North Carolina Now; North Carolina Now Episode from 09/25/1996

Renee It's Wednesday September 20. Tonight on North Carolina now every person here tonight can have a life. A native son brings the message of the gospel to billions around the world. A

pleasant Wednesday evening everyone I'm worried about right glad you could join us for tonight's edition of North Carolina now. On our program this evening we'll continue to profile the life of Reverend Billy Graham. Plus we'll meet his son Franklin who will one day take over his father's ministry. Also tonight we'll visit a North Carolina folk school that teaches arts and crafts rooted in the traditions of Southern Appalachia. But we start our program tonight with part two of our series Billy Graham. Tomorrow evening in Charlotte Billy Graham will start a four day crusade which he says will be his last in the Carolinas in anticipation of that event Graham invited U.N. CTV along with other media outlets to his home in Montreal to discuss a wide variety of issues. Last night we shared with you the pride that Reverend Graham has for his home state. Tonight we look back at how this North Carolinian got his start preaching on the streets of Charlotte has built a ministry of worldwide acclaim. The water that I give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into one

ball lasting light. Every person here tonight can have a lasting one. God called me to preach and I intend to preach as long as I have strength to do so in this 77 year old Billy Graham has slowed down some due to age and the physical limitations brought about by Parkinson's disease. It's a very strange sort of a disease because one day you feel fine the next day you feel weighed down feel like staying in bed all day and then you have trouble walking are very great trouble. I can't write anymore I can't write a letter. And that has its drawbacks but also I think God has sent it to me at this age to show me that I'm totally dependent on him. And when I go into the pulpit to preach I may have to have a little bit of help getting to the pulpit but when I get there I can sense the presence and power of the Lord and He

helps me in my preaching. I don't think there's been any change just far as my physical stamina and preaching Despite his physical deterioration his mind remain Charlie you know determination and passion he brings to his ministry. All right strong. What shall it profit a man if he gain the whole world and lose his own soul. In other words your soul is worth all the rest of the world put together. It was in 1934 during a revival meeting in Charlotte held by a traveling evangelist named Mordecai. But Graham says he accepted Christ in his life. Why does God choose. Anybody don't know it's a sovereign act of God and have not been chosen to do anything. Like the man that's preaching down the mountain here in the small church is doing a work that way

because that's what I'd like to be doing. I don't want to be doing what I'm doing or something he says he doesn't want to be doing. He's been doing it quite successfully for the last year reaching to more people than any history. His success is due in part to the advent of television which coincided with Graham's burgeoning ministry. Graham became a master at utilizing the broadcast media to his advantage. Your life has been confused you haven't been working. If you like right now right in your home. Well the Lord seemed to send along this technological revolution just as I was in my ministry. So I was able to use things that evangelist before May could not use the Grahams crusades of the same basic format for the last 50 years.

Each crusade includes a massive choir with literally thousands of members of the choir at the Charlotte site is expected to number 8000. There are celebrities guests who give testimonials about how Christ has over their lives and of course there was a song by George Beverly that come every week. 0 0 0 0 0 0 0. And finally Graham's trademark altar call where he asks those in attendance to leave their seats and come to the front of the auditorium to be born again. I'm going to ask hundreds of you to get up out of your seat men women young people and come and stand in front of the platform right tonight I want Christ to be my rock. I think that there we have different stages in our lives when we as Christians and which we

rededicate ourselves to the Lord and I've rededicated myself many times in fact. I can hear someone else preach and I feel like when he calls for people to come and make a commitment or to join the church I feel like stepping forward again. And I do in my heart many times. The format of the Crusades have stayed the same because Graham says the message of the gospel which he preaches has never changed. And the problems of today are the same now as when Graham first started his ministry can we face the same problem that was faced in the first century man's rebellion against God and God's laws and man's sin. A three letter word. Yes. And we all are sinners the Bible says. And when you have a world with as many people as we have with this sin in their hearts and we have we see on the page and in the news every day about the murders and the rapes and the. Drug taking in all that is going on.

It's the same as it was then. But Graham is optimistic for the future of mankind. He believes that Jesus Christ will return to earth to rule over us. God imposed peace and because of that faith. Graham says he'll continue his ministry for as long as he is able. And I have no plans to retire. The Lord may have plans and if he has plans he'll retire. Graham's busy schedule is evidence of the fact that he has no plans to retire. He's currently putting the finishing touches on his mum was he continues to write his newspaper column and make personal appearances and of course there's the Crusade starting tomorrow in Charlotte and there are other Crusades planned for next year in California and Texas and possibly South Africa. Graham says this calendar for 1997 is close to full. So he's working on commitments for 1998. Coming up you'll meet the man who will eventually take over for Billy Graham one day. But first let's take a news break

