Contact: Cory Whitehead, Christianity Today, 630-260-6200 ext 4220, cwhitehead@christianitytoday.com

CAROL STREAM, Ill., Feb. 21, 2018 /Christian Newswire/ -- Famed evangelist and founder of Christianity Today magazine, Billy Graham, died peacefully on Wednesday, February 21 at his mountaintop home in Montreat, North Carolina at the age of 99.
 
During his life, Graham preached the gospel of Jesus Christ to over 200 million people across the world—over 100 million in person at his popular rallies. With his authenticity and passion for proclaiming God's truth and love for every person, it's estimated that over three million people accepted his invitation to "ask Jesus into their hearts."

Graham is known for coalescing evangelicalism into an important movement in the mid-twentieth century—a movement that centers on Jesus Christ's death and resurrection for the forgiveness of sins. He founded various evangelical organizations, including the leading evangelical publication, Christianity Today, in 1956.

CT's editor in chief, Mark Galli, shares, "In the early 1950s, Billy Graham felt the urgent need for balanced reporting and biblical commentary on the social, cultural, and theological trends and issues facing Christians. He woke up one night with a vision to start a magazine that would shape the hearts and minds of pastors and church leaders—a magazine that expressed biblical truth through Christ-centered love. His vision that night led to the first issue of Christianity Today being published October 15, 1956."

Harold Smith, president and CEO of Christianity Today, honors Graham's legacy, "Not only did Billy Graham start this ministry that now reaches over five million Christian leaders each month, but the Lord used Billy to bring countless people into a saving personal relationship with Jesus Christ. I'm but one person who thanks Billy for his commitment to the incredible call of God on his life because he helped lead my mother to find and follow Christ as a young women, who then led me to grow up knowing Christ."

Christianity Today is honoring Billy Graham's life and ministry with a full commemorative issue at www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2018/billy-graham/

Billy Graham's vision was for Christianity Today to lead the evangelical movement in biblical truth and love. This vision is represented through the nonprofit ministry's cause of Beautiful Orthodoxy. To honor and expand Billy Graham's legacy of Beautiful Orthodoxy, gifts to Christianity Today's Beautiful Orthodoxy Fund can be given at www.christianitytoday.org/give/.  
 
Christianity Today is a nonprofit, global media ministry centered on Beautiful Orthodoxy—strengthening the church by richly communicating the breadth of the true, good, and beautiful gospel. Reaching over five million people monthly with various digital and print resources, the ministry equips Christians to renew their minds, serve the church, and create culture to the glory of God.