An American evangelist who was previously stopped from preaching in Wales has insisted he doesn’t preach hate and has even accused the Welsh Government of “discriminating against religious beliefs”.
Franklin Graham is due to appear at the International Convention Centre (ICC) in Newport on Saturday night (May 21). Labelled a ‘hate preacher’, Franklin was due to appear at the centre in 2020 but was stopped from doing so after concerns were raised about his views and beliefs which, according to the venue, were “incompatible with our own values of equality, diversity, and inclusivity”.
Preacher Graham has previously said gay people “stand against God” and that gay marriage is a “sin”, leading to widespread condemnation from many, including LGBTQ+ groups. Now, just four days before he is due to appear in Newport, Mr Graham has claimed to Wales Online that he does not preach hate and that he actually conveys a message of hope. To get the latest WalesOnline newsletters e-mailed to you directly for free, click here.
Read more: Woman, 21, found dead by friend in hotel after night out
“Those who falsely accuse me of sharing hate have obviously never heard me preach,” he said. “I’m not coming to Wales to speak against anyone, I’m coming to share a message of God’s love. Jesus Christ didn’t come to condemn the world, He came to save the world. This is the good news that I’m going to proclaim from God’s Word to the people of Wales. We welcome everyone to come and hear this message of hope.”
Mr Graham, 69, was speaking after First Minister Mark Drakeford said he regretted the fact the evangelist was due to preach to people in Wales. Mr Drakeford was asked in the Senedd on Tuesday by Plaid Cymru leader Adam Price - “does that not send out the wrong message from Wales and one that says homophobia and hate are somehow still acceptable?”. The Welsh Government has a 50% stake in the ICC.
The First Minister’s response was: “I regret the fact that the event to which Adam Price referred is going ahead but the decision is not one for the Welsh Government. We do not run that centre (the International Convention Centre) and it’s for those who are responsible for it to make those decisions. I’m sorry to see a person of those views given a platform to express them here in Wales and they absolutely do not reflect any that the Welsh Government would be prepared to endorse or sanction.”
In response, Mr Graham said: “While I certainly respect the rights of others to disagree with our religious beliefs, it is deeply concerning that public officials who are elected to represent their entire community would describe the traditional views that Christians have held for over a thousand years in Wales as ‘hate’ and actually use their office to speak against us and discriminate against our religious beliefs.
“This is particularly troubling in view of a clear ruling in 2021 stemming from similar circumstances in Blackpool where city councillors discriminated against another one of our evangelistic events. A judge observed that the approach taken by the Blackpool Borough Council was ‘the antithesis of how a public authority should behave in a democratic society.’ What’s more—the judge ruled that Christians who hold traditional Biblical views are not extremists and must be treated fairly."
In that instance Blackpool Borough Council had removed posters promoting a religious event called Lancashire Festival of Hope with Franklin Graham - Time for Hope, following a social media campaign about Mr Franklin's previous comments on same sex marriage. A court later ruled that removing the posters was a breach of human rights.
Mr Graham added: “I would hope and expect that public officials in Wales will take note of this case and do their jobs reasonably and impartially and welcome people of all religious beliefs. The God Loves You Tour is supported by Christians from 375 churches across Wales, and we have the same rights as everyone else to freely express our long-held religious beliefs.”
Mr Graham is the chief executive of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association (BGEA), which was formed in 1950 by his father. According to a website promoting Mr Graham's God Loves You Tour, which has dates in Sheffield and London in the weeks following the Newport event: "Franklin is continuing the lifelong work of his father, who had a profound appreciation and respect for the UK, and preached here more than any other place in the world outside of the US. Just like his father, Franklin is working with local churches to share with the people of the United Kingdom that God loves them and has a purpose for their lives.
"The Lord has placed a burden on Franklin’s heart to proclaim the name of Jesus Christ across the UK, and that sense of purpose and evangelistic passion has continued to grow over the years. In addition to serving as president and CEO of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, Franklin also leads the international Christian relief and evangelism organization Samaritan’s Purse, which helps meet the needs of refugees, victims of war and natural disasters, the sick, the poor, and the suffering in more than 100 countries around the world.”
As well as his criticism of homosexuality, Graham has also been mired in other controversies over the years. He criticised Islam in the wake of the September 11 attacks in New York and spoke in favour of the Iraq War which followed. In 2017 he criticised a bill that pledged to ban conversion therapy - a practice intended to change someone’s sexual orientation from homosexual to heterosexual - in the US. He is also known to be a friend of former US President Donald Trump, and previously spoke publicly in favour of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s views on homosexuality.
Find out about the latest local issues where you live:
