Career Timeline of Franklin Graham: Major Achievements and Milestones

From career breakthroughs to professional milestones, explore how Franklin Graham made an impact.

William Franklin Graham III, commonly known as Franklin Graham, is a prominent American evangelist and missionary. As the son of Billy Graham, he leads both the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association (BGEA) and Samaritan's Purse, a major international Christian humanitarian aid organization. Under Graham's leadership, Samaritan's Purse has become a leading global relief provider, offering assistance in areas affected by conflict and natural disasters, such as Ukraine and Pakistan. Considered a highly influential evangelical leader, Graham heads one of the largest charitable organizations in the U.S., funded by substantial private donations. He also frequently engages in Christian revival tours and political commentary.

Sections (5)

Full Timeline Early Life & Education Career & Achievements Challenges & Struggles Controversies & Scandals

1973: Joined Samaritan's Purse Mission to Asia

In 1973, Franklin Graham joined Bob Pierce on a six-week mission to Asia, where he decided to focus on world relief.

1974: Became a "committed Christian"

In 1974, Franklin Graham became a "committed Christian", marking a significant turning point in his life and eventual career as an evangelist.

1974: Graduation from Montreat-Anderson College and Religious Conversion

In 1974, Franklin Graham graduated from Montreat-Anderson College with an A.S. degree. Also in 1974, during a trip to Jerusalem, he repented and experienced a new birth.

1975: First Experience in Ministry

In 1975, Franklin Graham gained his first experience in ministry when he accompanied Bob Pierce on an international trip visiting missionary and refugee camps, hospitals, and meeting with various leaders in several countries.

1978: Founded World Medical Mission

In 1978, Franklin Graham assisted in founding World Medical Mission, the medical ministry of Samaritan's Purse, after being approached by surgeons Lowell and Dick Furman.

1978: Graduated from Appalachian State University

In 1978, Franklin Graham graduated from Appalachian State University with a B.A. degree.

1979: Became President of Samaritan's Purse

In 1979, after the death of Bob Pierce, Franklin Graham became the president of Samaritan's Purse, modeling it after the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association.

1980: Relocation of Samaritan's Purse Headquarters

In 1980, Franklin Graham discovered that the California leadership had incorporated a separate ministry organization, leading to a conflict resulting in the relocation of Samaritan's Purse headquarters to Boone, North Carolina.

1982: Ordained by Grace Community Church

In 1982, Franklin Graham was ordained by Grace Community Church in Tempe, Arizona, a non-denominational church.

1982: Ordained

In 1982, Franklin Graham was ordained, a pivotal moment that paved the way for his public speaking and authorship career.

1982: Ordination and Start of Evangelistic Career

In 1982, Franklin Graham was ordained, marking the beginning of his evangelistic career. He emphasized that his calling was independent of his father's legacy and focused on his work with Samaritan's Purse.

1989: First Evangelistic Event

In 1989, Franklin Graham held his first evangelistic event, continuing his father's tradition of preaching to large audiences worldwide.

1990: Operation Christmas Child Founded

In 1990, British businessman Dave Cooke founded Operation Christmas Child, which later Franklin Graham would help expand the initiative.

1990: Second Vice-Chairman of BGEA

In 1990, Franklin Graham was second vice-chairman of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association (BGEA), being the only child of Billy Graham on the BGEA's board.

1993: Samaritan's Purse took over Operation Christmas Child

In 1993, Franklin Graham was contacted by British businessman Dave Cooke, who asked Graham if he would help expand the Operation Christmas Child initiative. Under Graham's leadership, Samaritan's Purse officially took over Operation Christmas Child.

1995: Emergence as Successor and Vice-President of BGEA

In 1995, Franklin Graham stepped in for his father, Billy Graham, at a crusade in Toronto, highlighting his emerging role as his father's successor. A few months later in 1995, Franklin Graham became vice-president of the BGEA.

2000: Named CEO of BGEA

In 2000, Franklin Graham was named CEO of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association (BGEA) as his father retired from ministry.

2001: Succeeded as President of BGEA

In 2001, Franklin Graham officially succeeded his father, Billy Graham, as President of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association (BGEA).

2001: Limited Funding for HIV/AIDS Prevention

In 2001, Samaritan's Purse allocated only $1.6 million for HIV/AIDS prevention efforts due to a lack of donor-designated contributions for such programs.

February 2002: International Conference on HIV/AIDS

In February 2002, Franklin Graham organized a five-day international conference on HIV/AIDS in Washington, D.C., highlighting the threat and urging compassion.

2002: Partnership with Bono

In 2002, Franklin Graham partnered with rock musician Bono to raise awareness about HIV/AIDS globally. In late 2002, Franklin Graham gathered with Bono and the Brooklyn Tabernacle Youth Choir at New York's JFK International Airport to send off more than 80,000 Operation Christmas Child shoebox gifts.

April 18, 2003: Preaching at the Pentagon's Good Friday Service

On April 18, 2003, Franklin Graham preached at a Good Friday service held at the Pentagon, drawing further criticism.

2004: Influence on Religious Conservatives

In 2004, Franklin Graham's superstar status and the conference's testimony convinced American religious conservatives that it was their moral duty to do something about the pandemic.

