He also aggressively sought the counsel of his teammates and
of his wife, Ruth. But the essential, defining part of his follower-
ship was his giving ultimate control to someone other than him-
self. He constantly sought to understand the signals coming from
his Coach. He may have been quarterback, but he was deter-
mined that the ultimate plays would be called by the Lord he
served.
Billy’s marching orders came from hours of prayer and study-
ing the Scriptures and praying with those who shared his convic-
tions and were in the trenches with him. He was constantly asking
the question, “What is God actually saying we should do next?”
He was well aware of the story in the Bible of the apostle Paul’s
struggling with strategic issues, and after much prayer and coun-
sel, a decision was made only after “it seemed good to the Holy
Spirit and to us.”
Such sensitivity to the Spirit has typified Billy’s decision-
making process over the decades. Throughout his ministry, Billy
followed. He was a highly effective leader with clarity of purpose
because he was determined that nothing would short-circuit his
responding to the nudges of the Holy Spirit. In facing ambigu-
ous circumstances and hearing competing voices, the complexities
pressed him to long hours of reflection, prayer, and seeking the
applicable biblical wisdom.
The Teamis a term that has always permeated the Graham
organization. It refers to the inner circle, the vitality of which radi-
ates out to other key players and through the ranks. The team
spirit extended to thousands of participants, even out to volun-
teers and local leaders who made the crusades happen in their
hometowns. A counselor or coordinator, a team member or
recruiter felt like a vital contributor, fully engaged, following the
playbook, working in tandem with the players who were up front
and leading the process.
But it all started with team followership in the inner core, and
that started with Billy himself.
Forming the Team