Featured Billy Graham

According to BJU's own history page, they first opened in September 1927:

History of BJU

 

I'm not sure of that. Stephen Jones' apology for some of BJU's past admission (and other) policies seemed to include some corvid feathers.

 

Well good thing that he was not claiming to speak for God when saying Billy was now a nobody!

 

Actually, BOTH Bob Jones's and John R Rice had pegged Billy Graham as a compromising modernist long before it became so evident that even on this board there are those who have related the truth of the man's compromising behavior.

Long before Graham was puffed up by the world newspaper in Los Angeles, long before Stuart Hamblen's conversion, long before he moved to Chicago, long before there was the "team" of Bev. Shay / Cliff Barrows (a BJ graduate), long before Al. Smith helped him in the early days, Graham was already subtlety drifting toward that which he would embrace to gather both popularity and prominence.

Bob Jones was right. And the "rules" were never the issue with Graham, they were an excuse to escape responsibility for him dealing with the prone to wander, the drifting that would later push him into compromising and modernism. Declaring friendships with the enemies of the Lord and fellowshipping with those who opposed the message he preached.

Btw, why did Billy Graham attend the funeral of Bob Jones, Jr. if he was so opposed to them?

Especially when he knew they stood in open position against much of what Graham was doing even in the late sixties - how much more evident did he show his colors the older he got.

Because, ultimately, he knew they were right, but the machine was set in motion in Los Angeles and by the time he realized he had no ultimate control he was unwilling to do anything other than still preaching the message of Scriptures. Events took upon themselves a life of their own and as he admitted in his last days, he wished he had spent more time in studying the Bible and learning the truths.

So do I, for if he had, he might not have allowed himself to drift so compromisingly into alliances and declaring righteousness and friendships that would damage the message he so desired to deliver.

But, God used him, just as God purposes to use all who are His.

 

Despite his flaws and mistakes, used by God in missionary/evangelst greater fashion than any since the Apostle paul.

 

So, you know every missionary/evangelist used by God (and how he used them) since Paul?

 

I was just using the numbers given for the amount of people reached by Dr graham with the Gos[pel message during his lifetime, and the number of claimed converts to Christ.

 

Frankly, TCassidy is far likelier to have it right about evangelical history than Time Magazine. Just sayin'.

 

According to documents in the John R. Rice Papers at Southwestern BTS, Rice backed Graham strongly in The Sword of the Lord until 1956. That year Graham sent a letter to the Baptist Standard supporting the Texas Baptist Convention in not allowing designated gifts to the Cooperative Program. (Also that year, Graham came out publicly against fundamentalism.)

This allowed SBC liberals to get funds from conservatives. This was actually when the break between Graham and Rice occurred, though it became more public in 1957 when Graham had liberals on the committee of the New York Crusade.

 

My parents were at Wheaton in the 1940s. I believe they knew Billy, but I'm not certain. Granted, the rules at Wheaton in their day were less strict than BJU, but back in the day, the rules at Wheaton were much more draconian. Here are the rules from 1860 (from the Billy Graham archives at Wheaton):

"THE FOLLOWING THINGS ARE POSITIVELY DISALLOWED, VIZ.:

■ Generally, all offensive, disorderly or indecent conduct

■ propagating infidel principles

■ profaning the Sabbath

■ profane or obscene language or behavior

■ playing billiards and like games

■ using intoxicating liquors or tobacco

■ disorder in rooms

■ disorder in or about the buildings, especially at nights

■ injuring college property

■ a careless use of fire

■ throwing water, dirt, or other offensive things from the windows

■ joining any secret society or entering the marriage relation while a member of the College

The deportment of the sexes towards each other will he particularly regarded by the Faculty, and any student whose conduct shall be, in the judgment of the Faculty, either foolish or improper, will be promptly separated from the institution, if admonition fails to correct it. In short everything is forbidden which will hinder, and everything required, which, we think, will help students in the great object for which they assemble here, which is improvement of mind, morals and heart.

The Faculty will exercise a parental and moral oversight of the character and conduct of the students, each officer having power to suspend disorderly students until next Faculty meeting. The students are required to be present at all College Exercises; to treat their officers with respect, and fellow-students with decorum; to attend church on the Sabbath; and not to leave town; or be out at night; or be out of their rooms in study hours; or absent from examinations without permission."

 

According to Wikipedia (which I don't trust, but it usually gives a direction to go), the rules for their Student Union Cafe in 1950 were pretty strict (Wheaton College (Illinois) - Wikipedia): "No Rook Playing and No Playing of Boogie-Woogie, Jazz, or Otherwise Abusing the Piano."

 

An old roommate long ago related to me a story his father had told him about Billy Graham.

It seems that Billy Graham was a college classmate of his.
Early each week Billy would arrive and then eventually fall asleep in class.
The professor wasn't too bothered.

"Let him sleep. Billy was out evangelizing during the weekend, doing more work than all of us to spread the gospel."​

Rob

 

Hey HAMel! What is up?

 

Ah, no Elvis, eh?

 

No way!