The legacy of the late evangelist Billy Graham will be immortalized next week as he joins the ranks of 200 Americans honored with a statue in the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C.
The Billy Graham Evangelistic Association announced that Graham’s statue will be unveiled during an 11 a.m. ceremony next Thursday. The event is expected to draw prominent figures including musician Michael W. Smith and House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., along with other congressional representatives.
The seven-foot bronze sculpture, crafted by an artist from Graham’s birthplace of Charlotte, North Carolina, will depict him gesturing toward an open Bible, symbolizing his lifelong commitment to spreading the Gospel.
Engraved on the pedestal will be passages from the Bible, including John 3:16 and John 14:6, highlighting Graham’s role as a “Preacher of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.”
The journey to place Graham’s statue in the Capitol began with the unanimous vote by the North Carolina General Assembly in 2013, declaring him the state’s “Favorite Son.” Subsequently, in 2015, then-Gov. Pat McCrory signed House Bill 540, initiating the process for the statue.
Senator Ted Budd, R-N.C., lauded Graham’s ministry, stating, “The legacy of Rev. Billy Graham is based on his simple message of forgiveness…His spiritual guidance provided hope to hundreds of millions.”
Expressing gratitude for the honor bestowed upon his father, Franklin Graham, president and CEO of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association and Samaritan’s Purse, remarked, “This is a great honor and my father would be humbled and grateful.”
He continued, “At the same time, he would not want the attention on himself but on God’s Son, the Lord Jesus Christ.”
Graham, who passed away in 2018 at the age of 99, left an indelible mark on history. Counselling 12 U.S. presidents and preaching to nearly 215 million people in 185 countries and territories, Graham’s influence is unparalleled.
In his last message to Americans, released on his 95th birthday in 2013, Graham lamented the spiritual state of the nation, expressing, “There have been times when I’ve wept, as I’ve gone from city to city and I’ve seen how far people have wandered from God.”
The placement of Graham’s statue in the U.S. Capitol aligns with the tradition of National Statuary Hall, established in 1864 for states to honor notable citizens. Congress’s resolution in 1933 limited each state to two statues, with Graham becoming one of North Carolina’s distinguished representatives alongside former Gov. Charles Brantley Aycock and Zebulon Baird Vance, who served as governor during the Civil War.
As Graham’s likeness graces the halls of the Capitol, his message of faith and redemption resonates, ensuring his impact endures for generations to come.
Credit: The Christian Post
