Oral Roberts 1918-2009

Granville Oral Roberts died today after falling in his Newport Beach home this weekend.
He was 91.

That he was a pioneer in the use of media to spread his message is not in dispute.

The Oklahoman was born poor and hit the tent revival circuit as a healer and evangelist, moving into radio and  into television in 1955.

His wife Evelyn died in 1995, he is survived by son Richard.
The Roberts other son Ronald committed suicide in 1982 and daughter Rebecca died in a plane crash in 1977.

Oral Roberts, a preachers son who claimed he was healed of tuberculosis as a teen, broke ties with the Pentecostal Holiness Church in 1947, started Oral Roberts University in Tulsa in 1963 and a hospital in 1981 which folded in 1989. His law school folded a year later and the library was acquired by Pat Robertson, who founded Regent University School of Law.

Roberts was also known for putting on prime time TV specials featuring celebrities starting in the late 1970′s,  a practise which was years ahead of other televangelists.

He used direct mailing, wrote 130 books and is best known for some of his bizarre fund raising claims including a vision of a 900 foot Jesus and  a claim God would take his life if he didn’t raise 8 million in a matter of days for his hospital. He pulled in 9.1 million. Roberts also claimed to raise the dead. He joined United Methodist Church in the 1960′s to gain credibilty, the UMC denounced his claims and methods.

Son Richard resigned from Oral Roberts University in 2007 after money scandals and lavish spending. The university was 52 million dollars in debt. A board reshuffle and donations got ORU out of debt earlier this year.

Apologetics Index:

Also known as, “Prosperity Doctrine,” “Health and Wealth,” “Name It and Claim It,” or “Blab It and Grab It” (the latter term tends to be used by those who criticize this teaching).

The prosperity teaching is an aberrant doctrine, largely promoted by the Word-Faith movement.

Here’s how it is sold: God wants you to be rich (and/or healthy), but He can not bless you unless you first send money (also known as a “seed-faith offering“) to whichever televangelist or teacher tells you about this scheme. Perfected by Oral Roberts, Kenneth Copeland, Marilyn Hickey, Benny Hinn the Universal Church of the Kingdom of God, et al.

The teaching is part and parcel of ‘Positive Confession,’ one of the doctrinal pillars of Word-Faith theology.