Billy Graham Turning 98 — but Birthday to be Quiet Affair

Billy Graham will celebrate his 98th birthday on Monday — but the legendary evangelist won't be feted with a star-studded bash this year.

"It's a party every Sunday when I go see him because he's made it through another week," his son Franklin Graham tells the Charlotte Observer.

"At 98, you count the days and weeks. I don't think we'll have any more big parties. Those days are over with."

Graham said the beloved preacher, who lives in a panoramic mountain home in Montreat, NC, is "not great" these days.

"He's 98. He's real quiet. Doesn't say much. Can't see. His mind is clear . . . But he speaks in sentences of one word," Franklin Graham told the newspaper.

But those who want to celebrate the elder Graham's big day can head to the Billy Graham Library in Charlotte and sign a special birthday banner. Free cake will also be served.

Last year, Franklin Graham told Newsmax TV that his father will be ready for heaven — when he reaches the age of 100.

Over his lifetime, Billy Graham has preached to hundreds of millions of people around the world through rallies, television and radio broadcasts and books. He was also spiritual adviser to Presidents Dwight D. Eisenhower, Lyndon Johnson and Richard Nixon.

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