BGEA Legal Defense Fund Fights for Religious Liberty in UK and Europe

The fund grew out of the ministry’s own successful legal battles.

The Billy Graham Evangelistic Association (BGEA) has long been preaching the Gospel across the world, but now it is taking steps to ensure the message of salvation in Christ can be spread throughout the United Kingdom and Europe without interference or discrimination.

Franklin Graham delivers closing remarks at the European Congress on Evangelism in May 2025 / Photo courtesy of BGEA

The Billy Graham Defense Fund was established on June 22, 2024, by Franklin Graham as he preached the Gospel in Glasgow, Scotland.

Graham had originally planned to preach in Glasgow in 2020, but the event was canceled by the venue. Six other venues across the United Kingdom also cancelled the BGEA event contracts. BGEA legally challenged the venues’ actions based on religious discrimination.

When the seventh and final legal dispute was settled in June 2024, Graham announced the creation of the Billy Graham Defense Fund.

“Franklin Graham hopes the establishment of this fund will remind Christians across Europe that they are not alone and will encourage them to stand firm in the face of pressure and keep sharing the Good News of Jesus Christ — no matter the cost,” Justin Arnot, general counsel of BGEA told MinistryWatch. “He also consistently encourages Christians everywhere to pray for those who are being cancelled and persecuted for openly standing with the truth of the Gospel.”

The fund was started by proceeds received after the successful legal challenges in the UK.

“While money was never a motivating factor, BGEA received nearly £500,000 pounds — or $650,000 — from all of its legal cases in the UK,” Arnot said. Samaritan’s Purse, which Graham also leads, has contributed an additional £500,000 to the defense fund, for a total of $1.3 million.

“There are many ongoing cases affecting the freedom of believers to publicly live out their faith, and we carefully pray about each issue that is brought to our attention,” Arnot said, adding that the defense fund is a cooperative effort between BGEA’s U.S. and UK offices. He explained that  leadership in both countries, including Franklin Graham, decide which cases to fund.

While the fund primarily focuses on supporting free exercise of religion in the UK, it may also be used to support similar cases across the European continent, Arnot said.

The Billy Graham Defense Fund also supports other organizations that defend religious liberty, such International Christian Concern and ADF International, Arnot said. That may include defending either Christian ministries or individuals who face intimidation or threats for their biblical beliefs.

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Two cases in the UK that Arnot said it is supporting include Pastor Dia Moodley, who was assaulted and then arrested while preaching on the street in Bristol, and Adam Smith-Connor, who was arrested for silently praying near an abortion facility in Bournemouth.

According to Arnot, BGEA is also litigating one new religious discrimination case in the UK against Global Media Services Ltd for cancelling BGEA’s evangelistic radio spots in 2023.

While BGEA is not currently funding any cases on continental Europe, it stands ready to help other Christians in need.

BGEA declined to share how much funding it may provide for particular cases, but Arnot said the ministry is prepared to “spend a substantial amount to support efforts to defend freedom of speech and religion.”

“The grants that we award to individuals and organizations that are facing challenges are given without expecting anything in return. Our goal is to simply provide assistance to Christians in need,” he added.

To see BGEA’s full database profile, click here.

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