Billy Graham dead: Legendary evangelist preacher and spiritual adviser to presidents dies aged 99.

 

Billy Graham, a Christian evangelist and adviser to several US presidents, has died.
Graham died at his home in Montreat, North Carolina, aged 99, a spokesman for the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association said.

He had long suffered from cancer, pneumonia and other ailments.

Graham transformed religious life in America through his preaching and activism and became the most widely heard Christian evangelist in history.

He reached more than 200 million people through his appearances and millions more through his pioneering use of television and radio.
His message and service to US presidents from Dwight Eisenhower to George W Bush earned him the nickname "America's Pastor."

Graham's ties to the White House were mutually beneficial as they enhanced his reputation as a preacher, while boosting the presidents' standing with religiously inclined voters.