CHARLOTTE, NC (ANS) — In the latest stage of the organization’s growth that began in Minneapolis, Minnesota, more that 50 years ago, the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association (BGEA) will celebrate the opening of its new home in Charlotte, North Carolina, with a special dedication ceremony. (Pictured: Franklin and Billy Graham).
Some four years after announcing a plan to relocate the international headquarters from Minneapolis and two years after the official ground breaking in Charlotte, Rev. Billy Graham, Franklin Graham, and the BGEA Board of Directors will hold a private dedication ceremony Saturday, April 23 at 10 a.m.
“The event will be an opportunity for invited guests and media to see the recently-completed facility located on 63 acres of land on the Billy Graham Parkway,” said a spokesperson for BGEA. “Tours of the building and a lunch will follow the one-hour program.
“The dedication event will also be an opportunity for guests to see the final plans for the Billy Graham Visitors Center and Library. Groundbreaking for this facility is expected to take place during the fall of 2005.”
Billy Graham, a North Carolina native, founded the BGEA in 1950 in Minneapolis. The city of Charlotte honored Graham, 83, in 1983 by renaming a 4.8-mile stretch of highway the Billy Graham Parkway.
More information is available at www.billygraham.org. 