Oral Roberts is dead
Evangelist Oral Roberts dies in Calif. at age 91
Roberts was a pioneer who broadcast his spirit-filled revivals on television, a new frontier for religion when he started in the 1950s. He was also a forerunner of the controversial "prosperity gospel" that has come to dominate televangelism. The evangelist's "Seed-Faith" theology held that those who give to God will get things in return.
"If God had not, in His sovereign will, raised up the ministry of Oral Roberts, the entire charismatic movement might not have occurred," said Jack Hayford, president of the International Church of the Foursquare Gospel, in a statement.
Roberts overcame tuberculosis at age 17, when his brother carried him to a revival meeting where a healing evangelist was praying for the sick. Roberts said he was healed of the illness and of his youthful stuttering. He said that it was then that he heard God tell him he should build a university based on the Lord's authority and the Holy Spirit.
Roberts rose from humble tent revivals to become one of the country's most famous preachers.
He gave up a local pastorate in Enid in 1947 to enter an evangelistic ministry in Tulsa to pray for the healing of the whole person — the body, mind and spirit. The philosophy led many to call him a "faith healer," a label he rejected with the comment: "God heals — I don't."
By the 1960s and '70s, he was reaching millions around the world through radio, television, publications and personal appearances. He remained on TV into the new century, co-hosting the program, "Miracles Now," with son Richard. He published dozens of books and conducted hundreds of crusades. A famous photograph showed him working at a desk with a sign on it reading, "Make no little plans here."
He credited his oratorical skills to his faith, saying, "I become anointed with God's word, and the spirit of the Lord builds up in me like a coiled spring. By the time I'm ready to go on, my mind is razor-sharp. I know exactly what I'm going to say and I'm feeling like a lion."
Unity of body, mind and spirit became the theme of Oral Roberts University. The campus is a Tulsa landmark, with its space-age buildings laden with gold paint, including a 200-foot prayer tower and a 60-foot bronze statue of praying hands.
His ministry hit upon rocky times in the 1980s. There was controversy over his City of Faith medical center, a $250 million investment that eventually folded, and Roberts' widely ridiculed proclamation that God would "call me home" if he failed to meet a fundraising goal of $8 million. A law school he founded also was shuttered.
Semiretired in recent years and living in California, he returned to Tulsa, Okla., in October 2007 as scandal roiled Oral Roberts University. His son, Richard Roberts, who succeeded him as ORU president, faced allegations of spending university money on shopping sprees and other luxuries at a time the institution was more than $50 million in debt.
Richard Roberts resigned as president in November 2007, marking the first time since Oral Roberts University was chartered in 1963 that a member of the Roberts family would not be at its helm. The rocky period for the evangelical school was eased when billionaire Oklahoma City businessman Mart Green donated $70 million and helped run the school in the interim, pledging to restore the public's trust. By the fall of 2009, things were looking up, with officials saying tens of millions of dollars worth of debt had been paid off and enrollment was up slightly.
That September, a frail-looking Oral Roberts attended the ceremony when the school's new president, Mark Rutland, was formally inaugurated.
"He was not only my earthly father; he was my spiritual father and mentor," said son, Richard Roberts, in a statement.
___
AP Religion writers Eric Gorski in Denver and Rachel Zoll in New York contributed to this report.
And yet another TV evangelist dies before the rapture they promised us...
*sick joke alert, stop reading now if you don't like potty humor*
He is survived by his brother Anal and his sister Vaginal...
(sorry, i couldn't resist)
I don't know if you remember this, but years ago Oral Roberts announced that God told him he would kill him if he didn't raise x amount dollars to build something or rather. Jeff MacNelly a political cartoonist offered his take on the situation. The cartoon showed a news helicopter hovering near a church steeple. There's a line dropping down from the the heavens with a hook and a note that reads: "More money or the preacher gits it" The newsman in the helicopter is saying into his radio "Hold on, there's been another development."
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Douglas_MacNeill
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I think the phrase was "...or God will take me home."
I think the phrase was "...or God will take me home."
That's probably what Roberts said, yes, but not the cartoon. I wish I could find it, it was funny.
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southwestforests
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On the one had the "Prosperity Gospel" he preached doesn't stack up the what the Gospel really says as far as I can tell. So I'm kind of yeah, so what, about this news.
On the other hand, I'm no closer to perfect than he is.
No one can know what his actual relationship with God was at the time of his death.
If he knew Jesus so as to receive forgiveness and redemption through Jesus as Christ, then Roberts is with God.
If he did not, then he is not.
When I go there's going to be a pretty fair list of things I've screwed up at. Doesn't give me much room to claim to be any better overall than he is.
Anyway, what went on between him and God is none of my business.
What goes on between me and God is where my concerns need to be focused.
He has family members, friends, and acquaintances who will miss him and grieve.
Whatever any of us think of Roberts, those people are having very real loss and sorrow.
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I think the phrase was "...or God will take me home."
Also remember a "dog track owner" wrote him a check, and Dr. Roberts sent his private jet to pick him up.(never mind the son where did Dr.Roberts get the jet?)
He was another flim flam man praying(pardon the pun) on the faith of other people, and making money off them.
I do not know about ORU, yet he did build himself a monolith to himself, and did not give God the glory.
This is another problem with religion. we have people build mulit-million dallor buildings and the "people " are not right with God.
I have nothing wrong with "Christian or religious education", the glory SHOULD belong to God.
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Fogman
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I agree, these blow dried faith whores do a lot of damage.
Thirded. At the same time though, It's sad that we won't be entertained with stories of a 900' Je$u$, though.
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ruveyn
I agree, these blow dried faith whores do a lot of damage.
Thirded. At the same time though, It's sad that we won't be entertained with stories of a 900' Je$u$, though.
There's a band by that name now. 9oo Foot Jesus
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Fogman
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ruveyn
I agree, these blow dried faith whores do a lot of damage.
Thirded. At the same time though, It's sad that we won't be entertained with stories of a 900' Je$u$, though.
There's a band by that name now. 9oo Foot Jesus
Yeah, they're not new, I think that they may have been a Revolting C**ks side project.
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