Billy Graham's Special Friendship with CBN and Pat Robertson Over the Years

CBN Founder Pat Robertson expressed his sorrow Wednesday at the death of Billy Graham whom he called a "dear friend."

Evangelist Billy Graham had a deep and meaningful friendship with CBN over the years, thanks to a shared goal of reaching the world for Christ.

Reverend Graham was featured numerous times on "The 700 Club." One of the earliest appearances came in 1976 when Graham was featured in the CBN special, "It's Time to Pray, America!"

In October 1979, Billy Graham delivered the keynote address at the dedication of CBN's Studio Headquarters Building.

He said the new facility would enable CBN to bring hope to a hurting world.

"We see millions of people embark on a massive binge of escapism, trying desperately to avoid the problems of drugs and alcohol and pleasure or any one of a thousand things and it is in this world of uncertainty that this building is built by faith and courage and vision to proclaim the one certain thing...the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ," Graham said.

That night, under the stars, Graham encouraged the Christian Broadcasting Network to live up to all it could be through Christ.

"I believe that CBN, in this building and it's great facilities - the most modern in the world - is a beachhead for Christ in the communications of the future," Graham said.

Who knew then that Pat Robertson and Graham would share a life-changing and historic moment in 1990.

They met together at the Brandenberg Gate in East Germany, just three short months after the beginning of the fall of communism.

"And now these people can come in freedom. It's a heady day for Germany!" Robertson said. "It is!" Graham replied.

People were still chipping away at the Berlin Wall as the two leaders marveled that they had lived to see such times.

Both were excited at the opportunity to bring Christ to millions behind the Iron Curtain.

"The Lord didn't say 'just go to the capitalistic countries'. He said go to the whole world. So that settled it for us. That meant the communist world and every other part of the world that we could get to," he said.

Decades later, the two evangelists came together one final time, at Graham's 95th birthday party.

"It was just a joy to celebrate his 95th birthday, it's a great tribute to a great man," Robertson said.