NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)–In advance of the unveiling of a statue honoring evangelist Billy Graham at the Southern Baptist Convention’s annual meeting in Greensboro, N.C., SBC President Bobby Welch will present a bronze model of the sculpture to the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association at its headquarters in Charlotte on Tuesday, May 30.
The sculpture depicts Graham standing at the foot of the cross offering an evangelistic invitation.
Preston Parrish, BGEA executive vice president, will receive the statue on behalf of the ministry. He will be joined by the evangelist’s grandson, William Franklin (Will) Graham IV as well as longtime Graham associate Cliff Barrows.
Accompanying Welch in making the presentation will be Wyoming artist and pastor Terrell O’Brien who produced the sculpture and Chris Fryer, president/CEO, and Matt Samuelson, vice president of CCL Associates, an Atlanta-based church construction consulting firm that provided the funding for the sculpture. Also present will be Allan Blume, pastor of Mt. Vernon Baptist Church in Boone, N.C., and the chairman of the SBC’s Committee on Order of Business.
The presentation and press conference will take place at 10:30 a.m. at the BGEA headquarters at 1 Billy Graham Parkway in Charlotte. Members of the media may coordinate with Erik Ogren of the BGEA by calling 704-401-2432.
The Southern Baptist Convention is America’s largest evangelical denomination of churches with more than 16.2 million members in more than 43,500 churches nationwide.
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