The Alabama Baptist Online

NASHVILLE — Billy Graham was named by U.S. pastors as the country’s most influential living preacher, according to a recent survey by LifeWay Research. The study, conducted last November, interviewed more than 1,000 Protestant pastors by telephone. The participants were asked to “name the top three living Christian preachers that most influence you.” Graham was cited as most influential by 21 percent of clergy, followed by pastor and author Charles Swindoll, at 8 percent. Charles Stanley, senior pastor of First Baptist Church, Atlanta, and Rick Warren, senior pastor of Saddleback Church, Lake Forest, Calif., followed closely behind Swindoll with 7 percent of the vote each. Graham, 91, has preached to more than 200 million people in 185 countries, written 27...