{"id":10448,"date":"2024-05-14T14:00:02","date_gmt":"2024-05-14T18:00:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/christnewstoday\/?p=10448"},"modified":"2024-05-14T14:00:02","modified_gmt":"2024-05-14T18:00:02","slug":"billy-grahams-legacy-to-be-set-in-stone-with-unveiling-of-new-statue","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/christnewstoday\/2024\/05\/billy-grahams-legacy-to-be-set-in-stone-with-unveiling-of-new-statue.html","title":{"rendered":"Billy Graham\u2019s Legacy to be Set in Stone With Unveiling of New Statue"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Shutterstock.com | Inset: Anthony Correia \/ Shutterstock.com<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

A statue honoring Billy Graham at the US Capitol is set to be unveiled<\/a> on May 16th<\/sup>, memorializing the evangelical juggernaut\u2019s work in civil rights and counsel with 12 US presidents. The statue was first approved by a bill in 2015 by the North Carolina General Assembly, Graham\u2019s home state. \u201cThere have been many great North Carolinians, but few have impacted the world more than Billy Graham,\u201d read the bill. The statue will be placed in the National Statuary Hall, which permits each of the 50 states to have two of its notable citizens represented. Graham\u2019s statue will replace Gov. Charles Aycock, a Democrat governor lauded for his education advocacy but also criticized for his ties to white supremacy<\/a>. The Hall is meant for posthumous statues. Graham died in 2018 at the age of 99.<\/p>\n

The bronzed statue is 7 feet tall and was created by Charlotte-based artist Chas Fagan. It features Graham pointing to an open Bible. The statue\u2019s granite base will be inscribed with John 3:16 and John 14:6. John 14:6 says, \u201cJesus answered, \u2018I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me,\u201d and is also etched into Graham\u2019s gravestone marker at Billy Graham Library according to the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association (BGEA). \u201cThe legacy of Rev. Billy Graham is based on his simple message of forgiveness based on John 3:16. His lifelong commitment to preaching the Gospel, his fight for civil rights, his opposition to communism, and his spiritual guidance provided hope to hundreds of millions. His likeness should stand in the U.S. Capitol forever,\u201d said Senator Ted Budd (R-NC) who was part of the bipartisan effort to approve the statue.<\/p>\n

Prominent figures such as Christian singer Michael W. Smith and House Speaker Mike Johnson will attend the ceremony to install the statue. Graham is perhaps one of the best-known evangelists in the last century, with his ministry spanning 8 decades, preaching in person to over 210 million people worldwide. Graham\u2019s son, Franklin Graham, president and CEO of the BGEA, will also share remarks on his father\u2019s legacy. \u201cThis is a great honor, and my father would be humbled and grateful,\u201d he said of the statue. \u201cAt the same time, he would not want the attention on himself but on God\u2019s Son, the Lord Jesus Christ.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A statue honoring Billy Graham at the US Capitol is set to be unveiled on May 16th, memorializing the evangelical juggernaut\u2019s work in civil rights and counsel with 12 US presidents. The statue was first approved by a bill in 2015 by the North Carolina General Assembly, Graham\u2019s home state. \u201cThere have been many great…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":664,"featured_media":10454,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fbia_status":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-10448","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"\nBilly Graham\u2019s Legacy to be Set in Stone With Unveiling of New Statue<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"A statue honoring Billy Graham at the US Capitol is set to be unveiled on May 16th.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" 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