The Mail – Part 2

I’m challenged by the request for money from the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, which I guess is now the equivalent of the Franklin Graham Evangelistic Association. I’m challenged because critiquing anything associated with Billy Graham is like critiquing apple pie or Chevy or the American flag. One of Billy’s books (World Aflame) was helpful in bringing me into a relationship with Christ – though its apocalyptic emphasis may have done me, as a teenager, more harm than good by causing me to think short-term about life. As a young person I watched Graham crusades on television and read Decision Magazine. I’ve been to a couple of Billy Graham crusades, one in New York and one in Baltimore. Vickie and I attended a wonderful conference for pastors in Toronto sponsored by the BGEA. I have a lot to be thankful for when it comes to Billy Graham and I know millions more people could say the same.

But then there is the fact that the association has one hundred million dollars (or more) in reserves, and that Franklin Graham pulls in a salary of around one million from Samaritan’s Purse and the Graham Association. How much is enough in reserves? How much is enough in salary? Don’t get me wrong, I think there is a place for reserves and I know the power of earning interest (assuming the markets are paying interest); and I believe in paying people well for what they do…but still…how much is enough? (For the record, I think Samaritan’s Purse is an amazing ministry).

One of my challenges is that if I were to read these figures relating to a “name it and claim it preacher” I’d be appalled; so I’m faced with the possibility that I have a double standard – one for anything associated with Billy Graham and the other for preachers who I consider suspect.

Then there is Franklin Graham’s involvement in politics under the umbrella of the BGEA – I think this is a mistake and that it is confusing. Is the BGEA about the Gospel or is it about politics and the “culture wars”? Billy Graham has lamented at least some of his political associations, is there something Franklin can learn from this?

The mailer from the BGEA promotes the “Decision America Tour 2016” with the banner, “Turn us back to you, O Lord – Lamentations 5:21.” I think this prayer is in the mind of the beholder. The idea that we are going “back” somewhere means that we were there to start with – I’m not sure where we’ve been; one thing I am sure about is that wherever we’ve been has not been either pure this or that, and I also think that wherever we’ve been is also in the mind of the beholder.

Perhaps one reason we are where we are in terms of the present manifestations of sin and rebellion against God is that we bought into the idea that we were a Christian country – that idea may (and I did write “may”) have led to giving ourselves a pass on Biblical obedience, especially within the professing church. An obedient church may have had a preservative effect on society, whereas a corrupt church can only hasten society’s corruption. Well and good if we want to repent as citizens of a nation, but I think the church should begin with itself, repenting of its own sins so that it can be salt and light to a sick society and a dying world.

I suspect I’ll continue my double standard, I can’t help it, at least right now. I’ll not be as harsh or cynical of Franklin Graham as I am of “blab it and grab it” preachers, I’ll not use the same yardstick – I think Samaritan’s Purse is wonderful (though I do wonder if Franklin isn’t setting the stage to make the ministry’s work more difficult by politicizing his message) and I know the BGEA does great work that we never hear about.

The mailer and the message from Franklin Graham is more about politics than the Gospel, this is the saddest piece in the mail – I don’t expect better from Capital One or the Discover Card or the other sales pitches I received, but I had hoped for better from Franklin Graham.