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Billy Graham’s funeral will be live streamed today, and you can watch the live stream in the video below. If for any reason the video does not work, you can watch the live stream on Billy Graham’s website here. The funeral service begins at 12 p.m. Eastern in Charlotte, Virginia, but the live stream will start at 10 a.m. Eastern. The live stream below is from Channel 2 Action News. The stream may have live video from the channel’s other news coverage prior to when the funeral begins.
If the live stream above doesn’t work, you can watch this one on YouTube below, as Lorna Dueck of Crossroads Global Media Group covers Graham’s funeral service starting at 12 p.m. Eastern.
Graham will be buried Friday, March 2 at the Billy Graham Library in Charlotte, North Carolina. The private funeral will begin at noon and 2,300 invitations were sent out. The funeral is expected to last 90 minutes, and will be held under a tent in front of the Library. The tent symbolizes how Graham’s ministry launched in 1949 under a white canvas tent called “The Canvas Cathedral.” The 1949 Crusade in Los Angeles was attended by 350,000 people during the course of eight weeks.
Funeral Program & Speakers
Franklin Graham, Billy Graham’s oldest son, will give the funeral message. Dr. Donald Wilton and Dr. David Bruce will speak during Graham’s interment. Wilton was Graham’s pastor and close friend. Bruce was his executive assistant for 23 years. Per WSPA, here is the official program for Graham’s funeral today:
- 11:37 a.m. – Prelude – John Innes, Crusade pianist, Billy Graham Evangelistic Asssociation
- Instructions to guests – Viktor Hamm, vice president of crusade ministries, Billy Graham Evangelistic Association
- Seating of the Graham’s extended family
- 11:50 a.m. – Seating of President and Mrs. Trump, Vice President and Mrs. Pence, Maj. Edward Bell Graham, grandson of Billy Graham
- 12 p.m.- Billy Graham’s casket escorted to tent – by immediate family
- 12:10 p.m. – Until Then – performed by Linda McCrary-Fisher
- 12:14 p.m. – Welcome – by David Bruce, executive assistant to Billy Graham
- 12:16 p.m. – Scripture Reading and Invocation (Ephesians 2:4-10) – Donald J. Wilton, senior pastor, First Baptist Church of Spartanburg, SC
- 12:20 p.m. – Congregational Singing: All Hail the Power of Jesus’ Name – Tom Bledsoe, music director of Billy Graham Evangelistic Association
- 12:23 p.m. – Family Tributes – Jean Ford, sister of Billy Graham; Virginia “Gigi” Graham, daughter of Billy Graham; Anne Graham Lotz, daughter of Billy Graham; Ruth Graham, daughter of Billy Graham; Nelson “Ned” Graham, son of Billy Graham
- 12:39 p.m. – Above All – performed by Michael W. Smith
- 12:43 p.m. – International Tributes – Sami Dagher, paster and church planter from the Middle East; Billy Kim, president of Far East Broadcasting Company, in Korea
- 12:50 p.m. – Because He Lives – performed by Gaither Vocal Band
- 12:55 p.m. – Prayer of Thanksgiving – Robert Cunville, associate evangelist, India, Billy Graham Evangelistic Association
- 12:56 p.m. – Message – Franklin Graham, son of Billy Graham, president and CEO, Billy Graham Evangelistic Association and Samaritan’s Purse
- 1:12 p.m. – Congregational Singing: To God Be the Glory – Tom Bledsoe
- 1:14 p.m. – Closing Prayer – George E. Battle, Jr., Bishop, St. James African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church in Charlotte, NC
- 1:16 p.m. – Bagpipe Escort: Amazing Grace – Pipe Major William Boetticher
- 1:22 p.m. – Postlude – John Innes
- Instructions to guests – Viktor Hamm
Several of Graham’s family members will serve as pallbearers: Alex Graham, son of Nelson Edman “Ned”; Edward Graham, son of Franklin; Samuel Graham, son of Ned; Will Graham, son of Franklin; Antony Tchividjian, son of Virginia “Gigi”; Corey Lynch, son-in-law of Franklin; Graham Dienart, son of Ruth; Roy Graham, son of Franklin; Jonathan Lotz, son of Anne; Basyle Tchividjian, son of Gigi; Stephen Tchividjian, son of Gigi; and Tullian Tchividjian, son of Gigi.
Additional Details About the Funeral
It’s expected that President Donald Trump will be the only President to attend the funeral. Former Presidents George W. Bush and Bill Clinton will not be attending, but they already paid their respects while Graham was lying in repose at the Billy Graham Library.
The day is likely going to be a high-traffic day for Charlotte. The CIAA Tournament is taking place March 1-2, and more than 100,000 people are estimated to be in town for those events. Traffic issues are expected at Interstate 77 near the Billy Graham Boulevard/Woodlawn exit, and on Interstate 85. To avoid traffic jams, shuttle buses will be in place to take people from the Operation Christmas Child warehouse parking lot and from the Charlotte Valet Business Lot at Charlotte Douglas International Airport.
After the funeral service, Graham will be buried next to his wife, Ruth, at the foot of a cross-shaped walkway in the prayer garden of the Billy Graham Library.
Temporary flight restrictions will be in effect in Charlotte the day of the funeral, from 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 pm. AOPA reported: “The VIP TFR will be centered at a point at 1.7 nautical miles from the Charlotte VOR/DME on the 088-degree radial and will consist of a 10-nm inner core and a 30-nm outer ring from the surface to and including 17,999 feet msl.” Aircraft operations in the inner core will be prohibited except for law enforcement and security. An additional temporary flight restriction will be in place from 2 to 4 p.m. that day.