The Billy Graham Evangelistic Association (BGEA) is celebrating its 75th anniversary this year. In honor of the organization’s faithful service and evangelism efforts, we will look at the various aspects of the ministry that proclaim the Gospel.

Throughout Billy Graham’s life and ministry, he utilized many strategies to share the Gospel. One area that may be lesser-known is Billy Graham’s involvement in, and advocacy for, Christian education.

Attending Christian colleges including Bob Jones College, Florida Bible Institute and Wheaton College gave young Billy Graham a positive perspective on Christian education.

While he struggled with the rigorous discipline at Bob Jones College, Graham still valued the leadership of Bob Jones, saying, “His religious convictions and genuine devotion to the Lord kindled a deep respect in my heart.”

After transferring to Florida Bible Institute, Graham’s appreciation for the Christian education he was receiving continued to grow as he learned in a new environment. At this university, diverse perspectives and worldviews were shared and students learned how to respectfully engage with people of varying backgrounds, while standing firm in their own biblical Christian beliefs.

In his autobiography, Graham said, “We were encouraged to think things through for ourselves, but always with the unique authority of Scripture as our guide. So many of the questions I had to keep bottled up previously could now be freely and wisely answered. I could stretch my mind without feeling that I was doing violence to my soul.”

At Florida Bible Institute and at Wheaton College, he learned the importance of preparing not only for life and ministry, but how to effectively combine the two for a life that brings glory to God.

Graham declared a major of anthropology while he was a student at Wheaton, citing that he already had a background in biblical studies from Florida Bible Institute. However, he felt confident that Wheaton would provide him with a biblical understanding of anthropology and how it could be applied to a potential mission field. After completing his collegiate education, Graham maintained strong relationships with the institutions he attended.

In 1947, Dr. W. B. Riley, founder and president of Northwestern Bible College, approached Graham with a proposal—,it was his wish that Graham would succeed him in assuming leadership of the school. Sure enough, after Riley’s passing, Graham served as president of Northwestern from 1948 to 1952.

While still young himself, Graham brought a wealth of Christian educational experience to his new role, having attended three Christian universities. He also learned a great deal about the daily proceedings of higher education leadership. In his autobiography, he said, “We had prayer meetings at every turn – something I had learned at Florida Bible Institute. What we needed, God provided because of His grace, not because we deserved it.”

In addition to his involvement in educational leadership, Graham extended his passion for Christian education into his own writings. All of his authored books served the purpose of equipping others in knowledge of the Christian faith and more importantly, the character of Christ. Graham also authored books specific to informational purposes, like the Christian Worker’s Handbook, which answers a variety of questions about topics relevant to sharing the Gospel with a lost world.

Graham’s advocacy for educational opportunities extended into every country a Crusade was held in. The very nature of the Crusades were educational and encouraged attendees to pursue ongoing spiritual development.

Today, the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association continues these efforts by holding conferences and seminars on a variety of topics about the Christian faith.

The Billy Graham Library also promotes Christian education through its various programs, including lesson plans, STEAM, and student tours—which give school-aged children the opportunity to learn through a biblical lens. The Library also encourages theological knowledge and growth in personal faith and provides many resources like books at Ruth’s Attic bookstore.

These current efforts reflect the experience of Billy Graham’s Christian education—growing in knowledge of diverse subjects, deepening in a relationship with Christ, and bringing the two together in the work of evangelism.