Beginning this week, Sydneyanglicans tech guru Andrew Lim will be posting a new monthly column that aims to do the Internet ‘leg-work’ for you, tracking down a range of resources relating to some popular topics. Week one - Billy Graham…
OK, so I'm a fan of the man. (Yes, I know he's not perfect, theologically or in his ministry philosophy.)
But I think there's one photo that just about does it for me - an old one circa 1974 of BG on a rickety wooden platform evangelizing a sea of 1,000,000 people (no, that's not a typo) at Koido Plaza, Korea. The scale boggles the mind - he looks like an ant in front of a bunch of other ants. The guy is not only Mr History, but he has probably preached the gospel to more people than anyone else in history.
So what can we learn from his ministry?
I went in search of Billy Graham on the Internet, and this is what I found.
First stop, the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association website. This has a tons of resources including audio and video excerpts of his sermons, his daily advice column My Answer responses to the questions people send him, as well as a wealth of magazine and other useable resources that testify to the breadth of the man's ministry. One thing you can say about the BGEA " they don't do things by halves!
Second stop, a really nifty BG MP3 resource site gives you a spine-tingling listen to the young Billy Graham's preaching style in the contexts of Scotland 1955, Harvard Law School 1 April 1962, among others. You can also listen to MP3s of his autobiography "Just As I Am".
Third stop, if you want full transcripts of his sermons, how about visting the Billy Graham Center. In 1958, Billy Graham led an evangelistic campaign in his home town of Charlotte, North Carolina that lasted from September 21 to October 25. This series is called The Coliseum Sermons " 31 talks in all! There's also some quotable quotes you might just drop into your own sermons somehow here.
Fourth stop, a chance to step into history at the New York City Crusade of 1957, with videos of some of his talks at Madison Square Garden during that time. Go backwards to the full website for a comprehensive look at everything about that crusade.
Over to you! Let me know about any good stuff you find in your search"
Andrew is Sydneyanglicans.net's resident digital scholar and the pastor of the Asian Bible Church (ABC), a congregation of St Andrew's Cathedral, Sydney. Happy 1st Birthday ABC!