The Billy Graham Library is a public museum and library documenting the life and ministry of Christian
evangelist
Evangelist may refer to:
Religion
* Four Evangelists, the authors of the canonical Christian Gospels
* Evangelism, publicly preaching the Gospel with the intention of spreading the teachings of Jesus Christ
* Evangelist (Anglican Church), a c ...
Billy Graham
William Franklin Graham Jr. (November 7, 1918 – February 21, 2018) was an American evangelist and an ordained Southern Baptist minister who became well known internationally in the late 1940s. He was a prominent evangelical Christi ...
. The complex
opened to the public on June 5, 2007. The library is located on the grounds of the international headquarters of the
Billy Graham Evangelistic Association
The Billy Graham Evangelistic Association (BGEA) is a non-profit Christian outreach organization that promotes multimedia evangelism, conducts evangelistic crusades, and engages in disaster response. The BGEA operates the Billy Graham Trainin ...
in
Charlotte, North Carolina
Charlotte ( ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of North Carolina. Located in the Piedmont region, it is the county seat of Mecklenburg County. The population was 874,579 at the 2020 census, making Charlotte the 16th-most populo ...
, a few miles from where Graham was reared. The library is styled after a
dairy barn
Dairy Barn was a chain of regional Convenience store, convenience stores located on Long Island, New York (state), New York, with headquarters in Elwood, New York. The stores were distinguished by their drive-through feature, red barn appearance, ...
, with a mechanical "talking" cow, to reflect Graham's farm-based childhood.
The main galleries within the library showcase numerous presentations, pictures, music, artifacts, and voices from throughout Graham's ministry. One gallery is entirely devoted to
Ruth Bell Graham
Ruth McCue Bell Graham (June 10, 1920 – June 14, 2007) was an American Christian author, most well known as the wife of evangelist Billy Graham. She was born in Qingjiang, Jiangsu, Republic of China, the second of five children. Her parents, Vir ...
, the wife of the evangelist. There is a dairy bar café and bookstore called "Ruth's Attic." All visitors enter the Library through doors at the base of a glass cross. Also located on the Library grounds is the Prayer Garden, where Ruth Graham was buried on June 17, 2007.
Ruth Graham initially opposed to being buried at the library, and instead preferred her home at the Billy Graham Training Center at the Cove near
Asheville
Asheville ( ) is a city in, and the county seat of, Buncombe County, North Carolina. Located at the confluence of the French Broad and Swannanoa rivers, it is the largest city in Western North Carolina, and the state's 11th-most populous cit ...
to be her final resting place until just before she died. In March 2009 Wilma "Billie" Barrows, the wife of Billy Graham's longtime Music Director
Cliff Barrows
Clifford Burton Barrows (April 6, 1923 – November 15, 2016) was a longtime music and program director for the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association. He had been a part of the Graham organization since 1949. Barrows was best known as the ...
, was interred on the Library grounds. In April 2013, Gospel singer and Graham's regular featured soloist
George Beverly Shea
George Beverly Shea (February 1, 1909 – April 16, 2013) was a Canadian-born American gospel singer and hymn composer. Shea was often described as "America's beloved gospel singer"Michael Ireland, "America's 'Beloved Gospel Singer,' George Bever ...
was interred there as well. Barrows was buried next to his wife on the grounds after his death in November 2016.
Graham's funeral following his February 21, 2018 death was conducted on March 2, 2018 in a tent, similar to the tents where he held his first crusades, on the grounds of the Library. Prior to the funeral, Graham had laid in repose in his childhood homeplace next to the library as well as lying in honor at the United States Capital in Washington, D.C. Following the funeral, Graham was buried next to his wife in the Library's Prayer Garden.
Funeral plans announced for evangelist Billy Graham
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See also
* List of Billy Graham's crusades
Billy Graham's crusades were evangelistic campaigns conducted by Billy Graham between 1947 and 2005. Billy Graham conducted 417 crusades in 185 countries and territories on six continents. The first Billy Graham evangelistic campaign, held Se ...
Notes
References
Reuters
*
* https://www.usatoday.com/news/religion/2007-05-31-billy-graham-library_N.htm?csp=34
*
* http://news14.com/content/special_edition/billy_graham_library_dedication/Default.aspx
External links
Billy Graham Library
Billy Graham Evangelistic Association
Samaritan's Purse
{{Authority control
Libraries in North Carolina
Museums in Charlotte, North Carolina
Graham, Billy
Religious museums in North Carolina
Billy Graham