Billy Graham first heard of Jimmy Carter in 1966 when he was planning for an evangelistic film outreach in Americus, Georgia. Jimmy Carter – then a Georgia state senator – volunteered to be chairman for the event. Every night during the campaign, Carter personally gave an invitation for people to come forward and make a decision for Christ. Approximately 565 people responded, with 137 accepting Jesus as their Lord and Savior.

A few years later, following Carter’s election as governor of Georgia, the two men met in person for the first time, forging a quick friendship based on their shared southern roots and mutual faith in Christ. Governor Carter asked Mr. Graham to speak at the Governor’s Prayer Breakfast in 1972, and then personally invited Mr. Graham to hold a Crusade in Atlanta in 1973 (for which he served as honorary chairman).

The relationship continued during President Carter’s administration, with Mr. Graham speaking at the National Prayer Breakfast in 1979. Billy and Ruth Graham even stayed at the White House one evening, which Mr. Graham detailed in his autobiography: “For several hours, we reminisced about our southern backgrounds and talked about national affairs… we shared our mutual faith in Jesus Christ and discussed some of the issues that sometimes divide sincere Christians. When the four of us prayed together at the close of the evening, we sensed a spirit of oneness and Christian love among us.”

Mr. Graham and former President Carter sat together one last time in 2007, when the Billy Graham Library was dedicated in Charlotte, North Carolina. During the ceremony, Carter spoke of the value of the friendship he held with Billy Graham over the years and reminisced about their times together.

As the world mourns the loss of former President Carter, we keep hold of the promise he himself embraced of an eternal life in Heaven with Jesus Christ for those who accept Him as Lord and Savior.