Will Graham (evangelist)

{{Short description|American Christian evangelist (born 1975)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2022}}
{{third-party|date=December 2016}}
{{Infobox person
| image       =
| image_size  =
| name        = Will Graham
| birth_name  = William Franklin Graham IV
| caption     =
| birth_date  = {{birth date and age|1975|1|30}}
| birth_place = [[Montreat, North Carolina]], U.S.
| death_date  =
| death_place =
| occupation  = [[Evangelism|Evangelist]]
| website     =
| spouse      = Kendra Graham
| children    = 3
| parents     = [[Franklin Graham]]<br />Jane Cunningham
}}
'''William Franklin Graham IV''' (born January 30, 1975) is an American [[Evangelism|Christian evangelist]]. He is the Executive Vice President and associate evangelist of the [[Billy Graham Evangelistic Association]]. Graham is the third generation of Grahams to preach under the banner of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association (BGEA). He is a grandson of [[Billy Graham]] and the oldest son of [[Franklin Graham]].<ref name="bio ">{{Cite web |title=BGEA: Media Relations |url=http://www.billygraham.org/biographies_show.asp?p=6&d=1 |access-date=June 21, 2009 |publisher=Billy Graham Evangelistic Association}}</ref>

==Early years==
The oldest of the four children of evangelist [[Franklin Graham]] and wife Jane Graham, Will Graham grew up in a farm house in the mountains of [[Boone, North Carolina]], along with his two brothers and one sister.

He was introduced to Christianity by his father.<ref name="will ">{{Cite web |title=BGEA: About Us: News |url=http://www.billygraham.org/News_Article.asp?ArticleID=577 |access-date=June 21, 2009 |publisher=Billy Graham Evangelistic Association|url-status=usurped |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090621230615/http://www.billygraham.org/News_Article.asp?ArticleID=577 |archive-date=June 21, 2009}}</ref>

He graduated from [[Liberty University]] in 1997 with a [[Bachelor of Science|bachelor's]] degree in religion and in 2001 graduated from [[Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary]] with a [[Master of Divinity|master of divinity]] degree.<ref name = bio />

==Ministry==
Since beginning his evangelistic ministry with youth-oriented, one-day events in Canada, Graham has spoken to audiences across North and South America, Australia, India, and other parts of Asia.

Graham's first crusade-style event took place in 2006 in [[Leduc, Alberta]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Christian evangelist Will Graham giving people hope for tough times |url=https://calgaryherald.com/news/local-news/christian-evangelist-will-graham-giving-people-hope-for-tough-times |access-date=December 21, 2020 |website=calgaryherald |quote=Graham ... said his first evangelistic outreach in 2006 was in Leduc.}}</ref> His first celebration on U.S. soil came later that year in [[Gastonia, North Carolina]].<ref>[http://www.religionnewsblog.com/16212/will-graham-grandson-of-billy-graham Will Graham, grandson of famed evangelist, takes up the crusade] ReligionNewsBlog</ref> Since then, he has held evangelistic outreaches in Australia, Canada, England, Tanzania, India, Romania, the Philippines, Thailand, Japan, Scotland, Sri Lanka, Uganda, Papua New Guinea, Kenya, Mexico and many American states.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Crusade, Festival, & Celebration Cities |url=https://billygraham.org/news/media-resources/electronic-press-kit/crusade-cities/ |website=Billy Graham Evangelistic Association}}</ref>

Graham also served BGEA as executive director of the Billy Graham Training Center at The Cove in [[Asheville, North Carolina]] until 2022. The Cove offers multi-day seminars and one-day events on a variety of Christian subjects and features nationally-recognized{{Citation needed|date=February 2010}} speakers.<ref name = bio />

In 2018 Will Graham played the role of his grandfather [[Billy Graham]] in the motion picture ''[[Unbroken: Path to Redemption]]''.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Grandson of Billy Graham talks 'Unbroken: Path to Redemption' |url=https://www.today.com/video/grandson-of-billy-graham-talks-unbroken-path-to-redemption-1316725315955 |access-date=May 13, 2019 |website=TODAY.com}}</ref>

Graham's first book, ''Redeemed: Devotions for a Longing Soul'' a devotional book, was published by Thomas Nelson in 2018. It features stories centered on the life-changing power of a relationship with God.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Redeemed Devotional |url=https://www.thomasnelson.com/p/redeemed-devotional |website=Thomas Nelson}}</ref>

==Family==
Graham and his wife, Kendra, have two daughters, Christine Jane (CJ), Rachel Austin (Rae), and a son, William Franklin Graham V (Quinn).<ref name = bio />

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* [https://billygraham.org/about/biographies/will-graham/ Will Graham Profile]
* [http://www.billygraham.org/specialsections/wgc/WGC_About.asp Will Graham: The Next Generation]
*{{IMDb name|id=nm9680193}}

{{Billy Graham}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Graham, Will}}
[[Category:1975 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:20th-century evangelicals]]
[[Category:21st-century evangelicals]]
[[Category:American evangelicals]]
[[Category:American evangelists]]
[[Category:Graham family]]
[[Category:Liberty University alumni]]
[[Category:People from Boone, North Carolina]]
[[Category:People from Buncombe County, North Carolina]]