Raised on a dairy farm outside Charlotte, Billy Graham never forgot his North Carolina roots, even as God took his ministry to six continents. In 2013, the North Carolina General Assembly honored the evangelist with the title of “North Carolina’s Favorite Son,” recognizing not only his worldwide ministry but also the faith, character and values that were shaped in his home state. While millions came to know him as an evangelist, North Carolina first knew him simply as “Billy.”

Growing Up on a Dairy Farm

Billy Graham was born Nov. 7, 1918, on his family’s dairy farm near Charlotte, where he learned discipline, responsibility and hard work—lessons that grounded his life and ministry.

In his autobiography, Just As I Am, Billy reflected on helping sow seeds into the ground each season, unaware that God would one day call him to spend his life sowing seeds of faith in the hearts of millions around the world. He wrote, “To this day, I can clearly remember the hours working in mother’s garden, guiding the plow, and following the hind end of a mule to put the fertilizer on after the seeds had been sown.”

Billy Graham also recalled his daily task of milking 20 cows every afternoon after returning home from school. He wrote, “The job took my flexible fingers about two hours—a commendable rate of around five minutes per cow.”

Farm life was demanding, and Billy remembered the challenge of balancing his responsibilities with school. “After all my heavy labor in the fresh air at daybreak, followed by Mother’s good food, I was ready for almost anything—except school. With only three or four hours of sleep some nights, I often felt tired in my classes,” the evangelist wrote.  

Where His Faith Began

North Carolina was more than Billy Graham’s home—it was where the Gospel first transformed his own life.

At the age of 16, Billy attended revival meetings at the corner of Central and Pecan avenues in Charlotte, where evangelist Mordecai Ham was preaching. It was there, in 1934, that Billy made the life-changing decision to place his faith in Jesus Christ. Through that decision, God began a work that would impact countless lives as he shared the Gospel message across the globe in the decades that followed. Today, a monument stands on that corner, commemorating the place where Billy Graham’s journey with Christ began.

The Place He Called Home

Although God took Billy Graham’s ministry to more than 185 countries and territories, North Carolina remained a place he cherished throughout his life.

One of Billy’s fondest childhood memories was family trips to the North Carolina coast. Billy Graham recalled trips to Wilmington, where his father would inquire at boardinghouses for a place to stay. More often than not, the family was able to secure a room for just $1 per person.

His love for his home state remained throughout his life. Even amid a worldwide ministry, North Carolina remained a place of rest and renewal for Billy Graham.

After marrying Ruth McCue Bell in 1943, the couple eventually made their home in Montreat, North Carolina, where they raised their five children. Nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains, it was there that Billy loved to step away from the demands of ministry and spend time alone with the Lord. He wrote, “Whenever I visit a bustling city anywhere in the world now, I like to retreat from my noisy boulevard into an open church building and just meditate in the cool, dim quietness. At our home in the Blue Ridge Mountains, my favorite spot is a little path above the house where I walk alone and talk with God.”

Sharing the Gospel at Home

Billy Graham didn’t just call North Carolina home, but he also saw it as a mission field. Holding 14 evangelistic outreach events in seven different North Carolina cities over the course of his public ministry, he returned to proclaim the same Gospel message he shared around the world.

A Lasting Legacy

Being named North Carolina’s Favorite Son recognized more than Billy Graham’s accomplishments—it honored a life devoted to serving Jesus Christ. Though the evangelist departed his earthly home in 2018, the mission of sharing the Gospel lives on through the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, headquartered in North Carolina, whose work continues to reach people around the world with the hope of Jesus Christ.

At the Billy Graham Library, visitors can discover how God used a young North Carolina farm boy to proclaim the Good News of Jesus Christ across six continents. Plan your visit and book your free ticket or explore upcoming events at the Billy Graham Library.