Billy Graham world's best-known evangelist, who changed the lives of millions,' dies at 99

Billy Graham world's best-known evangelist, who changed the lives of

 millions' dies at 99

Image credit : Flickr.com

Today Graham passed away at his home in Montreat, North Carolina.

He was America's pastor.He was widely regarded as the most influential 
preacher of the 20th century.Graham was a spiritual adviser to American
presidents and provided spiritual counsel for every president from Harry Truman to Barack
Obama.

More than 214 million people in 195 cities and territories heard God's call in

Graham's voice.Graham logged more than 50 radio or television interviews 

with Larry King alone.

Youtube has a tape of Woody Allen interviewing the evangelist. 

"He was probably the dominant religious leader of his era; no more than one or
two popes,perhaps one or two other people, could come close to what he achieved," said William 
Martin,a former historian at Rice University and the author of "A Prophet with Honor: 
The Billy Graham Story."

Fundamentalists saw him as excessively liberal, and liberals saw him as too
literalist in talking about sin and salvation. His wonderful balance between them is critical to his 

legacy," says John Wilson, editor of Books & Culture, a sister publication of
Christianity Today magazine. 

Graham is reported to have persuaded more than 3 million people to commit their

lives to Christianity and his preaching was heard in 185 of the world's 195
countries, according to the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association.

He shaped the spiritual lives of tens of millions of people worldwide,"Carter said in a statement. 

"Broad-minded, forgiving, and humble in his treatment of others, he exemplified

the life of Jesus Christ by constantly reaching out for opportunities to serve.
He had an enormous influence on my own spiritual life."