Board of Directors
- Franklin Graham
- President and Chief Executive Officer
William Franklin Graham III is the fourth of five children of evangelist Billy Graham and his wife, the late Ruth Bell Graham. Raised in a log home in the Appalachian Mountains outside Asheville, North Carolina, Franklin now resides in Boone, North Carolina, with his wife Jane. They have four married children—Will, Roy, Edward, and Cissie—and 11 grandchildren.
In his autobiography, Rebel with a Cause, Franklin explained that “just being the son of Billy Graham won’t get me into heaven.” At age 22, after a period of rebellion, Franklin committed his life to Jesus Christ while alone in a hotel room in Jerusalem.
Franklin has served as president and CEO of Samaritan’s Purse for more than three decades. In this role, he has led the international relief and evangelism organization to provide physical aid in Jesus’ Name to suffering people in more than 100 countries. He holds evangelistic Crusades every year both in the U.S. and around the world.
As a speaker and author, Franklin regularly addresses current moral and social issues, calling Christians to stand for Biblical values and challenging them to make a difference in the world for the sake of the Gospel. He offers Biblical context and application to national and world events. Through Samaritan’s Purse and the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association he has been instrumental in helping people impacted by crises including terrorist attacks, civil war, natural disasters and epidemics such as the Ebola crisis of 2014.
Franklin has worked in Alaska for more than three decades. The Grahams have a cabin in Port Alsworth near Samaritan Lodge Alaska.
As the father of an Army Officer who was wounded in active duty, Franklin is dedicated to addressing the challenges facing military couples and to seeing them experience the healing power of the Gospel of Jesus Christ in their lives and marriages.
Paul Saber
Steve McCay
David Beroth
Justin Arnot
Andrew Lawrence
Merrill Littlejohn
Donna Pierce
Staff
- Simon Herbert
- Managing Officer