During the next two years, Franklin Graham plans to make several visits to the Lone Star State. In 2016, he’ll stop in Austin as part of the Decision America Tour. The following year, he’ll preach the Gospel at a Festival in San Antonio. On Thursday, his son, Will Graham, spoke to hundreds of San Antonio pastors and their spouses about the blessings and challenges of the pastorate.
“How many of you have been a pastor for more than 14 months?” Will Graham asked a ballroom full of nearly 400 pastors and spouses. Acknowledging the many raised hands, he deadpanned, “You’ve done something Billy Graham has never done!”
The assembled crowd, on hand for a pastors’ appreciation lunch in San Antonio, Texas, sponsored by Salem Communications, chuckled as Will began to share about his grandfather’s brief time as a pastor in Illinois, and his own years as a pastor in North Carolina.
“My grandfather always had a heart for the pastorate, because he knew what it meant to be a pastor,” Will shared. “I considered it the greatest privilege to be a pastor. It’s the highest calling in life.”
Highlighting the importance of the calling, Will shared another anecdote from his grandparents.
In the early years of Billy Graham’s ministry, somebody mentioned to him that he should consider serving as vice president of the United States. He seemed to contemplate it for a moment, when he felt a sudden, sharp pain in his leg. It was his wife, Ruth Graham, jabbing him.
“She told him, ‘What kind of a preacher would ever stoop to be vice president?’” Will laughed. “We represent the King of kings and the Lord of lords. That’s the greatest joy!”
Will briefly touched on a couple of upcoming events the pastors could be part of as they seek to reach their city and state with the Gospel.
The first is the Decision America Tour, which will make a stop in Austin, Texas, next year (as well as every other state capital in the country).
The second is a Franklin Graham Festival scheduled for San Antonio in 2017.
These events are an opportunity for the pastors and churches of San Antonio to “unite under the name of Jesus,” Will said.
As he went on to speak about leaving a legacy, Will issued a handful of challenges to the pastors.
First, he encouraged them to make a personal impact for the kingdom of Christ.
“It’s not enough to leave your name behind,” he said. “You’re called to have an impact in this world for the King.”
Second, Will asked the pastors to make prayer a key focus in their churches. He shared that one of his grandfather’s greatest regrets in his incredible decades-long ministry was that he took too many speaking engagements and didn’t spend that time on his knees in prayer.
“Pray more,” Will said. “Allow the Holy Spirit to do more in your church by committing to prayer.”
Finally, he pulled from Romans 10:17: “So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.”
He challenged the pastors to focus on the Gospel and the Bible.
“Preach the Word,” he said, “and teach your people to do the same. Your good deeds won’t get anybody into heaven. You need to preach the Gospel.”
As he closed, Will sought to share one last word of encouragement to the pastors from his grandfather.
“He’d say, ‘Keep your eyes on Jesus.’”
