Republican lawmaker wants Tennessee to honor Billy Graham's service to the Gospel

A Tennessee Republican has proposed legislation honoring the Rev. Billy Graham.

State Sen. Rusty Crowe (R-Johnson City) proposed the measure to “recognize and commend” the famed evangelist “for his many years of service to the Gospel, applaud his service to God and to his fellow man, and extend our best wishes for his every future success and happiness.”

The 95-year-old Graham has been hospitalized recently with respiratory problems.

The Senate resolution briefly limns the history of Christianity to establish a place for Graham among the greatest prophets and teachers listed in the Bible.

“That history has been punctuated by the appearance of certain charismatic preachers and teachers of the Gospel who have responded strongly to God's call and have gone out to make a dramatic impact on the lives of thousands of people by helping them to establish a personal relationship with their Creator,” the resolution says.

The bill then lists some of the evangelist’s accomplishments and his personal and family history.

The resolution does not explicitly state what Graham, a North Carolina native who lived most of his life there, had done for neighboring Tennessee.