Franklin Graham reflects on charting his own path, growing up in famous father's shadow: 'I never try to be Billy Graham'

By Ian M. Giatti, Christian Post Reporter Tuesday, October 20, 2026

Evangelist Franklin Graham says it wasn’t easy growing up as the son of the 20th century’s most famous preacher.

Graham, 74, appeared on an Oct. 15 episode of Fox News host Sean Hannity’s podcast “Hang Out with Sean Hannity,” where he shared a glimpse into his experiences growing up in the shadow of his late father, a spiritual adviser to U.S. presidents from Harry Truman to Barack Obama before his death in 2018. 

When asked about living up to his father’s legacy, Graham, who leads both Samaritan’s Purse and the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association (BGEA), said he's primarily focused on forging his own distinct path while faithfully stewarding his father’s legacy.

“You're the son of Billy Graham. I mean, one of the most revered, respected ministers ever in history who would have these crusades around the world with, you know, hundreds and hundreds and in some cases even millions of people would come to see your dad,” said Hannity. "Is that hard?"

“I never try to be Billy Graham,” he said. “You watch children of famous parents, and they try to be their parent, and they’re not. And so, they’ve become a disappointment and they feel like they have failed. I decided right at the very beginning I was going to find out what God had for me to do and I was going to do it. And if that embarrassed people, I’m sorry, but I’m not Billy Graham.”

As is often the case with other children of preachers and pastors, Graham said he went through a rebellious phase in his youth, when he was expelled from two schools and resisted any sense of God directing his life. “It wasn’t that I didn’t believe in God,” he added. “I just didn’t want any God running my life. I wanted to be in charge and, you know, I want to be in the driver’s seat, so to speak.”

He said a growing sense of emptiness eventually led him to prayer. “I just got on my knees one night and I said, ‘God, I’ve sinned against you, and I’m sorry. I’ve made a mess of my life. If you can just take the broken pieces of my life and somehow put it together, you can have it. I surrender.’”

That prayer, Graham added, changed the course of his life, even though he still felt the same as before.

“When I prayed that prayer, Sean, I meant it. And the next morning I woke up, I mean, I didn’t feel any different, but I remember that prayer I prayed the night before,” said Graham. “And I thought, ‘OK, I’ll try to see how it goes today,’ and I’ve been doing that ever since.”

Billy Graham served as president of the BGEA from its founding in 1950 until 2001, when his son Franklin, his fourth of five children, became president. 

Graham’s main focus is Samaritan’s Purse, which is currently on the ground in Pensacola, Florida, and southern Alabama following Hurricane Isaias and typically draws several hundred thousand volunteers throughout the year for its disaster relief efforts.

Still, Graham said he continues to preach at evangelistic meetings about 10% of the time, including a recent event in Manchester, England, and upcoming events planned for Hanoi, Vietnam, Caracas, Venezuela, and Santiago, Chile. 

“I feel that God has called me to preach, but I can’t be Billy Graham. So I don’t try to copy his format. We just do it a little bit differently and do it where I feel comfortable,” he said. “But it’s the same message."