CHRISTIAN
NEWS TODAY
On
Billy Graham's funding and his cover of his sons in sin. The
following is submitted just as I received it from CNT in 1999. Though old
news, it serves as history of a hireling who fooled a lot of people over the years.
I want to make it clear
that I do not in any way fault Billy Graham for his wasting illness, nor would
I try to second guess if it is judgment or not. He certainly has blasphemed
our God and the Word of God by exalting the Pope and welcoming Buddhists into
eternal salvation without including the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Is
God judging him now so that all men will see this before Graham goes on to hell
where all Buddhist huggers and pagans go? You figure it out please.
But,
his vast cash flow at this time is obscene in view of the historic heritage of
godly men over the ages, beginning with our Lord. Billy Graham in no way
can justify a true need for the cash flow he enjoys. I wonder how many missionaries
could go to the field if this giving were re-directed, leaving Graham enough for
his needs alone? "Evangelism" is how Graham first justified his invitation
to the saints to give to his needs. Don't tell me, "He is worthy." That
is a lot of bunk. Vast wealth is never justified when we KNOW that the Lord
of Harvest chooses the poor and plain saints to do His work. Also,
there is no justification, as far as I know, for the vast sums now being used
to undergird the BGEA as the organization comes to a grinding halt as an evangelistic
entity. The end of everything comes one day or another, and the hangers-on
need to move on and find other things to do. Yet, the groupies cling to
the wasting body of the big man like a pack of house cats to a dying widow. In
fact, I have wondered if Graham is not being propped up in the corner in a near
comatose state as the troops shift and shuffle the cash. From: Newsforuse@aol.com
Date: Wed, 22 Dec 1999
Subject: Billy Graham is bucking a trend.
But he
is still a thief and his son a drunkard
Billy Graham is bucking
a trend Americans
hold public figures in lower esteem than they once did, but the silver-haired
evangelist is moving in the other direction. Graham this week was named on the
Gallup Poll's list of the world's most admired men for the 36th consecutive time.
He was nominated by 7% of Americans polled as most admired, up from 5% a year
ago, and second only to President Clinton. Pope John Paul II is next on the list,
which includes three former presidents -- Reagan, Carter, and Bush. Nelson Mandela,
Bill Gates, and Colin Powell also make repeat appearances, and 13 men from a variety
of occupations are tied for 10th place, mentioned by 1% each. Clinton was the
first or second choice of 10% of Americans polled, down from 18% in 1998.
In a poll of the most-admired
women, Hillary Rodham Clinton finished first, but dropped to 14% from 28% in 1998.
Others included Oprah Winfrey, Margaret Thatcher, Elizabeth Dole, Madeleine Albright,
Barbara Bush, and Queen Elizabeth. Janet Reno and Monica Lewinsky dropped off
the list, while Nancy Reagan and Barbara Walters reappeared in a tie for eighth
place, followed by Maya Angelou, Betty Ford, Rosa Parks, and three entertainers:
Rosie O'Donnell, Celine Dion, and Madonna. But
the Graham's in reality are hypocrites, alcoholic's, women abusers, liars and
thieves A
bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, temperate, sober-minded,
of good behavior, hospitable, able to teach; not given to wine, not violent, not
greedy for money, but gentle, not quarrelsome, not covetous; one who rules his
own house well, having his children in submission with all reverence (for if a
man does not know how to rule his own house, how will he take care of the church
of God?); 1 Timothy 3:2-5 A
President of an Evangelical Ministry must be blameless, the husband of one wife,
temperate, sober-minded, of good behavior, hospitable, able to teach; not given
to wine, not violent, and not greedy for money. But Ned Graham who has had ongoing
marital problems and his wife of 19 years, Carol, and have divorced. Carol Graham
alleged that her husband not only abused drugs and alcohol and had inappropriate
relations with other women, but also that he engaged in domestic violence and
used pornography They have two sons. Ned,
the youngest of five children, told Christianity Today in an interview that he
had abused alcohol and spent an "inappropriate amount of time" with two women
on his staff, although he denied having sexual contact with them.
