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Billy Graham joins First Baptist Church in Spartanburg

Evangelist Billy Graham has moved his membership to First Baptist Church in Spartanburg, S.C., the church's pastor told the congregation Dec. 28, reports Baptist Press.

A long-time member of First Baptist Church in Dallas, Graham told FBC Spartanburg Pastor Don Wilton on Christmas Eve that he wanted to join the Spartanburg church, the Spartanburg Herald-Journal reported. Wilton and his son were visiting Graham at the 90-year-old evangelist's home in Montreat, N.C., which is about 90 miles from Spartanburg.

Graham is good friends with Wilton and watches the church's services on television. Graham wrote the foreword to Wilton's 2005 book, "Totally Secure: Finding Peace and Protection in the Arms of God."

"Our church is deeply humbled and deeply grateful to accept him as one of our own," Wilton told WSPA-TV in Spartanburg. "And it certainly gives us great joy to do that."

FBC Spartanburg and FBC Dallas both are Southern Baptist churches.

Graham turned 90 Nov. 7. In 60-plus years of ministry, he has preached the Gospel in person to nearly 215 million people, according to statistics by the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association.

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TAGS: USA Spartanburg evangelist Billy Graham First Baptist Church Christmas Eve Billy Graham Evangelistic Association

[01/01/2009]

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