In the city where his father’s ministry began, Franklin Graham preached the Gospel to an entirely new generation last weekend.
“It may seem like a departure from our historic Crusades,” says Franklin, “but Rock the River really is just a continuation of the youth-focused ministry that my father and his team started more than 60 years ago with Youth For Christ.”
Franklin adds, “Over the years, our desire to reach young people with the transforming power of the Gospel has not diminished, and the Rock the River Tour is designed to reach youth primarily between the ages of 13 and 23 with the message of God’s love through faith in His Son, Jesus Christ.”
In a recent letter to BGEA supporters, Billy Graham echoed the words of his son: “On the surface, these Rock the River Tour events look nothing like a crusade. But in fact we are using all the principles of successful crusade evangelism God has taught us through the years.”
The Launching Pad
Although Billy Graham was born and raised in North Carolina, it’s the Minneapolis-St. Paul area that birthed much of his ministry. He was still in his twenties when he agreed to become president of Northwestern College in St. Paul.
Billy, who felt he was not qualified, had turned down this request on a number of occasions. But in 1947 he finally agreed, under the condition he could maintain his commitment to evangelism. Northwestern School’s board of directors honored their founder’s wishes at their first board meeting in 1948, and named Billy interim president.
KTIS Hits the Air
On February 7, 1949, in Memorial Hall on the Northwestern College campus, a group of faculty, students, friends and family members packed the room and waited expectantly for a long-prayed-for moment.
At 2:15 p.m., the KTIS microphone was flipped to the “on” position for the first time, and Northwestern President Billy Graham offered a prayer on-air.
During that first year, programming from its studios included the first broadcast of the BGEA’s weekly radio program “The Hour of Decision,” which has continued for more than 50 years and currently reaches millions across the globe with the Gospel message.
In 1977 at the Diamond Jubilee of the college, Billy said, “Seventy-five years to look back to – glorious, thrilling, hard, challenging, sometimes desperate years. To God be the glory for what has happened. But today we don’t look back. We look forward. . . . And I want to recommit my support to you and to Northwestern today. I count it a privilege to be a part of your history and I want to be a part of your future.”
Living Out the Legacy
“Living Out the Legacy” is the 60th anniversary celebration of KTIS radio, designed to honor Billy Graham. Both KTIS 98.5 FM and Faith 900 AM are committed to helping to make a difference in the Twin Cities. Listeners are encouraged to “give back” all year long. But in 2009, the station is cheering them on to do something special – with friends, family or church – during the “60 Days of Service” from August 1 to October 1. For more information, visit www.livingoutthelegacy.com.
BGEA Headquarters
Of course, to those of us who work at the BGEA, the years that the ministry was based in Minneapolis (1950 to 2003) provide one of the strongest connections. Some staff moved to Charlotte when the ministry did, but others chose to remain.
For a group of veteran employees, last weekend’s Rock the River event was a trip back to their roots. For others, last Sunday represented a new vision and new future for a ministry blessed with a Godly legacy.
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