The lead-off articles in this issue celebrate 50 years of Billy Graham’s public evangelistic ministry. But we could also celebrate another important anniversary: 40 years ago, Billy Graham gave one of his most important speeches to one of his all-time smallest audiences. The evangelist called together about 10 influential Christian leaders to explain his idea for a new magazine to be called CHRISTIANITY TODAY. He hoped it would fill a void:
“Thousands of young ministers are really in the evangelical camp in their theological thinking and evangelistic zeal,” Graham said. “As evangelicals, I am convinced we are in the majority among both clergy and church members. However, we have no rallying point, we have no flag or organization under which we can all gather. We are divided, confused, and in one sense defeated. We need a new strong vigorous voice to call us together that will have the respect of all evangelicals of all stripes within our major denominations.”
Later that year, businessman Howard Pew responded to Graham’s vision by providing most of the funds needed to send it free to nearly every member of the Christian clergy in North America. The prospect of such generosity encouraged Graham’s physician father-in-law to abandon his surgical practice and manage the new magazine: which he did for 18 years.
Watch this space for more reminiscing in 1996, for it was in 1956 that the first issue of CT was published. And if you can handle a full load of nostalgia in 1996, you’ll also want to read Billy Graham’s (as yet untitled) memoirs. Originally scheduled for publication this fall, they are now nearing completion and will go to a publisher early next year.
On this magazine’s silver anniversary, Graham said it had “helped bring about an evangelical revolution in America.” On Graham’s golden anniversary, we say that he gets the lion’s share of the credit.
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