The Archive Collection

Inside the Archives: Statue of St. George

March 2, 2022


During the course of 2022, we’ll take a look at memorabilia from locations where Billy Graham preached and will be locations where Franklin Graham or Will Graham will preach this year during evangelistic events, continuing the legacy Billy Graham and his team began more than 70 years ago.

Billy Graham praying before preaching in Liverpool, England in 1984

While Billy Graham was in Liverpool in 1984, he was gifted a statue by the Liverpool Football (Soccer) Club. The statue, made by Royal Doulton, is of St. George spearing a dragon.

Statue of St. George spearing a dragon made by Royal Doulton and gifted to Billy Graham in 1984 from the Liverpool Football Club

St. George, also known as George of Lydda, was a Christian who refused to deny his Christian faith and was martyred by the Romans in AD 303. St. George was a was a soldier of Cappadocian Greek origin and member of the Praetorian Guard for Roman emperor Diocletian and has been lauded as a military saint since the Crusades of the Middle Ages.

The statue represents the legendary battle of St. George with a dragon that was terrifying the people of Silene, Libya. The king’s daughter was to be sacrificed to the dragon before George arrived on the scene and slayed the beast with a lance, saving the princess. The king, in gratitude, showered George with gifts, which George gave to the poor. The people were so amazed by his bravery and generosity that they converted to Christianity and were all baptized.


From July 14-21, Billy Graham preached at a Crusade event in Liverpool, England as part of a larger six-city Crusade event across England that year. Throughout the six cities, Rev. Graham preached to more than one million Brits about the saving hope we can all have through Jesus Christ.

Billy Graham preaching in Liverpool, England in 1984

Billy Graham’s visit to Liverpool, England in 1984 was certainly life-altering for many of the people there, just as St. George’s legendary visit was to the people of the city of Silene. In Liverpool, nearly 248,000 people attended the week-long event in the city, with many accepting Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior.

People respond to the invitation to follow Christ during the Liverpool, England Billy Graham Crusade in July 1984
The Legacy Continues

Later this year, Franklin Graham will hold evangelistic events throughout the United Kingdom as part of his God Loves You tour and Liverpool will be one of the stops. See the schedule and find out more at: https://godlovesyoutour.org.uk/

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