c. 2006 Religion News Service

(UNDATED) Evangelist Billy Graham said he and his wife are still “prayerfully” considering their burial place, his first statement on a family struggle that has become public.

“Contrary to recent media reports, my wife Ruth and I have no disagreement about our future, for we know that after we each take our last breath on earth we will be together in heaven,” wrote the 88-year-old evangelist in a statement issued Monday (Dec. 18.)

“At our age, it won’t be long before we are in the presence of God for all eternity.”

Billy Graham said that the couple, married 63 years, are still considering the appropriate physical burial spot.

“As for our final resting place, we are prayerfully pursuing together that very personal decision regarding the exact location,” he said. “That determination will not be made by our family, our organization or outsiders, but will be ours alone.”

The dispute was reported by The Washington Post in a Dec. 13 story that said Graham’s sons Franklin and Ned do not agree about the final resting place of their parents.

The newspaper reported that Franklin, now president of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, wanted the couple to be buried at the site of the Billy Graham Library, which is to open next year in Charlotte, N.C. The Post said Ned supported the longtime wishes of his mother, Ruth Graham, 86, to be buried at The Cove, the association’s conference center in Asheville, N.C.

Billy Graham’s statement was released from the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn. Graham spokesman A. Larry Ross said the evangelist is being treated there for macular degeneration, which has affected his ability to read. He said the eldest Graham is “improving” after receiving the third in a series of monthly injections and is expected to return home by Christmas.

Billy Graham added his support for the mission of “the evangelistic library in Charlotte,” saying he views it as an “ongoing crusade” that will inspire and challenge those who visit.

Spokesmen for Franklin and Billy Graham previously said the matter of the Grahams’ burial is “personal” and that they did not wish to debate it in the media. Franklin Graham said the burial site decision will be made by his parents and no one else.

Billy Graham stated that there have been disagreements over the years within his household “but our family remains close and united in our deep faith in God.”

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