When Don Wilton and his oldest son Rob visited Billy Graham at his home in Montreat, N.C., on Christmas Eve, the 90-year-old evangelist mentioned to the senior pastor of First Baptist Church in Spartanburg that he had a “big surprise” for him.
Don Wilton and his wife, Karyn, with Billy Graham at his 90th birthday celebration.Recalling that moment, Wilton, who has been a friend of the Graham family for many years, told the Courier, “Dr. Graham told me he had a big surprise for me. He called in his staff because he wanted them to know about it as well. He then said that he wanted to know whether First Baptist Church would consider accepting him as a member.”
On Dec. 28 the world-renowned preacher of the gospel officially became a member of the Spartanburg congregation, which has a total membership of nearly 7,000. The move by Graham brought to an end his official affiliation of 55 years with First Baptist Church in Dallas.
“This was not a sudden decision by Dr. Graham,” said Wilton. “It didn’t just happen overnight.”
The Spartanburg minister explained, “Dr. Graham expressed the opinion that for the past 16 years I had been his pastor and First Baptist had been his church.” Graham regularly watches the televised morning worship services at the Spartanburg church from his North Carolina home.
Wilton, a native of South Africa, has served numerous times on the faculty of Billy Graham Schools of Evangelism across the United States and Europe, and has led seminars at the Billy Graham Training Center at The Cove near Asheville.
Wilton, who formerly taught evangelism at New Orleans Baptist Seminary, is a regular speaker for the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association. Graham, who has counseled United States presidents and been listed 51 times by the Gallup Poll as one of the “Ten Most Admired Men in the World,” wrote the foreword for Wilton’s 2005 book, “Totally Secure: Finding Peace and Protection in the Arms of God.”
The Spartanburg pastor, who has often spent time with the Graham family, described the relationship with the famed evangelist as “very close” and also “private.”
“Our relationship has developed over the years,” Wilton told the Courier. “It is a relationship that I have personally cherished and one that I have guarded very carefully. I have been humbled by my relationship with Dr. Graham.”
Reflecting on his hours in the home of the world’s most widely known evangelist, Wilton said, “You simply can’t imagine the humility of this man. It is the hallmark of his life. When you are in his company, his spirit, his humility make you feel that you are the most important person in that room.”