Contact: Graham Clark, Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, 704-401-2116, gclark@bgea.org 

CHARLOTTE, N.C., Oct. 3 /Christian Newswire/ -- For more than 60 years, evangelist Billy Graham has preached the good news of God's love in-person to nearly 215 million people at hundreds of events and countless millions more via television and radio. Now, all of the individuals, churches and ministries he has impacted have a unique opportunity to say something in return.

The Billy Graham Evangelistic Association (BGEA) announced today it is collecting stories and birthday wishes for the evangelist, who turns 90 on November 7, 2008. All who have been personally touched by an aspect of Billy Graham's ministry are welcome and encouraged to visit www.billygraham90.com to share a greeting or a personal story about his ministry they feel would encourage Mr. Graham at this milestone. Submissions will be accepted until November 1.

"My father is a humble man who would never expect to be honored and recognized like this on his birthday," said Franklin Graham, BGEA president and CEO and Graham's eldest son.  "We urge all who made a commitment to Jesus Christ through my father's ministry to share your story or simple greeting, as nothing could uplift him more on this special day."

Along with providing a place where visitors can submit stories and greetings, www.billygraham90.com also contains resources that churches and other ministries can download to inform others about this birthday celebration. In addition, messages can be mailed to: Billy Graham's 90th Birthday, Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, 1 Billy Graham Parkway, Charlotte, NC 28201.

Following Mr. Graham's birthday in November, all of the greetings and wishes in honor of his faithful decades-long ministry will be combined into books and presented to him during a special tribute dinner with family and ministry friends later in the month.

As Mr. Graham turns 90, the impact of his ministry continues to be felt worldwide. In addition to holding international evangelistic Festivals, Franklin Graham has overseen the development of several exciting new projects at the BGEA that are reaching millions of people across the United States and around the globe.

From its headquarters in Charlotte, N.C., the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association runs a wide range of domestic and international ministries, including: large-scale festivals led by evangelists Franklin Graham and his son Will Graham; Dare to Be a Daniel, a youth evangelism training project; My Hope World Evangelism Through Television; the Billy Graham Rapid Response Team of crisis-trained chaplains; and many others through print, television, telephone, radio and the Internet. For more information, please visit www.billygraham.org.