The passing of Queen Elizabeth II Thursday brought messages of sadness and admiration from leaders throughout the world, including those in the faith community. Evangelist Franklin Graham, whose father Billy Graham, had a great friendship with the Queen, said in a Facebook post that he appreciated Her Majesty’s “life of integrity.”
“I am deeply saddened to hear about the death of Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II,” Graham says. “She has been a symbol of stability and steadfastness for the United Kingdom for 70 years, and I’m asking people to join me in praying for the royal family and the people of the UK. I will always appreciate her example of leadership and her life of integrity. I’m especially grateful for the Queen’s friendship with my father, Billy Graham. He cherished their friendship that was built on a shared love for Jesus Christ and belief in God’s Word.
“My father had the privilege of meeting with the Queen more than a dozen times, and she was a gracious host, inviting my parents to visit Buckingham Palace on several occasions. My father said he found Queen Elizabeth ‘to be a woman of rare modesty and character,’ and made a pledge to pray for her and her family every day.
“He also appreciated how she often talked about Jesus Christ during her public addresses—there was never any question about where she placed her faith. Queen Elizabeth once said, “I draw strength from the message of hope in the Christian gospel.” The Queen was a friend to my father, but more importantly, she was a true friend of the Christian faith. She will be profoundly missed.”
Charisma Media author R.T. Kendall, who spent three decades in England, and more than 25 years as the pastor of Westminster Chapel, says Queen Elizabeth II was “an extraordinary woman.”
“We trust and believe that she is in heaven as I speak,” Kendall says. “It was my privilege to live in Britain for 30 years-plus. I would pray for her regularly at Westminster Chapel. Since we’ve retired and now live in America, I still pray for her and have prayed for her every day.
“Now, it’s King Charles III. We pray for him and pray for God to bless him. I know all Brits that are watching will pray for King Charles III. I trust all of you will do the same, that it will be a successful reign and will bring honor to God.”
Charisma Media author Michael Youssef, president of Leading the Way ministries, told Fox News Digital Thursday, “Through the years, I have know some chaplains to her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. Every one of them testified to thd deep faith and love the Queen had for her Lord Jesus. There can be no doubt she is now with her king in heaven. May other leaders follow her good example.”
Justin Welby, the archbishop of Canterbury who last saw the Queen in June, told BBC Radio, “I came away thinking there is someone who has no fear of death, has hope in the future, knows the Rock on which she stands and that gave her strength. … Her attitude was, ‘It’s not about me, it’s about what I have been called by God to do.'”
Cardinal Vincent Nichols, the leader of the Catholic Church in England and Wales, told “The Guardian,” “Her faith, so often and so eloquently proclaimed in her public messages, has been an inspiration to me, and I am sure to many. “The wisdom, stability and service which she consistently embodied, often in circumstances of extreme difficulty, are a shining legacy and testament to her faith.”
Rev. Johnnie Moore, president of the Congress of Christian Leaders, tweeted, “Every day we lose another great leader of her generation. Now, we’ve lost Queen Elizabeth II, herself. It feels unsettling—a ‘you’ll remember the moment’ occasion. I just pray to God that we begin to learn the lessons of our Greatest Generation. Rest well, Your Majesty. Well done.”
CBN News reported that, in her 2012 Christmas message, the queen told her nation, “This is the time of year when we remember that God sent his only Son ‘to serve, not to be served’. He restored love and service to the centre of our lives in the person of Jesus Christ.” {eoa}
Shawn A. Akers is the Online Editor at Charisma Media.
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