Grahams

American evangelist Franklin Graham preached at the second largest church in China on Sunday, proclaiming to around 10,000 people the story of tax collector-turned-Jesus follower Zacchaeus, as recorded in Luke 19.

Before the overflowing crowd at Bethel Church of Baoding, located about 120 miles south of Beijing, Graham stressed that each person there is
not just one figure in China’s 1.3 billion population nor too insignificant to meet God. To the Almighty Lord, each of them is important as was Zacchaeus, who was given the choice to accept or reject Jesus’ invitation to come down and meet him.

“I’m here today to tell you that not only does God know who you are, He loves you,” the evangelist said, according to Decision Magazine, the publication of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association (BGEA). more >>

U.S. Evangelist Franklin Graham has concluded a three-day trip to North Korea that included meetings with high-level government officials and visits to his ministry's humanitarian assistance projects.

In a brief dispatch, North Korea's state-run news agency reported that Graham and his delegation had left the country Thursday after having arrived two days earlier to present $190,000 in equipment and supplies for a new dental center being built in Pyongyang.

During his stay, Graham also had a "friendly conversation" with North Korean Foreign Minister Pak Ui Chun and offered a gift to North Korean leader Kim Jong Il through the country's vice parliamentary speaker, Kim Yong Dae, the state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) had reported. more >>

U.S. Evangelist Franklin Graham had a "friendly conversation" Wednesday with North Korea's foreign minister, the reclusive nation's news agency reported.

Graham, who heads the international relief agency Samaritan's Purse, arrived in Pyongyang on Tuesday in an effort by the Christian leader “to help improve better relations and to have better understanding" between United States and North Korea.

"I'm going as a minister of Jesus Christ with a message of peace and that God loves each one of us regardless of our borders or politics," the evangelist said before departing. more >>

Franklin Graham arrived in North Korea on Tuesday to meet with high-level government officials and visit his ministries' humanitarian assistance projects.

"I believe it is important to make visits like this to help improve better relations and to have better understanding with each other," said Graham prior to departing. "I'm going as a minister of Jesus Christ with a message of peace and that God loves each one of us regardless of our borders or politics."

Graham’s latest trip marks the third time the evangelical leader has visited the reclusive nation and the first time an American aid agency has visited since all U.S. humanitarian groups were kicked out more than six months ago. more >>

Franklin Graham will no longer accept contributions to his retirement plan from the two organizations he leads – at least until the current economic climate changes for the better.

Though Graham received no retirement funds during his first several years at Samaritan’s Purse and no salary at all during his first year leading the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, the evangelist asked the heads of the two ministries' compensation committees to cut off contributions to his retirement plan "for the time being" and acknowledged to his local newspaper that his present compensation total "looks terrible" and that “people won't understand it."

"Nothing's been done that's bad," Graham told the Charlotte Observer, which first reported on Graham’s total 2008 compensation. "It's a perception issue – but in the nonprofit world, you have to be careful of perceptions." more >>