What is Franklin Graham's Net Worth?
Franklin Graham is an American Christian evangelist and missionary who has a net worth of $10 million.
Franklin Graham is the son of the late evangelist Billy Graham. Franklin is best known for being president and chief operating officer of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association as well as the international Christian humanitarian organization Samaritan's Purse. He is also editor-in-chief of Decision magazine, which contains timely articles with a Biblical worldview, published by the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association. He has spread his messages of the gospel in every state of America and in nearly 60 countries.
Early Years
Born William Franklin Graham III on July 14, 1952, in Asheville, North Carolina, Franklin is the fourth of five children born to famed American evangelist and Southern Baptist minister William "Billy" Franklin Graham Jr. and his wife, Christian author Ruth McCue (Bell). Franklin was raised in a log home in the Appalachian Mountains. He attended the private Christian school Stony Brook School in New York. He later enrolled at LeTourneau University – a private Christian university in Texas, as well as the private Christian school Montreat College in North Carolina, from which he received an Associate degree, and Appalachian State University, from which he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree.
Franklin admits that he was a rebel as a young man—smoking, drinking, fighting, and having no respect for authority. He was expelled from boarding school, stayed out until late hours, and spent his time challenging the system and his parents. At 22, while alone in a hotel room in Jerusalem, he realized something had to change and decided to commit his life to serving Jesus Christ. Franklin became an ordained minister at Grace Community Church in Tempe, Arizona, in 1982.
The Billy Graham Evangelistic Association
The Billy Graham Evangelistic Association is a non-profit Christian outreach organization founded by Franklin's father, Billy Graham, in 1950. The association hosts revival meetings and religious crusades and responds to provide assistance in large-scale disasters. It also controls the Billy Graham Training Center in Asheville and the Billy Graham Library in Charlotte. The library, which opened to the public on June 5, 2007, contains presentations, pictures, and artifacts documenting the life and ministry of Billy Graham. Franklin was appointed CEO of the association in 2000 and president in 2001.
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Samaritan's Purse
Samaritan's Purse was founded by American Baptist minister Bob Pierce in 1970. An international Christian humanitarian organization, it provides aid to people in physical need. The organization runs programs that provide lodging for wounded veterans, enable doctors to serve short-term intervals at overwhelmed missionary hospitals, enable surgery for children born with heart defects, make safe drinking water available in developing countries, provide educational and hygiene supplies to children overseas, offer disaster relief, and render emergency aid. Franklin Graham was made chief operating officer, as well as president of the organization, in 1979.
Religion, Politics & Controversy
Franklin Graham has made many controversial statements in interviews and on social media. In 2012, he supported a proposed North Carolina ban on same-sex marriage. When President Obama issued a statement against the ban, Franklin accused him of shaking his fist at God. Five years later, Franklin was vocal concerning a bill that proposed to ban conversion therapy – a pseudoscience that attempts to alter an individual's sexual orientation. He announced that "Homosexuality is defined by God as a sin, an abomination of him."
Over 7,500 people signed a petition to bar Franklin from speaking at an event in Lancashire, England, in 2018. One church pastor there, who regularly welcomed people of all sexual orientations to worship, publicly argued that a person with such a record of hate speech should not be invited to speak at churches there.
During the COVID-19 epidemic, Franklin suggested that Jesus Christ would want people to obtain a vaccine. He has referred to Islam as an evil and wicked religion and made comments concerning the Muslim upbringing of Barack Obama and the former president's claim of being a Christian. Franklin later apologized for what he'd said, stating, "I regret any comments I have ever made which may have cast any doubt on the personal faith of our president, Mr. Obama. The president has said he is a Christian, and I accept that."
Franklin's comments mixing politics with religion have angered many. After the 2016 presidential election declared Donald Trump the victor, Franklin told The Washington Post, "I could sense going across the country that God was going to do something this year. And I believe that, at this election, God showed up."
In 2020, Franklin publicly argued against the possibility of South Bend, Indiana, mayor Pete Buttigieg being a "gay Christian," as the politician had described himself. Significant backlash resulted in Franklin being publicly called a hypocrite and a bigot who subscribed to selective criticism. That year, his eight-city United Kingdom tour was disrupted after every venue backed out of the deal due to the homophobia Franklin had endeavored to spread.
Regularly voicing his opinions – and occasionally apologizing for things he's said – Franklin is described on the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association website as someone who addresses current moral and social issues for the purpose of calling Christians to stand for Biblical values.
Finances & Salary
In 2009, controversy ensued when it became public knowledge that Franklin Graham was taking a full-time salary from Samaritan's Purse as well as from the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association. The previous year, his income from both organizations totaled $1.2 million. In light of the controversy, he volunteered to surrender his salary from the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, stating that his position in the ministry was not about money. In 2015, it was learned that he had resumed claiming a salary from both organizations.
Books
Franklin Graham published his autobiography "Rebel with a Cause" Finally Comfortable Being A Graham" in 1995. He has written numerous other books, including "Living Beyond the Limits" in 1998, "It's Who You Know" in 2002, "Operation Christmas Child: A Story of Simple Gifts" in 2013, "The Loom of Heaven," "Rocks, Dirty Birds, and Briars" in 2016, and "Through My Father's Eyes" in 2018.
Accolades
Franklin Graham has received honorary doctorates from LeTourneau University, Whitworth College, Toccoa Falls College, Lees-McRae College, Liberty University, and National University. He was honored with the 2014 Watchman Award by the Family Research Council and a William Booth Award by the Salvation Army.
Personal Life
Franklin Graham married Jane Austin Cunningham in 1974. They have four children: William Franklin IV, Roy Austin, Edward Bell, and Jane Austin. Franklin and his wife live in Boone, North Carolina.
In November of 2021, Franklin underwent successful heart surgery at Minnesota's Mayo Clinic to treat the constrictive pericarditis he had been suffering from for several months.
