I first heard evangelist Billy Graham in a large tent at the fairgrounds in Memphis in 1952. My businessman father was impressed with Graham's decision to establish an association whose board gave him a salary. From early 1950s on, the evangelist insisted he would not lead a crusade that was segregated. In the South where I grew up, his crusades were the first large integrated worship services.

By the 1960s, he had become an international preacher. In 1969, I was pastoring an English-language church serving mostly military families in Stuttgart, Germany. Key leaders of Graham's organization came to Stuttgart to encourage participation in the Dortmund, Germany crusade. Our church rented a bus and traveled 300 miles north. The arena was filled with 25,000 mostly Germans. The responses were similar to what I saw in the U.S. It was during the '70s that I recognized Dr. Graham's courage.

In the '50s, he was an outspoken anti-communist, but during this later period he preached in the Soviet Union and other communist countries. When the wall came down, the former communist countries' people wanted Graham to help them adjust. He had been accused of being soft on communism, but his response was that he would preach wherever God lead him. His preaching helped encourage Eastern Europeans to believe in Jesus Christ.

In 1994, I was at the Southern Baptist Convention in Atlanta where I saw a very weak Billy Graham helped to the platform by two men supporting him. I believed I was hearing my hero for the last time. In 1999, Graham's advance team came to Cape Girardeau to enlist support for the 2000 St. Louis crusade. To my amazement, I saw a vigorous Billy Graham preaching unassisted at the event. It was a MIRACLE! Dr. Graham showed none of the effects of the Parkinson disease I had seen in 1994.

Dr. Graham has been recognized as the greatest preacher in the last half of the 20th Century. He has been an inspiration and a model for me and many others.

Roy H. Jones lives in Cape Girardeau.