Resignations follow allegations, divorce
The majority of staff and board members of East Gates Ministries International, which supports Bible publishing in China, has resigned in the past year amid controversy involving Nelson “Ned” Graham, East Gates president and the youngest of evangelist Billy Graham’s five children.
During a lengthy interview with Christianity Today, Ned Graham confirmed that he had abused alcohol and spent an “inappropriate amount of time” with two women on his staff. He denied that either of those relationships involved sexual contact.
After Ned Graham replaced the board members who had resigned with his sister Ruth Graham McIntyre, brother-in-law Stephan Tchividjian, and business leader Peter Lowe, East Gates withdrew its membership in the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability (ECFA). Membership in ECFA requires that a majority of board members not be related by blood or marriage, which is no longer the case for East Gates.
In addition to those difficulties, Ned Graham has had ongoing marital problems. Four months ago, a Washington State court completed a divorce between Graham and his wife after 19 years of marriage. In its November 6 issue, World magazine first reported the divorce action, in which Carol Graham alleged that her husband not only abused drugs and alcohol and had inappropriate relations with other women, but also that he engaged in domestic violence and used pornography. Graham denies the latter two charges. Early on, a local judge issued a restraining order against Graham, but the order has since expired. During the CT interview, Ned Graham described his misconduct as “all the pretending, strutting my hour on the stage, [but] the curtain got peeled away; I had the lingo of grace and mercy down but not the understanding.” …
Source: Christianity Today Most Read