NGU Students Gain Hands-On Experience at Billy Graham Evangelistic Association
Posted on: September 4, 2024
Tigerville, SC—Two students from NGU’s School of Communication had the opportunity to intern at the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association (BGEA) in Charlotte, NC over the summer.
This 10-week program allows interns to gain practical and hands-on learning experience in the globally known ministry founded by renowned evangelist, Rev. Billy Graham.
The organization was established in 1950, and its mission is “to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ by every effective means and to equip the church and others to do the same.”
Savannah Yopp, a senior Strategic Communication major, spent her summer serving as a social media and communication intern at BGEA. Her role included writing press releases, coordinating with the media, and working with the Billy Graham Library social media channels.
She described her time at BGEA as a blessing because she was able to proclaim the gospel through her work.
“I can glorify the Lord with my job, and it’s such a needed fuel,” Yopp said. “No matter where I work, I can proclaim the gospel through my communication.
“It was such a blessing to be able to use the Lord’s name in a press release,” she said. “That is so special, and you don’t see that in a lot of places.”
Carolina Busch, a junior Strategic Communication major with a Digital Media minor, also interned at BGEA and emphasized how encouraging it was to work alongside fellow employees and interns.
“I really enjoyed the office place environment,” Busch said. “I appreciate how the other employees were willing to step alongside you. It was cool to see how the employees made an intentional effort.”
Busch served as an American Sign Language intern. Her primary roles consisted of working with deaf churches within the internet evangelism department to update and add information about the deaf churches to the association’s online church locator.
During her time at BGEA, Busch saw God move in many ways. One of her highlights from the internship was getting the chance to experience a deaf worship service.
“My supervisor invited me to go to a deaf worship service. I was able to go to a completely silent worship service and there were 200 deaf people there,” she said. “I was able to watch and be a part of a service that is ultimately still worshiping the same God I was and yet, it was in a completely different language.”
Not only did the internship help Yopp and Busch grow professionally, but the association also poured into them spiritually.
“Spiritually, I genuinely learned so much from the people around me and the importance of disciplining myself not just at work, but before you get there and learning what it looks like to pray without ceasing or spending time in the Word before I go to work,” Yopp said. “All those disciplines we tend to forget, He instilled in me. It was sweet to learn those habits, especially before coming back to school.”
Busch explained how the devotions that BGEA held at the beginning of each workday helped strengthen her walk with the Lord as they emphasized the importance of prayer.
“I felt spiritually the importance of having that prayer time 5 days a week. I saw transition,” Busch said. “When someone came up to me and said, ‘I don’t know what I’m going to do,’ my first instinct was, ‘Hey, let’s pray about it.’ It was cool because of that structure from the devotions to pull into that.”
For students who are interested in doing an internship at BGEA, both Yopp and Busch offered the same piece of encouragement: pray about it.
“Genuinely pray about it, seek wise council, and hear from those who have done it,” Yopp said. “If you feel the Lord is leading you in that direction, just thank Him for the opportunity and trust in His sovereignty and plan because Billy Graham and that organization is such an ordained place. The Spirit is moving in that place and moving out of that place.”
“Evaluate what you’re good at and be willing to sell yourself well and realize the ultimate goal of the association is to grow people through sharing the gospel and discipleship,” Busch said. “If you have a heart for that and have a desire to pursue that, then pray about it and apply.”
“It’s such a blessing as a young person to work in an environment like that, such a spiritually healthy and encouraging environment,” explained Yopp. “I would encourage any student, no matter what year or what you’re studying, there’s a place for you in the ministry.”
BGEA offers internships each summer and has many opportunities for students to learn and grow professionally, while working in an environment focused on Christ and His mission.
The School of Communication at NGU offers two undergraduate degrees, a Bachelor of Arts in Strategic Communication and a Bachelor of Arts in Digital Media with several concentrations. Along with the majors, NGU also offers minors, including American Sign Language.
For more information about NGU’s degree programs and minors, visit ngu.edu/academics.
