Grahams

The Billy Graham Evangelistic Association is recruiting churches across Canada to train some of their members in evangelism as preparation for next year's launch of its "My Hope" telecast.

The Canada telecast of BGEA's "My Hope," which involves friends sharing Jesus with friends with the help of broadcasts and videos, is being planned for November 2013, Calgary Herald reported.

With the goal of saturating every country in the world with the Good News of Jesus Christ, this relationship-based ministry has reached 57 countries and about 10 million people have said they have established a personal relationship with Christ, according to the ministry website. more >>

An enthusiastic welcome was given to evangelist Franklin Graham by Ghana President John Evans Atta Mills on the first night of a two-night Billy Graham Evangelistic Association event held at a stadium in Accra.

Mills, along with Ghana's First Lady, made an appearance at the "Ghana Jesus Festival" last Saturday night, BGEA and the country's news services reported.

"We need the Word of God," said Mills, an outspoken Christian, who recently declared a nationwide week of thanksgiving and fasting. "It is my hope and prayer that the message [Franklin Graham] gives us will fall on fertile soil." more >>

While the still skeptical secular media chose to describe Chuck Colson as a "mastermind of dirty tricks" in obituary columns, Christian leaders focused on his life and work after his transformation and remembered him as a great friend, mentor, apologist and witness for Christ.

"I'm saddened by Chuck Colson's passing yet rejoicing that he is now in the presence of the Lord he loves so much," Lee Strobel, author and Christian apologist, told The Christian Post.

"Chuck once asked me to succeed him as head of Prison Fellowship, but I knew I could never fill his shoes," Strobel recalled. "The world has lost a passionate, brilliant, persuasive and humble witness for Christ. Those of us who remain should redouble our efforts to define and defend the truth of Christianity to an often hostile and skeptical world, as Chuck urged us so often to do," Strobel said after Colson's death Saturday. more >>

A feature article in People Magazine was a big deal for Will Graham three decades ago when his father, Franklin, showed up at his elementary school class to take him to a family photo shoot for the publication.

Although Graham doesn't like to read his "own press," the evangelist grandson of renowned Billy Graham admits that appearing in this week's edition of the celebrity-focused magazine was also "huge."

Two other third-generation members of the Graham family are in Christian ministry as well. However with lesser known last names, People may have decided to stick with a name everyone knows in choosing to do the story on him, Graham said. more >>

[UPDATE] 2/28 4:17 p.m.

Franklin Graham responded on Tuesday to criticism from faith leaders in the NAACP who accused the evangelist of questioning President Obama's Christianity.

"I regret any comments I have ever made which may have cast any doubt on the personal faith of our president, Mr. Obama," he stated. "The president has said he is a Christian and I accept that (and have said so publicly on many occasions). I apologize to him and to any I have offended for not better articulating my reason for not supporting him in this election – for his faith has nothing to do with my consideration of him as a candidate." more >>

One day after drawing fire for comments some saw as questioning whether or not Barack Obama was a Christian, the Rev. Franklin Graham clarified his position on the president's faith, and clearly declared he could never support a candidate who supports abortion.

"I don't question the president's faith. I'm not questioning whether he's a Christian," Graham, the president of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association and president and CEO of Samaritan's Purse, said on CNN. "I disagree with his position on abortion."

On Tuesday, Graham was asked to judge whether President Obama was Christian by MSNBC. By not offering a straight answer Graham left himself open to criticism. "You have to ask him… He has said he's a Christian, so I just have to assume that he is," Graham said. more >>