and head over to Michel Louis. Good evening Mitch. Thanks Maria. Good evening everyone. Topping our news state allowances for the legal dumping of toxins has placed North Carolina high on a national water pollution list. In a report released by the U.S. Public Interest Group the Tar Heel states amount of toxic water pollution ranked 24th in the nation according to the report more than four million pounds of toxins were legally dumped into the state's waterways in the early 1990s. The top polluter was Champion International and the Pigeon River it uses in the western part of the state had the most pollution of any river in North Carolina. North Carolina's leading hog producing county may approve new farm regulations Duplin County is considering an ordinance which would allow the health department to regulate farms. The agency would decide if the farm poses a health hazard to area residents. Opponents say there are already enough regulations where hog farms. Supporters of the ordinance say farms are opening without considering possible groundwater pollution. The health department would vote on

could vote on the measure as early as next month. Tobacco growers and health care providers are taking steps to join in the effort to keep children from smoking. Representatives of the two groups are meeting at a conference this week in Roanoke Virginia. The twofold goal of the conference is to keep people healthy while meeting the needs of tobacco farmers. The farmers agree something needs to be done about smoking among young people. But they say they don't want to lose their livelihood over it. Statewide property damage totals are in for Hurricane Fran according to the American Red Cross. The storm destroyed two thousand four hundred sixty eight homes in North Carolina damaged more than 25000 others. More than six thousand eight hundred homes suffered major damage and roughly nine thousand three hundred families were left in need of shelter. The American Red Cross notes North Carolina's counties down east as the hardest hit. And rebuilding on North Topsail Beach will dominate discussions on coastal redevelopment tomorrow and Friday. The talks will involve an agency of the state and

officials of North Topsail Beach. The two will attempt to hammer out an agreement to curb development. Meanwhile North Carolina's top 10 insurance companies say the state can expect at least 700 million dollars in claims stemming from Fran and the North Carolina insurance underwriting Association says charges against them will be spread over all policyholders. All of North Carolina's urban counties ranked below their neighboring suburban communities and concealed gun permits according to The Charlotte Observer Cabarrus County and Ira Del leave the list to Barras County ranks first with the recorded five hundred fifty three permits or just over five permits for every 1000 residents statewide Charlotte's Mecklenburg County ranked forty ninth and now for a look at tomorrow's weather seasonably pleasant temperatures are forecast to continue for Thursday. Highs in the upper 70s to the lower 80s are on tap for tomorrow across most of the state. Partly to mostly sunny skies will shine from Charlotte eastward to the coast. A chance of afternoon showers could crop up in the cooler mountains.

And business news Carolina Power and Light says damage costs incurred from Hurricane Fran will not be passed on to its customers. The PNL figures it cost them more than 70 million dollars in labor and repairs to bring full power back online. More than 700000 CPS customers were without power due to the storm earlier this month. See PNL says it will ask the state for permission to withhold money from its shareholders to recover the costs. And North Carolina ranked among the top 10 states and per capita income growth for 1995. The figures released by the U.S. Commerce Department show per capita income growing nationwide at its fastest rate in five years. North Carolina showed a five point eight percent increase with it and come up a little more than 21000 dollars per person gains and per capita income exceeded and lation in every state except Hawaii and North Dakota. And now for a look at what happened on Wall Street today. It's

a modern day story of the prodigal son. Franklin Graham has left behind what he calls his rebellious ways and is now committing his life to preaching the gospel. Franklin has been chosen to take over his father's ministry when the day arrives that Billy Graham can no longer preach. The younger Graham says he is prepared to one day lead the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association but Franklin says he will never be able to fill his father's shoes. It could be because Franklin wears cowboy boots. And so it's a privilege for me to welcome a man that I respect and love more than any other person in the world. There are the inevitable

comparisons but Franklin Graham has spent most of his adult life trying to dispel those comparisons only among the public. But within himself as well our styles are different I'm not Billy Graham I've never tried to imitate her or try to be anything other than just who I am. Franklin Graham readily admits that it was not easy for him to come to terms with who he is. His book rebel with a cause outlines in sometimes shocking detail the rebellion that took place in his youth. While Franklin struggled with growing up as the son of such a famous and well respected man I think there's always been you know expectations people expect. May be something of me that that I'm not and I think that was the struggle and I just decided years ago I wasn't going to try to be my father or mother I'm just going to be myself. And maybe that's disappointed people. Maybe they had certain expectations of me and I didn't live up to their

expectations. And one night I asked Jesus Christ to come into my life and to become the Lord of my life. I told him I was a sinner I told him I was sorry and I want to be forgiven I want you to take the pieces of my life if you can put it back together again it's yours and I think when I when I felt a call in my heart from God to preach and I started preaching I was very worried and very concerned about well you know what's my father going to think what are others going to think and I found I just said I'm not going to worry about it I'm just going to do the best that I can for my Father in heaven. Billy Graham says his son is a better preacher now than he was at that same age. The notion that Franklin Rudolph Oh he's just he's such a gracious man. It's just not true. You know I look at the tapes of him when he you know when he was of my age preach I was looking and said gee I wish I could do that you know. Today in the offices of Samaritan's Purse a Christian relief organization headquartered in Boone of which Franklin is the president the younger Graham is very

comfortable with who he is. His office sheds light into the personality of the man. The walls are littered with photographs of world leaders of His Father of Franklin's children proudly displayed behind his desk is a portion of his prized gun collection including a shotgun given to him by his dad. And of course models of motorcycles sitting on the shelf beside the books of the gospel. My work is here a Samaritans Purse right now. And and I'm going to continue right here and I'm going to stay out of my father's way and stay in the shadows and stay in the background and support him and back him and push him. I want my father to go as long as he possibly can. Billy Graham has chosen his son Franklin to take over his ministry when the day comes when the elder Graham steps away from the pulpit. A task that Franklin admits he is prepared to accept. Pointing out that he's been associated with the Billy Graham