Grace Community Church,
Southern Baptist Convention, in Auburn, Washington--which counted Ned Graham,
his wife, and their two sons as members-revoked Graham's ministerial credentials,
directing Graham to stop using the title reverend. He has since left that congregation
for another church. Despite
the turmoil, Graham carries on the ministry of East Gates with the expectation
of launching new training projects in China. Still, Graham has not officially
and openly communicated with his donors about his personal difficulties. "God
is not a little bit sovereign," Graham tells CT. "I am no white lily on the field.
I am a sinner saved by grace. This is real life, down to my toes."
Much of the staff and board
members of East Gates International, which Ned Graham leads as president, resigned
in the past year amid controversies. East Gates is a Sumner, Wash., group that
distributes Bibles in China. But
Billy Graham is standing by his son Ned, who has personal problems and troubles
with his ministry. "Our family is in the best position to understand these issues,
and Ned has our full confidence and support," Billy and Ruth Graham said in a
letter published in Christianity Today. East
Gates withdrew its membership in the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability
after Ned replaced the board members with his sister, brother-in-law, and business
leader Peter Lowe. The ECFA requires that a majority of board members not be related
by blood or marriage, which is no longer the case for East Gates, CT said.
Ned has not officially
communicated with his donors about his personal difficulties, but a December East
Gates fund-raising letter included a note from his father saying that "Ruth and
I are proud of and grateful to God for our son Ned." East Gates has distributed
2 million Bibles to Christians in China, Billy Graham said, encouraging Christians
to "back this unique and effective ministry." Graham's sister Gigi Tchividjian
has joined the office staff and Ned Graham continues as East Gates president
BUT ARE
BILLY GRAHAM' 'S SONS ANY DIFFERENT
FROM THEIR FATHER?
Franklin
Graham is also a proven liar and a thief and the Graham's are notorious for hiding
their total salaries and those of their family members and special friends in
their indirect personally owned non- profit religious corporation.
Mind you Southern
Baptist President Clinton does release his total salary and his personal income
tax to the public while Billy and Franklin Graham do not. But adulterous and lying
Bill Clinton seems to have more integrity and accountability than Southern Baptist
Evangelists do in this area? For
the record, Billy Graham Evangelistic Association received its tax exemption status
from the public. As a result it's the public right as well as each donor's right
to know and ask questions about the total remuneration of Southern Baptist Billy
Graham including special privileges and expenses in his North Carolina home paid
by BGEA including support staff. BGEA
does release to the public other public relations information such as "he has
had to slow his pace because of Parkinson's disease and other health, but he remains
active in his ministry, preaching at several events last year," but not true financial
information. BGEA has stone-walled Christian News Today request for such full
disclosure of financial information concerning the total remuneration of Billy
Graham including special benefits in his North Carolina home paid by BGEA.> A Californian
Southern Baptist Convention messenger recently noted that Arizona Southern Baptists
ceased publishing a newspaper in favor of a promotional magazine two years ago
and said there have been "no stories in the Arizona publication about the collapse
of the Baptist foundation" there. "We need a board that can tell every side of
the story," he said. "We have a separation of powers because there's a temptation,
even when you're a good person, to control the information."
Well the history of any
organizations usually tells us much about its purpose and mission? For Southern
Baptist "Billy Graham was embarrassed in 1977 when the Charlotte Observer discovered
an undisclosed $23-million fund in Texas, apparently not mentioned in the accountings
of the Minneapolis headquarters of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association.
As a result
Graham's business manager led the formation of the Evangelical Council for Financial
Accountability after Graham said on a national telecast, ". . . there are some
charlatans coming along and the public ought to be informed about them and warned
against them, " "In
1977 Senator Mark Hatfield informed a group of evangelical leaders that if they
did not assume responsibility for regulating themselves there was every likelihood
that legislation would be required. In fact, Congressman Charles Wilson of Texas
had already introduced a bill that would have required disclosure "at the point
of solicitation." In
December 1977 representatives of thirty-two evangelical groups met in Chicago
to discuss cooperative efforts. Thomas Getman, chief legislative assistant to
Senator Hatfield, told the group, "Legislation is not important; disclosure is."
Getman encouraged "a voluntary disclosure program . . . that will preclude the
necessity of federal intervention into the philanthropic and religious sector."
