Meet Franklin Graham, Billy Graham's Son Who's Speaking At The Republican National Convention
He's following in his father's footsteps.
Anthony Correia / Shutterstock More than two years after Evangelist preacher Billy Graham's death, his son, Franklin Graham, is taking his father's lead. On Thursday, Franklin is set to pray at the Republican National Convention — just like Billy has done in the past — stepping up to the podium after the former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani has spoken.
Who is Billy Graham's son, Franklin Graham?
He's more than just a preacher's son, though it does seem like he's modeling his life after his dad's in many ways. Here's what to know about him before he catches everyone's attention at the RNC.
Franklin Graham is an Evangelist Christian.
Franklin is best known for being an Evangelist Christian, just like his father was — or the kind of Christian whose purpose is to convert others to Christianity. Even before his father's death, Franklin took his evangelism seriously, conducting events going all the way back into the '80s when he was 37 years old, and his main gig these days is touring around the country and around the world, spreading the word about his religion.
Graham is the president of Samaritan's Purse.
Franklin leads Samaritan's Purse, a nonprofit organization that seeks to "meet needs of people who are victims of war, poverty, natural disasters, disease, and famine with the purpose of sharing God’s love." Those who work with Samaritan's Purse go to areas of the world that are in crisis to provide aid, and the organization is also responsible for programs throughout the year including Operation Christmas Child and other ministries.
He's also the president and the CEO of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association.
Franklin has always been involved with his father's business, but he is now the CEO of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Assocation.
"As a speaker and author, Franklin regularly addresses current moral and social issues, calling Christians to stand for Biblical values and challenging them to make a difference in the world for the sake of the Gospel," says his bio on the association's website. "He also offers Biblical context and application to current national and world events. Through the organizations he leads he has been instrumental in helping people impacted by crises including the 9/11 terrorist attacks, civil war in Sudan and natural disasters ranging from the Ebola outbreak in West Africa to earthquakes in Japan, Haiti and China."
Who is Franklin Graham's wife?
Franklin has been married to Jane Cunningham since 1974. Together, they have four children: William Franklin Graham IV, Roy Austin Graham, Edward Bell Graham, and Jane Austin "Cissie" Graham Lynch, their only daughter. Between their children, Franklin and Jane have 12 grandchildren, and they currently live in Boone, North Carolina.
Franklin Graham's daughter, Cissie Graham, also spoke at the RNC.
On Tuesday night, Cissie Graham took the stage at the RNC. Cissie, who is now 34 years old, has always been outspoken in her support of Trump, and she spoke at the convention on topics similar to what her family has always believed in, like their faith, freedom of religion, and the arguments against abortion.
Earlier this year, Franklin Graham's tour around the United Kingdom was canceled.
Franklin made headlines back in February, when his seven-city United Kingdom tour was canceled after petitions emerged asking the venues not to allow Franklin to speak there because of his transphobic, homophobic, and Islamaphobic views. Because of this, all seven venues ended up pulling out of the tour and he was forced to reschedule, though he hasn't done so yet.
Nicole Pomarico is an entertainment and lifestyle writer whose work has appeared in Cosmo, Us Weekly, Refinery29, and more.