Association all his life and that he's been on the board of directors of the Association for 18 years. But Franklin Graham is not eager for the passing of the torch. I don't want him to stop. He may need to slow down a little bit as he gets older but I don't want him to stop. And as his son. I think it's my responsibility to help lift up his arms and strengthen him as long as he can go. Franklin Graham holds about eight to 10 Crusades a year currently Samaritan's Purse is gearing up for its Operation Christmas Child project where the organization hands out shoe boxes full of toys to poor children in war torn countries around the world. Brasstown

North Carolina with a population of only one thousand two hundred ninety six is a hotbed for the Arts. Each year more than 3000 students from across the nation attend the John C. Campbell Folk School. Our reporter is George of bone Steel who can often be found teaching quilting at the school scenic western North Carolina that contains one of the world's most influential schools of traditional arts the John C. Campbell Folk School at the Folk School five or six classes are likely to be in session during any week day. Visitors may see people working in blacksmithing kaleidoscopes rug hooking basketry And of course quilting. The school was founded over 75 years ago by Dame Campbell and her friend Marguerite Butler. This group was started in 20 to two ladies from up north

here to explore possibilities and who would that would bring people together that would teach. People what they call not how to make a living but some skills for living. This was an idea from the Danish school and when they came here I think they were a bit surprised because they talked to the local people and said Would you be interested in having a school and then they went away when they came back. The local people had signed pledges of many many days of work and loads of building materials farm animals and 75 acres of land that had been pledged toward having the school come back to them and they were sort of amazed that they were for it. But it's always been a thing that the school and the community. We're good.

Well my favorite model tied in with that. Tell me about it being the motto of the school and seeing behind the plow in this this plan A man hears I've always been the logo of the school. I think what that refers to is is that there is there's joy in labor and then there's art in every person is an artist we know this because when we start out all children do art and we know from the history of people that that primitive people made art. It's just it comes with a sense somewhere along the way somebody tells us you know when you're not an artist and more now you're going to be male. And we believe that they did it as a corrective to that that everybody got it in their lives let's help them find it. Classes usually run a week. They are small and instructors work individually with students in keeping with the original concept of the fourth school

class has people of different ages and different backgrounds and almost every class has students from the local area to what you get here in addition to the information that's conveyed There's also a feeling and there is something that I think has to do with. People can get together and learn about each other and enjoy involvement the community I think is film The minute you get here and number one you're a local boy and I am proud to be born in Murphy. Yeah I've heard overheard that talk about that fall festival and yeah many wonderful kinds of barbecue that just keep coming on at we look at famous folk school barbecue we do this every year the first weekend in October it's the best when this is a community celebration there's a couple hundred people sell the crafts that made there's music that Herman there has great food in there with real nice feeling about it.

A real fine feeling that just about describes an experience you might have at the John C. Campbell fall school where you can learn a traditional craft and come away with a whole new attitude. What a thrill it would be to learn quilting from Georgia bones till she was here for an interview a little while ago when she actually told me that quilting was easy. I don't think so but she does it very well you want to look forward to a Georgia Bonestell interview coming up on North Carolina now. Sometime during the month of October well Brasstown can be found off Route 64 in Clay County. Visitors are always welcome and free to wander through the grounds and visit the classes. This year the fall festival that they were talking about in the piece runs Saturday and Sunday October 5th and 6th. Well tomorrow night there will be a rare total lunar eclipse the moon will begin to enter the earth's shadow at 9 12 and then will be completely enveloped by the shadow of the earth from 10 19 to eleven twenty nine at this time the moon may appear to have a reddish ring. Now if you plan to view the lunar eclipse you don't have to worry about shielding your eyes. Unlike solar

eclipses looking at a lunar eclipse cannot harm your vision. Well the total lunar eclipse will be the last one that will be visible in North America until the year 2000 so if you do plan on catching a glimpse of it you want to make sure you do so. That wraps up tonight's edition of North Carolina now. Hope you enjoyed it. Tomorrow the Billy Graham Crusade gets under way in Charlotte. We'll take you there. Plus show you the enormous amount of work that goes into bringing an event of this large scale together. Also on tomorrow night's program part three of our special profile on Billy Graham. We'll look at his role as the Council of kings and presidents and will also visit Asheville to introduce you to a unique theater group. Have a great evening everyone will see you tomorrow night. Good night. But

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