Almost two
years later Dr. Stanley Mooneyham, president of World Vision, acknowledged, "There
is no denying that this threat of governmental action was one of the stimuli''
that produced the December meeting and the subsequent activities which led to
the founding of the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability, "stated
K. Hadden and Charles E. Swann in their book Prime Time Preachers.
So according to knowledgeable
others for its own interest of self preservation BGEA led in the creation and
definition of ECFA as to how it would be accountable and what would be it's purposes?
For the ECFA
has as its Mission Statement it is committed to helping Christ-centered organizations
earn the public's trust through developing and maintaining standards of accountability
that convey God-honoring ethical practices. Also Its donor bill of rights states
of its responsibility - Make sure your charity's standards and guidelines assure
you of a "bill of rights" as a donor. You have the right to:
1. Know how the funds
of an organization are being spent.
2. Know what the programs you support
are accomplishing.
3. Know that the organization is in compliance with federal,
state, and municipal laws.
4. Restrict or designate your gifts to a particular
project.
5. A response to your inquiries about finances and programs.
6. Visit offices and program sites of an organization to talk personally with
the staff. ECFA
has stated that it wants to earn the public's trust through developing and maintaining
standards of accountability that convey God-honoring ethical practices.
But as the recent the bankruptcy
and the largest collapse of a religious foundation in the history of the United
States, the Baptist Foundation of Arizona has shown standard accountable practices
and financial reports only covered up the real crimes committed by prominent Southern
Baptists. None
of the Southern Baptist evangelists, including Billy and Franklin Graham, Bill
Bright, Jerry Falwell, Pat Robertson, or Louis Paula who belong to the Evangelical
Council of Financial Accountability reveal their total salaries and those of their
family members and special friends to their donors upon request
Clinton's affair did not
anger Southern Baptist Billy Graham who forgave Bill Clinton before he even admitted
he did anything wrong. In an interview in February 1998, Graham said about Bill
Clinton: "I forgive him . . . because I know the frailty of human nature, and
especially a strong, vigorous young man like he is. "He has such a tremendous
personality that I think the ladies just go wild over him."
Graham a Southern Baptist
later went on to state how he was proud of the way Bill Clinton, also a Southern
Baptist, repented and brought out into the open his sin with "that woman." Billy
Graham stated he was sure that God forgave Bill Clinton because he had asked for
forgiveness. Graham
stirred controversy in March by voicing forgiveness for Clinton in the sex scandal
with Monica Lewinsky, just as he had forgiven Nixon for his Watergate crimes.
Billy Graham forgave Clinton before the President confessed to lying about his
affair with Monica Lewinsky. Billy
Graham also said that he did not do that things which Jim Bakker or Jim Swaggart
did! But Billy ignored the word of God which clearly showed that he had sinned
by showing partiality to Southern Baptist Bill Clinton. But
Billy Graham is also a thief and hypocrite. Graham who is dying of prostrate cancer
is taking a one hundred percent salary $ 191,060 from his religious non profit
organization of which he is the full time chairman even if he is incapacitated
and has a pension fund and is working only ten days a year in a so called Christian
Organization. BGEA
confirmed in writing what we have already suspected that there were different
strokes for different folks and Billy Graham is a thief. The real question to
be posed to all is which employer in the country would allow one its employees
who is dying of prostrate cancer to work ten days a year and be paid a full one
hundred percent salary and still draw on his pension fund as it the case with
Billy Graham? Only family run evangelical nonprofit ministries is the answer
For the BGEA
return of IRS Form 99O Part V list of Officers and Directors states that Billy
Graham is a Director, Chairman and Full Time Executive Officer earning a stated
compensation not including pension payments of $ 191,060 for 1998. But the news
media had reported that Billy Graham spends over fifty percent of his time in
bed, is incapacitated and has only worked about ten days in 1998.
How many others who are
incapacitated and are sick and dying and are Southern Baptists in Arizona who
were fleeced by the Baptist Foundation of Arizona could draw one hundred percent
salary from a nonprofit organization, which is not to exist for the benefit of
one person or any other employee? Did BGEA pay all its other employees one hundred
percent of their salary if they miss more than fifty percent days of work in a
year? Of course not! That makes Billy a hypocrite! Did
BGEA use any of its millions of dollars of assets to help the Southern Baptist
widows who have been robbed by Southern Baptists? Of course not for Billy Graham
is a hypocrite who only does things which benefit himself!
Christian News Today
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