June 2005: Continued Crusade Ministry

In June 2005, Franklin Graham continued the crusade ministry following his father's final evangelistic event, the Greater New York Crusade.

2006: Preached Alongside Billy Graham

In 2006, Franklin Graham preached alongside Billy Graham at two events: the Celebration of Hope in New Orleans and the Metro Maryland Festival in Baltimore.

November 2007: Response to Tabasco Flooding

In November 2007, Franklin Graham led Samaritan's Purse in responding to severe flooding in Mexico's Tabasco region, providing aid and medical care.

2012: Addressed HIV/AIDS Marginalization

In 2012, Franklin Graham addressed the marginalization of individuals with HIV or AIDS, comparing it to the treatment of those with leprosy in biblical times and calling for compassion and support from the church.

2013: Evangelistic Association Revenue

In 2013, the evangelistic association reported revenues of $106.5 million.

June 2016: Graham Expresses Zero Hope for Political Parties

In June 2016, Graham told a crowd that he had zero hope for the Democratic or Republican Party and was running a campaign to put God back in the political process.

November 2016: Graham Believes God Played a Role in Trump's Election

In November 2016, Graham told The Washington Post that God had played a role in Donald Trump's election as U.S. president.

2016: Graham Supports Trump's Policies

Since the 2016 election, Graham has been a prominent supporter of some of Trump's policies on the U.S. economy, abortion, and religious freedom.

January 20, 2017: Graham Reads from Timothy at Trump Inauguration

On January 20, 2017, at the Inauguration of Donald Trump, Graham read a passage from Paul's First Epistle to Timothy.

2017: Emergency Field Hospital in Mosul

In 2017, Franklin Graham's organization, Samaritan's Purse, partnered with the Iraqi Health Ministry and the World Health Organization to establish an emergency field hospital near Mosul, Iraq, during the battle against ISIS.

December 2020: Graham Praises Trump's Presidency on Facebook

In mid-December 2020, Graham wrote on Facebook that "President Trump will go down in history as one of the great presidents of our nation".

March 2022: Graham Visits Ukraine and Calls for Easter Ceasefire

In March 2022, Franklin Graham visited Ukraine immediately after the Russian invasion, conducting an Easter Sunday sermon and calling for a 10-day ceasefire.

August 2022: Samaritan's Purse Launches Relief Operation in Pakistan

In August 2022, Franklin Graham directed Samaritan's Purse to launch an immediate relief operation following severe monsoon flooding in Pakistan, providing emergency food, water filtration kits, shelter materials, and hygiene supplies.

September 2022: Samaritan's Purse Airlifts Aid to Ukraine

In September 2022, Samaritan's Purse had conducted at least 30 airlifts carrying essential relief and medical equipment into Ukraine.

November 2022: 200 Millionth Shoebox Distributed

In November 2022, Samaritan's Purse celebrated distributing its 200 millionth shoebox through Operation Christmas Child.

2022: UK Tour Rescheduled

Franklin Graham's UK tour was rescheduled for mid-2022 after legal threats and assurances that his preaching would not be discriminatory.

2022: Response to Russian Invasion of Ukraine

In 2022, Franklin Graham deployed Samaritan's Purse disaster response specialists to Poland and Romania, providing aid, medical supplies, food, and temporary shelter in response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. They also shipped and delivered over 600,000 Operation Christmas Child shoebox gifts to children in Ukraine, and set up field hospitals to treat the wounded.

February 2023: Samaritan's Purse Deploys Hospital to Turkey

In February 2023, after an earthquake devastated Turkey and Syria, Franklin Graham's Samaritan's Purse deployed a 52-bed emergency field hospital to Antakya, Turkey, treating over 530 earthquake victims in its first week.

October 2023: Graham Visits Israel During Conflict

In October 2023, during the Israel–Hamas conflict, Graham visited Israel to assess humanitarian needs and provide assistance through Samaritan's Purse.

2023: Evangelistic Event at OVO Hydro Arena

In 2023, Franklin Graham returned to Glasgow to hold an evangelistic event at the OVO Hydro arena, the same venue that had previously canceled his event, following his legal victory in 2022.

2024: Forbes Ranking of Samaritan's Purse

According to the Forbes 2024 ranking, Samaritan's Purse was ranked 13th among the 100 largest charitable organizations in the United States, with $1.111 billion in private donations.

January 20, 2025: Graham Gives Invocation at Trump Inauguration

On January 20, 2025, Graham gave an invocation at the inauguration ceremony for President Donald Trump, thanking God for Trump's win.

March 2025: Encountering God Ethiopia Event

In March 2025, Franklin Graham led Encountering God Ethiopia, a large-scale evangelistic event, at Meskel Square in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, attended by over 430,000 people.

March 2025: Graham Discusses Aid with Zelenskyy

In March 2025, Franklin Graham spoke with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to discuss humanitarian aid efforts and support for Ukraine, with Zelenskyy thanking Graham for his organization's assistance.

2025: Samaritan's Purse Global Reach

As of 2025, Samaritan's Purse, under Franklin Graham's leadership, maintained offices in multiple countries and provided aid in over 100 countries worldwide.

2025: Graham's Crusade in Ethiopia

Franklin Graham's 2025 crusade in Ethiopia coincided with a period of shifting political dynamics between Ethiopia's government and the Trump administration.