This Week in Christian History: Billy Graham, Immaculate Conception Theologian, Gideon Bibles

By Michael Gryboski, Mainline Church Editor Sunday, November 04, 2018

Billy Graham Born - November 7, 1918

This week marks the anniversary of the birth of one of the most influential and widely heard evangelists in the history of Christianity, the Reverend Billy Graham.

Graham was a native of Charlotte, North Carolina, having been raised on a dairy farm. He later graduated from Wheaton College in Illinois, now the home of the Billy Graham Center Museum.

It is believed that Graham has preached the Gospel to more people than anyone else in history. According to the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, Graham preached live to nearly 215 million people in over 185 countries and territories, as well as hundreds of millions of more people through television, video, film and webcasts.

In February 2018, months shy of his 100^{th birthday, Graham passed away peacefully at his home in Montreat, North Carolina, due to various health problems linked to his advanced age.}