Billy Graham Evangelistic Association To Move International Headquarters to Charlotte, N.C.

Billy Graham Evangelistic Assn
Thursday, 15 November 2001

After 50 Years in Minneapolis, Organization Plans to Relocate on Billy Graham Parkway in Charlotte

After more than 50 years of operation in Minneapolis, the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association (BGEA) today announced plans to relocate its international headquarters to Charlotte, N.C. The new headquarters will be constructed on 63 acres located on Billy Graham Parkway, north of the city. The move is likely to take three to five years to complete.

Franklin Graham, CEO of the BGEA and son of Billy Graham, unveils plans for the move at a luncheon of business and civic leaders and a press conference today in Charlotte. Both Grahams spoke to the ministry's employees about the move earlier today during a biennial staff conference.

Billy Graham, addressing ministry employees, said, "Minneapolis has been very good to us, but we have run out of room to grow. It has been a wonderful 50 years. Charlotte offers us the opportunity to have all of our ministries close together. You'll get a great and warm welcome from the people of Charlotte."

Building plans and timelines are still in the planning stages. The BGEA employs some 400 workers in its downtown Minneapolis offices, where it lacks the land or space to grow. Many of the current employees will relocate to the Charlotte area.

Franklin Graham told reporters at today's press conference, "Today starts a new chapter in the history of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association. This move enables us to have all of our ministries and leadership located in North Carolina, and with plenty of room for future growth and development."

Reverend Billy Graham, a North Carolina native, founded the BGEA in 1950. The Association initially established headquarters in Minneapolis, where they have been ever since. Billy Graham, 83, was born in Charlotte and has resided virtually all of his life in North Carolina. The city of Charlotte honored Graham in 1983 by renaming a 4.8-mile stretch of highway Billy Graham Parkway.

Rev. Graham and his wife Ruth live in Montreat, N.C., where they raised all five of their children, including their eldest son Franklin who was named CEO of the BGEA in 2000 and has served as an evangelist for the organization since 1989. Since 1979, Franklin has also headed Samaritan's Purse, an international Christian relief organization based in Boone, N.C.

The Billy Graham Evangelistic Association is a nondenominational, non-profit organization that reaches millions of people each year through Billy Graham Crusades and television broadcasts, Franklin Graham Festivals, DECISION magazine, "Hour of Decision" and "Decision Today" radio programs, and World Wide Pictures. Based in Minneapolis, Minn., the organization has 632 full-time staff worldwide.

For more information, or to contact Billy Graham Evangelistic Assn, see their website at: www.billygraham.org