CHARLOTTE, N.C., AUG. 6, 2012 — A new exhibit has opened at the Billy Graham Library entitled “Billy Graham: God’s Ambassador to World Leaders.” It highlights Billy Graham’s relationships with United States presidents, as well as other heads of state and world leaders.
“When a President of the United States wept in my presence, or knelt with me to pray, or privately unburdened his concerns about his family,” Billy Graham once said, “I was not thinking about his political philosophy or his personality, but about his need for God’s help.”
“I never go to see important people – or anyone else – without having the deep realization that I am, first and foremost, an ambassador for the King of kings and Lord of lords,” Graham said in his memoir Just As I Am. “I am always thinking of ways I can share Christ and His message of hope with them.”
Visitors will see a variety of memorabilia including personal handwritten letters and correspondence between Billy Graham and numerous dignitaries, telegrams sent at key moments in history, rare photos of private meetings and gifts from world leaders.
“Political affiliation was not a factor in Billy Graham’s encounters with presidents,” said Tom Phillips, vice president of The Billy Graham Library. “His focus was being an ambassador…an ambassador of prayer, hope, service, friendship, and the Gospel.”
It is those five pillars – prayer, hope, service, friendship and the Gospel – that the exhibit is built around, sharing anecdotes from Billy Graham’s more than 60 years of ministry. Informative panels share intimate stories of Billy Graham’s meetings with U.S. presidents, from President Truman to President Obama, in addition to encounters with world leaders such as Queen Elizabeth, Mikhail Gorbachev, Sir Winston Churchill and more.
The exhibit runs from August through October. Admission to this exhibit, just as admission to the Library, is free.
About The Billy Graham Library
The Billy Graham Library opened in 2007 and has since had more than 625,000 visitors from around the world. The Library is open Monday through Saturday from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information on the Library and upcoming events, or to schedule a group tour, please visit www.billygrahamlibrary.org.