's used my daddy." • Nick Charles Dan(at home with Anne) was a bighit with Ruth."Mymother fell in lovefirst," says Lotz. • Don Sider and Gail Wescott in Atlanta 156 9/11/00 PEOPLE Up to m ^!**» "t HOURS Ov"v BETTER THAN If EVER! in a month SIGN UP INSTArmy by PHONE! CALL 1-888-871-3484 TODAY! ✓ FREE TRIAL! No Risk! No Commitment! . ✓ NOW! 7 e^ail addresses for ev&y account! A M ERICA ✓ NOW. "You've Got Pictures!^'^" your pictures online! ✓ NOW! AOL Search^ find anything on AOL or the Web! So easy to use, no wonder it's #1 ✓ NOW! 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