Billy Graham's grandson bolstered by upbringing (OneNewsNow.com)

Billy Graham's grandson bolstered by upbringing

Allie Martin - OneNewsNow - 9/22/2009 8:00:00 AM

Rev. Tullian Tchividjian (Coral Ridge Presby. Church) The grandson of evangelist Billy Graham says his family background has been a source of strength during an unsuccessful uprising in his church that sought to have him removed as senior pastor.

This past spring, Fort Lauderdale's Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church merged with New City Church, founded in 2003 by Pastor Tullian Tchividijian. The 37-year-old Tchividijian, grandson of Dr. Graham, became senior pastor of Coral Ridge, which was founded by the late evangelical leader Dr. D. James Kennedy. Almost immediately, says Tchividijian, he encountered opposition from a small group of members.

"There has been a very vocal minority that has, from the very beginning, opposed my leadership because I was not Dr. Kennedy," he shares.

Six members, led by Dr. Kennedy's widow and his daughter, gathered enough signatures to call a congregational meeting, asking for the dismissal of Tchividijian. In a congregational vote on Sunday, that proposal was defeated by a margin of 70 percent to 30 percent.

congregation singing small Now it is time, says Tchividijian, to move forward as a church. "We hope to move on and move past this," he says, "and if there are members who stir up trouble, then the elders will have to deal with them too. But our sense is that at least a majority of them will now either say, okay, God has spoken now twice in a period of six months, this is God's man for this time, and they will get on board -- or they'll just leave."

Tchividijian says he was never intimidated by taking over the pastorate of Coral Ridge, in large part because of his family background.

"I've never thought once about, well, gosh this is hard following in the footsteps of Dr. Kennedy -- because if there's anything more daunting than following in the footsteps of Dr. Kennedy, it's being the grandson of Billy Graham," he says. "So this is a walk in the park compared to that."

Tchividijian had the full support of the elder board, which pointed out in a letter to church members that attendance has doubled in the past year and 300 new members have been added since he was installed in March.