Until the vision for the Billy Graham Library was explained in these terms, Billy Graham was against the idea of a library bearing his name, so adamant was he against anything that would detract from the message he has preached for more than 60 years—a message that points to Christ alone as the way to God and away from any human strategy or effort to gain salvation.
When the concept of the Library was described to Mr. Graham as a “Crusade” that would continue for generations to come, he reconsidered. “When it was presented as an ongoing ministry and that people would have the opportunity to be won to Christ, I changed my mind,” he said.
In line with Mr. Graham’s wishes, the Library’s core experience is the Gospel and the transforming power it has on a life that says yes to Jesus Christ.
Built on the same property as the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, right off of Billy Graham Parkway in Charlotte, N.C., the Library is organized around the themes of “The Man,” “The Ministry,” “The Message,” and “The Mission” with the message being pre-eminent: the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The ministry is taking that message to the ends of the earth. The Journey of Faith focuses on what God did in the life of a young farm boy who grew up in rural North Carolina, committed his life to Jesus Christ at a local revival and, through God’s grace manifested in him, became what many consider “America’s pastor” and evangelist to the world.
Reminiscent of Billy Graham’s upbringing on a dairy farm on the outskirts of Charlotte, the Library building is styled after a dairy barn, and his boyhood home has been restored a short walk from the main Library building. The entrance to the Library is in the shape of a cross, a visual reminder to visitors that it is only through the Cross of Christ that we can be reconciled to God.
Visit our website at www.billygrahamlibrary.org.