We are still a conservative church and thoroughly evangelical in outlook……Through a style and structural change we have rebranded and replanted.

As an adolescent Tullian Tchividjian had plenty of reasons to enjoy a relatively calm path into early adulthood.

He was the fourth of seven children born into an active and supportive environment. He was the grandson of Billy Graham and nurtured in faith from a young age. He was provided multiple opportunities to change the direction of his young life when it started going astray.

At the time, none of that mattered.

“I was born and raised in a remarkable Christian home,” Tchividjian recalled in an interview with Everyday Christian. “God gave me two great parents, a remarkable heritage and a happy hospitable home life. The flavor of Christianity I experienced was very pleasant, not fatalistic or rigid whatsoever.”

Tchividjian’s reaction was to rebel to a degree which would be any parent’s nightmare. Routinely kicked out of multiple schools and falling into substance abuse, he was ultimately told to leave the home of Stephen and Gigi (Graham) Tchividjian at 16 years old.

Was the pressure of being part of a famous family a reason why?

“It’s a natural question to ask, but as far as I can tell looking back at it, that had nothing do with it,” Tchividjian said. “My family was so healthy and grounded. I never felt any pressure from my parents and grandparents in any visible way.