We’d heard Billy was uncomfortable being seen in fancy cars.
Melvin told us stories of his refusing gift cars and about his sim-
ple tastes. “Unless he was with somebody like President Kennedy,
he wouldn’t even want to use a limousine. Today, over at the
hotel, I said, ‘Billy Frank, let me take you to the nice restaurant
here.’ He said, ‘No, drop me over to McDonald’s.’ He got that from
our momma and daddy.”
We could see in many ways how the legacy imprinted on Billy
in his youth stamped his approach to finances. His not wanting
to in any way misuse “God’s money.” His working very hard to
secure adequate resources to fulfill his ever-expanding vision. His
intuitive grasp as to how ordinary people would react to symbols
of wealth.
Billy had reached young adulthood as a farm boy during the
Depression, a sure formula for a man’s taking money very seri-
ously. During the Depression, Billy learned that to survive, you
had to generate cash flows, starting with his selling brushes and
moving furniture. We asked Bill Pollard, chairman of Graham’s
executive committee and former CEO of ServiceMaster, if Gra-
ham was concerned about money.
“He sure was. He’s concerned that the size of the organization
can be supported by the revenue—a fundamental principle he’s
always held.”
“How did he make that happen?”
“When it comes to touching the hearts and minds of people,
Billy Graham has a special skill and genius of being able to speak
to the individual, regardless of the size of the audience. In busi-
ness, we would call him a marketing genius. Graham would have
been successful running a business or any other venture. He may
not have gone to a business school and thought about channels of
distribution, but the economic model of the community carrying
local costs and the BGEA carrying onsite team costs; his vision to
expand the gospel in radio, films, TV, and now videos; the content
of the direct mail letters—it’s all part of his genius, a gift from God.”
Pollard’s mention of the donor letters brought to mind a
phone conversation with Billy many years before. He had told us
The Leadership Secrets of Billy Graham