“Evangelicals for Evangelicals” is stepping back from several videos in its ad campaigns that used words from evangelist Billy Graham to criticize President Donald Trump ahead of the 2024 election.

Now rebranded as Evangelicals for the United States (EFA), the organization issued a press release on Tuesday, stating it would no longer depict Graham as endorsing any political party and expressed regret to the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association (BGEA) for their earlier actions.

The group’s goal was to utilize BGEA’s material in a way that suggested Graham was endorsing a different candidate, which they now recognize was inappropriate.

The initial ads for their “Neighbor” campaign featured clips of Graham quoting the Bible alongside contrasting statements from Trump. One clip had Graham asking, “Did you go to the cross and say, ‘Lord, I have sinned’?”

That moment stands in stark contrast to a 2015 clip of Trump, where he responds to a question about asking God for forgiveness, saying, “I don’t know if I have… I just don’t take God to that picture. I won’t.”

EFA noted that they did not consult BGEA before using Graham’s clips, believing there was no violation of copyright. However, the BGEA expressed concern over the political use of Graham’s message without permission.

Following the controversy, EFA stated they have removed the video and will not repost it. In reaction to the ad back in 2016, Franklin Graham spoke out, asserting that his father had not approved it.

Franklin Graham highlighted that liberals were using his father’s legacy to promote political agendas, implying that there was an intention to mislead the public regarding his father’s conservative values.

BGEA indicated that they supported Franklin Graham’s position and were grateful for the resolution of the situation. Allegedly, Franklin Graham had threatened legal action against EFA regarding the unauthorized use of copyright material, but EFA contended that referencing Billy Graham was crucial for a healthy democracy.

The group claimed that discussing Donald Trump’s actions versus evangelical values was an essential aspect of their message, which they conveyed in a letter to BGEA in September.

As of now, the video has been deleted from the EFA’s website, yet a number of other ads remain accessible on their social media accounts.

The group concluded by expressing hope that their decision to stop using Graham’s name would clarify any misunderstanding surrounding their original message and emphasized the importance of dialogue among Christians, despite political differences.

In their apology, they asserted that Graham had never intended to politicize his work connected to the Gospels or the BGEA.