Franklin's purse

Charity | Controversy spurs Graham to give up one of two salaries | Warren Cole Smith and Rusty Leonard

Associated Press/Photo by Chuck Burton

Franklin Graham has long had a reputation for being larger than life and going his own way. His 1997 memoir, Rebel With a Cause, chronicled his prodigal period and his return to God. Eventually, he made it to the top spots at both the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association (BGEA) and Samaritan's Purse (SP), a Christian relief organization ministering to the needy around the world.

So Graham may now have a cause, but he never leaves the rebel far behind. In 1992, the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability (ECFA) suspended Samaritan's Purse while it investigated the ministry's finances. It was reinstated in early 1993. In 2001, when he also took over as president of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, nonprofit experts questioned the wisdom of Graham being paid full-time salaries by both organizations. Ministry watchdog Ole Anthony of the Trinity Foundation said, "It's ludicrous to think he could do two jobs at that level."