_The Leadership Secrets of Billy Graham_ by Harold Myra and Marshall Shelley (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2005), 348 pages.

If you think you know Billy Graham and your opinion is not favorable, this book may give you pause to reconsider. If you already know and respect him, the book will deepen your admiration.

The authors argue that Billy Graham is what Jim Collins calls a “Level Five Leader.” In _Good to Great_ Collins reports that he was shocked to discover that CEOs with extraordinary results “were not ego-driven but self-effacing. They blended extreme personal humility with fierce resolve” (p. 13 of Leadership Secrets). This, say Myra and Shelley, aptly describes Billy Graham. In sifting through his life and legacy, “… we’ve unabashedly probed for the positive to distill transferable principles” (p. 15).

The 21 “Secrets” (a word we suppose was chosen by Zondervan’s vigorous marketing department) are sorted into six categories: Coming Alive, Getting Started, Creating Momentum, Growing through Fire and Ice, Multiplying Momentum, and Deepening in Every Decade. (That last phrase might be a good sermon series for a church marking a significant anniversary!)

What’s in here for pastors and lay leaders praying and working for renewal in older churches? Here are a few of those ‘transferable principles:’

1. The Importance of the Call. “To understand the passion of Billy Graham, one must recognize his distinct crucible was not [as with Teddy Roosevelt] of multiple deaths of loved ones or similar grief but, at the very core, the intensity of the Call” (p. 31). We have always said that only the called will be committed to church renewal. The extraordinary demands weed out pretenders.

2. Loving Harsh Critics. “Leadership, by definition, means change, which makes criticism inevitable. Even if the road ahead is progress, change produces disequilibrium, uncertainty, and a reluctance to part with the past” (p. 85). We know about THAT in churches over 40, don’t we? Billy Graham never reacted to his many critics. Instead, he considered the possibility that his critics might be sources of insight.

3. Communicating Hope. “The optimistic, thoughtful leader is well aware of the brutal realities, the questions, the what-ifs. The leader may feel jangled nerves or malaise but CHOOSES the way of faith and hope, knowing he must communicate that to others” (p. 97, emphasis in original). We are convinced that to be effective, leaders in churches over 40 must radiate hope.

4. Not Quitting. Sometimes Billy Graham became so burdened by the weight of his calling that he wanted to escape. “At the Graham retreat center, called the Cove, is a cemetery with designated plots where Billy and Ruth will eventually be buried. Billy has said that sometimes the mental, physical, and spiritual pressures on him have been so great that ‘I felt like going to the Cove and lying down in the cemetery to see how I fit’ (p. 183). Yet he found strength, as you will see below in number six.

5. Standing for Justice. In 1959 Billy Graham was scheduled to lead a crusade in Little Rock, Arkansas. Tension was high between blacks and whites over forced school integration. A school administration building was bombed. “Members of the community requested that Billy hold segregated meetings to avoid inflaming the situation further. … Billy refused, however. To come under those conditions, he explained, would violate the gospel that he stood for. He insisted on integrated meetings … When he offered an invitation to accept Jesus, six hundred people came forward. Billy then asked the news media to ‘carry this story of hundreds of people of both races standing at the foot of the cross to receive Christ’” (p. 262). Often churches over 40 must bridge racial, ethnic and/or socioeconomic differences in order to serve the needs of a new population. The ground at the foot of the cross is even.

6. Finishing Well. “From the beginning, his spiritual power has come from prayer and the Bible.” Everyone close to Billy Graham “emphasizes his spending large amounts of time connecting with his source of wisdom, cleansing, and power” (p. 289). For many years he began each day reading five psalms and one chapter of Proverbs. The psalms, he said, showed him how to relate to God, and Proverbs showed him how to relate to people. Like Billy Graham, those who pray and work for renewal in older churches practice spiritual disciplines and trust God for results.

7. Innovating. Billy Graham preaches a very traditional message. But he is continually experimenting with new methods of communication. “Effective leaders must blend history and precedent with wisdom from the past, applying them to emerging realities” (p. 303). Billy Graham embraced the Jesus People of the 1970s despite their different styles of hair, clothes, and music. And he continually changed his methods in service of his message. We think that’s a fine example for any traditional church seeking to stay relevant and energized. In June 2000 one of our children dedicated her life to Jesus Christ at an event sponsored by the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association. The event was a concert performed by Audio Adrenaline (www.audioa.com). She was 11 years old at the time. Now she’s considering a call to missionary service. Billy’s vision and willingness to innovate has enabled him to influence a new generation.

These and other leadership lessons are found in the life of Billy Graham. Apply them to your life, and be encouraged in the important work of church renewal.

Rev. Fred Oaks
Church Over 40