April 4, 2018 — Less than two months after Billy Graham’s passing, Paraclete Press celebrates the life of America’s pastor with the release today of Billy Graham: An Ordinary Man and His Extraordinary God (ISBN 978-1-64060-087-4 / Hardcover / $21.99) by Lon Allison, with a foreword by Dr. Leighton Ford and Jean Graham Ford (Billy’s youngest sister).
“Lon’s compelling reflections of Dr. Graham’s life, ministry, and character give us an up close and personal acquaintance with one of history’s most significant proclaimers of the Gospel. Lon artistically weaves stories of his friendship with Billy in the context of Dr. Graham’s relentless passion to bring people to Christ.” —Joe Stowell, President, Cornerstone University
Allison—evangelist, pastor, and former director of The Billy Graham Center at Wheaton College—learned much from Billy Graham over the years. Allison retells the highlights of Graham’s fascinating life, but respects Graham’s desire to always be sharing the Good News, closing each chapter with a different form of personal invitation to the reader to discover God’s love and forgiveness in Christ. Every stage of Graham’s life is included, even the rough spots, with appreciation and a desire to answer the question: What was Graham’s message and how is it relevant for today?
An experienced teacher with a gift for explaining how everyday people can connect personally with the God who loves them, Lonnie J. Allison became Pastor of Teaching and Outreach at Wheaton Bible Church in 2013. Previously, he was Executive Director of the Billy Graham Center at Wheaton College. Lon has taught master’s and doctoral evangelism courses at Gordon Conwell Seminary, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, and Northern Seminary, and is a visiting professor at Wheaton College Graduate School. He maintains an active speaking schedule at churches and conferences around the world, and is also the author of Going Public with the Gospel, That the World May Believe, and Possible: Discover the Joy of a Prayer, Care, Share Life. He and his wife, Marie, have three grown children and live in West Chicago, Illinois.
To interview Lon Allison or to request a review copy of the book, please contact Director of Marketing Laura McKendree at 800-451-5006 ext 316 or email lauram@paracletepress.com.
