NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP) — When it comes to influential evangelicals, every list begins with Billy Graham.

For 60 years he has traveled the world proclaiming the Word as God’s instrument in winning perhaps millions of souls for Christ.

Now, in the twilight of Graham’s humble yet monumental career, LifeWay Christian Resources has unveiled a website dedicated to celebrating his life and ministry.

“We simply want to join people everywhere to say ‘thank you’ to Billy Graham for diligently proclaiming the Good News of Jesus Christ around the world,” said LifeWay President Thom S. Rainer.

LifeWay’s new website – www.lifeway.com/billygraham – is designed to honor “America’s pastor” as well as highlight the ever-changing face of a ministry that continues despite its founder’s official retirement.

 

Global village

“The technology revolution has shrunk the world to a global village,” Graham said in 1995. “It is time for the church to utilize this technology to make a worldwide statement that in the midst of chaos, emptiness and despair, there is hope in the person of Jesus Christ.”

The website offers a simple yet worldwide avenue for the stories of Graham and his years of ministry to continue affecting people for Christ, Rainer said.

At the website, visitors can browse through extensive resources, including a timeline of Graham’s life and ministry, photos, key media coverage and even a map showing the location of Graham’s 400-plus crusades and his tours into such countries as Russia and North Korea.

Gary McClure, manager of marketing in LifeWay’s ebusiness group, said one special element of the site is its exclusive, behind-the-scenes look at the commissioned statue of Graham currently in production.

While the site offers plenty of content about Graham through the eyes of others, there are also multiple resources that allow Graham to speak for himself.

 

Life’s work reflected

“One Message, Many Decades” is a three-minute video unique to the site that depicts Graham through the years as he proclaims his central message of faith in Jesus Christ.

The video captures some of his finest visual moments of teaching, while the “Quotable Graham” portion of the site records some of Graham’s most memorable statements. From surprisingly profound one-liners to longer yet simply stated proclamations, Graham’s words reflect the story of his life’s work.

During the International Congress of Itinerant Evangelists in 1983, Graham said in his address, “We, too, need to explore every legitimate method for reaching our world for Christ. New challenges call for new methods and new strategies.”