Yet he recently told the Associated Press that his crusading days are far from through. As his son William Franklin Graham Jr. stands by to assume control of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, the elder Graham just presided over one of his patented crusades, a Jacksonville, Fla., wingding that featured performances by Johnny Cash, June Carter Cash and Charlie Daniels. He's been doing this since 1947. Depending on the source you consult, he's corralled between 200 million and 225 million souls for Jesus. The only religious figure of comparable influence is the pope, and there have been five of them since Graham started doing his thing.
Popes come and go, but the right reverend endures.
Part circus, part holy pilgrimage, part evangelism school, part TV miniseries, part Bill Graham Presents rock concert, these events sometimes go on for weeks. Confess your sins, accept Jesus Christ as your lord and savior and get your ticket to salvation. It's not about doing good works. It's not about giving up your material goods. It's simply about belief and surrender.