Evangelistic organization, founded in 1950 to: operate Billy Graham's ministry in a business-like way; provide a non-profit entity to receive donations for crusades and related ministries; plan and coordinate evangelistic meetings throughout the world; and with its agents and subsidiaries produce radio and television programs, films, DECISION magazine and books and records. The BGEA was instrumental in: founding the magazineCHRISTIANITY TODAY, and Wheaton College's Billy Graham Center; sponsoring a series of international and regional conferences on evangelism, beginning in 1966. Its headquarters was in Minneapolis, with offices in other U.S. and foreign cities. HOUR OF DECISION was first broadcast on November 5, 1950. The heart of the program was Graham's sermon, which often was closely related to or took its starting point from current events; occasionally one of Graham's associate evangelists or other guest speakers would give the message. One hundred fifty stations on the ABC radio network carried the first broadcast. From 1951 to 1954, there was also an HOUR OF DECISION television show. The broadcasts were approximately thirty minutes in length.
From the description of Records of BGEA's HOUR OF DECISION Radio Program, 1950-[ongoing]. (Wheaton College). WorldCat record id: 30767698
