“concerned about the children of his peers,” people like John
who would ultimately carry on the mission. “What surprised me,”
John said, “was how through the years he would invite me to play
a round of golf, or call me up at almost any time of the night or
day with some question or insight he had, or even asking for help
on a message he was preparing—treating me not as a person
twenty years younger, but graciously and humbly asking for my
counsel. He never came across as someone who had all the
answers and was dispensing them to the next generation; but in
the process, he was both a voice of wisdom and a mentor.”
John mentioned that Garth Rosell, who matriculated at
Princeton with John, had a similar experience. Garth’s father,
Merv, had been a major figure in early YFC days and was a friend
of Billy’s.
We contacted Garth at Gordon-Conwell Seminary, where he
serves as a professor of history. Garth, who has a special interest
in the study of revival and reform, agreed that Billy had grown
under both older mentors and with his generational peers. “Billy
seems to have given significant attention to the raising up of lead-
ers who could carry the work once he was gone.”
Although Garth’s contacts with Billy were infrequent, “they
were exceedingly important in the shaping of my life and work.
At several strategic points in my life, a letter, a note, or a phone
call would arrive to provide exactly the kind of gentle encour-
agement I needed. Perhaps because of his friendship with my dad,
I always sensed that he took a special interest in me and what I
was doing.”
Frank Thielman, son of the Grahams’ pastor in Montreat, tells
of the time he was wrestling with his decision about either stay-
ing at King College as a professor or accepting an invitation to join
the newly formed Beeson Divinity School. He was torn. “Dr. Gra-
ham called,” Frank told us. “He said, ‘Your dad tells me you’re
really struggling with this decision.’
“I said, ‘Yes, I really am.’ And we talked about it, and he
helped me work it through. He didn’t tell me what to do, he just
helped me through the pros and cons.”
The Leadership Secrets of Billy Graham