Beloved evangelist the Rev. Billy Graham will be laid to rest today, March 2nd. His funeral service is being held in Charlotte at the Billy Graham Library.
Graham passed away on Wednesday, Feb. 21st at his home in Montreat, North Carolina. He was 99.
In the short time since his death, thousands of tributes, remembrances, and testimonies have poured in from those who knew him or were somehow touched by his life and message.
As ChristianHeadlines.com previously reported, Graham was honored on Wednesday, Feb. 28 in a special service in the US Capitol Rotunda where he lay in state for leaders and the public to pay their respects.
President Trump spoke at this ceremony, recalling his father taking him to hear Graham preach:
"My father said, 'Come on son.' And he said, 'Come on mom,' let's go see Billy Graham at Yankee Stadium," Trump recalled, according to CNN.com. "Fred Trump was a big fan."
Graham’s family also had dinner with Trump and Vice President Pence at the White House on Wednesday. Graham’s son Franklin said that they talked about his father’s life and that the President asked questions about him.
Today at the Billy Graham Library, about 2,000 people will be present to attend Graham’s funeral.
President Trump and Vice President Pence are expected to attend, according to The Washington Post.
The funeral will take place under a 28,000-square-foot tent, which The Post reports is a throwback to Graham’s famous 1949 crusade in Los Angeles, which was an eight-week event that took place under a similar tent.
Graham’s gravestone will be engraved with the simple yet fitting phrase: “Preacher of the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ.”
See below to watch live coverage of Graham's funeral.
Photo: U.S. President Donald Trump touches the casket of Christian evangelist and Southern Baptist minister Billy Graham as he lies in honor in the U.S. Capitol Rotunda February 28, 2018 in Washington, DC. A spiritual counselor for every president from Harry Truman to Barack Obama and other world leaders for more than 60 years, Graham died February 21 at the age of 99.
Photo courtesy: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images
Publication date: March 2, 2018
