Billy Graham
was admired by my Father as a Christian who preached the Word, "plus and minus nothing else," as Dad would say. After I entered full-time ministry, he always encouraged me to "give a Billy Graham invitation;" in other words, one that was not weak or watered down. Dad worked with him during one of his early "Youth for Christ" crusades in Portsmouth, Virginia, before becoming pastor of South Norfolk Baptist Church, and I had one occasion to meet him personally after a Duke University chapel service. Every year at South Norfolk, Dad would invite the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association to come and screen one of their current Christian films, at no cost to the church. Many times we would watch Rev. Graham preach at one of his crusades on television. I remember one occasion that, while the hymn of invitation was being sung, Mother began to cry. She told me she was crying tears of joy at seeing so many folks come forward to accept Christ as their Saviour. In her prayer life, she would always pray, that Dad would "have souls for his hire." In other words, it was an old way of saying, that Dad would be used of the Holy Spirit, to lead folks to Jesus in his work for the Lord; that salary had nothing to do with his dedication to Him. I know that he never asked for a raise in all the years he was at South Norfolk Baptist.
We need more preachers today who will preach the Word without adding or subtracting from it.
-Rev. Joe Hughes
