Oral Roberts

Oral Roberts
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Name	Oral Roberts
Caption	Roberts in 1960
Birth date	January 24, 1918
Birth place	Ponca City, Oklahoma
Death date	December 15, 2009
Death place	Newport Beach, California
Occupation	Evangelist, University president
Spouse	Evelyn Lutman Roberts (m. 1938)
Children	4, including Richard Roberts
Denomination	Pentecostal, Charismatic
Education	Oklahoma Baptist University
Known for	Televangelism, Faith healing, Founding Oral Roberts University

Oral Roberts was a prominent American evangelist and a pioneering figure in the post-war Charismatic movement. He is best known for his large-scale tent revival campaigns, his nationally syndicated television program, and for founding the namesake Oral Roberts University in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Roberts's ministry, which emphasized divine healing and prosperity theology, made him one of the most recognizable and controversial religious personalities of the 20th century.

Early life and education

Born in Ponca City, Oklahoma, he was the son of Reverend Ellis Melvin Roberts and Claudius Priscilla Roberts. His early life was marked by poverty and illness, including a severe stutter and a diagnosis of tuberculosis at age 17. During a crisis, he reported experiencing a dramatic healing and a call to ministry while attending a tent revival meeting led by evangelist George W. Moncey. Roberts later studied briefly at Oklahoma Baptist University before being ordained as a pastor in the Pentecostal Holiness Church. He began his pastoral work in Toccoa, Georgia, and later in Enid, Oklahoma, where he also attended the Phillips University graduate school of theology.

Ministry and evangelistic career

Roberts launched his independent evangelistic ministry in 1947, holding his first major tent revival in Durant, Oklahoma. His Healing Waters ministry, named after the Pool of Bethesda, rapidly expanded across the United States and internationally, drawing enormous crowds. In 1954, he began broadcasting *Oral Roberts* on television, becoming one of the first evangelists to harness the medium's power. His ministry partnered with figures like Billy Graham and was supported by music from performers such as The Blackwood Brothers. Roberts authored numerous books, including *If You Need Healing, Do These Things*, and established the Abundant Life Prayer Group, which processed millions of prayer requests.

Founding of Oral Roberts University

Believing he was directed by God to build a university, Roberts founded Oral Roberts University (ORU) in Tulsa, Oklahoma in 1963. The campus, featuring the distinctive Prayer Tower and the later City of Faith Medical and Research Center, opened in 1965. Roberts served as president until 1993, shaping the institution around his principles of educating the whole person—body, mind, and spirit. ORU became a flagship institution of the Charismatic movement, producing graduates who entered ministry, politics, and professional sports, including basketball star Mark Acres.

Controversies and criticism

Roberts's ministry faced significant scrutiny and criticism from both secular media and within Christendom. His teachings on seed faith and financial prosperity were condemned by some theologians as a deviation from traditional Christianity. A major controversy erupted in 1987 when he announced that God would "call him home" if he failed to raise $8 million for medical scholarships, a plea that drew widespread ridicule. The financial failure of the City of Faith Medical and Research Center, which closed in 1989 after significant debt, was a major setback. His son and successor, Richard Roberts, resigned from ORU in 2007 amid allegations of improper use of university funds.

Later life and death

After stepping down as president of ORU in 1993, Roberts remained chancellor and continued to preach occasionally. He made his final television appearance on the Trinity Broadcasting Network in 2008. Roberts died from complications of pneumonia on December 15, 2009, at his home in Newport Beach, California. His funeral was held at the ORU Mabee Center and was attended by notable religious leaders including Billy Joe Daugherty and Kenneth Copeland. He was interred at the Oral Roberts Ministries prayer garden on the ORU campus.

Legacy and influence

Oral Roberts left a profound legacy on American evangelicalism and the Charismatic movement. He demonstrated the massive potential of televangelism and direct-mail fundraising, paving the way for ministries like those of Jim Bakker and Pat Robertson. Oral Roberts University remains his most enduring physical legacy. His emphasis on healing and prosperity theology significantly influenced the development of the Word of Faith movement. Figures such as Creflo Dollar and Joel Osteen have built upon the model he established. Despite controversies, he is remembered as a pivotal, transformative figure in 20th-century Protestantism.

Category:American evangelists Category:Oral Roberts University Category:American televangelists