While nearly everyone knows about Billy Graham's crusade ministry, few people know about the other members of the family. Ruth contributes her time to a children's hospital, and each of the children is involved in ministry.

RUTH GRAHAM:

Ruth and Billy Graham Children's Health Center

Since her father served as a physician for Mission Hospital in Asheville and created Memorial Mission Hospital in 1949, Billy and Ruth Graham continued his legacy through this health center located at Mission St. Joseph's in Asheville, a health system combining both Memorial Mission and St. Joseph's hospitals. Ruth started the Ruth Bell Graham International Children's Health Fund, part of the Children's Health Center.

The fund began as a result of Footprints of a Pilgrim, a dramatic presentation of Ruth's poetry. When the presentation began to be a reality, Ruth decided she did not want to receive money, and at the suggestion of her daughter Gigi, set up a fund that would enable the Health Center to help train doctors for overseas missions. In honor of her father, all of the royalties from the project benefit the fund.

RuthBellGraham.com

Ruth Bell Graham has her own site, with summaries of her books, short bios of friends who have done public readings of her poetry, and samples of her poems. The site also highlights another project honoring Ruth and her work: Footprints of a Pilgrim. Footprints began as the inspiration of her literary agent, Stephen Griffith, to make the public more aware of her poetry and to emphasize how it reflected her life and relationship with her husband and children. Griffith contacted Robert Smyth, artistic director with the Lamb's Players Theatre in San Diego, California, who decided to write a dramatic performance focusing on Ruth's life, interweaved with verses from her poetry. The performance took place on April 5, 1988, at the Diana Wortham Theater in Asheville, North Carolina.

Ruth's true ministry lies in her writing and poetry. This site will give you more of an insight into the creative genius that allowed her to sit back and allow her husband to shine in the spotlight, while she raised a family and touched her neighbors with gentle inspiration.

BILLY GRAHAM:

The Hour of Decision radio program

On November 5, 1950, Billy Graham delivered his first radio broadcast of The Hour of Decision. George Beverly Shea and the Crusade Choir provided the music, and associate evangelist Grady Wilson read the Scripture. Billy delivered the message, and sometimes included Ruth in the program. In fact, Ruth rejected Billy's first title of the program, The Billy Graham Show, and helped him decide on a new name. The program continues today once a week.

Decision Today

As others in the Graham family became ready for ministry, Billy Graham started another radio program--this time daily--called Decision Today. Decision Today presents short histories, personal testimonies, and Bible teachings relevant to different types of decisions.

BillyGraham.org

Billy Graham's main Web site links to his radio ministry Web sites as well as some other resources for people seeking Christian answers or who have seen one of his crusades on TV and wish to respond. He also answers questions that people have e-mailed.

MINISTRIES OF THE GRAHAM CHILDREN

Three of the Graham children lead their own ministries; the other family members assist each of them and their parents' ministries from time to time.

AnGel Ministries (Anne Graham Lotz)

East Gates International (Ned Graham)

Samaritan's Purse (Franklin Graham)