Evangelist Oral Roberts dies at the age of 91

Evangelist Oral Roberts dies in Calif. at age 91

The Associated Press:  Oral Roberts, a pioneer in televangelism who founded a multimillion-dollar ministry and a university that bears his name, died Tuesday. He was 91.

Roberts died of complications from pneumonia in Newport Beach , Calif., according to his spokesman, A. Larry Ross. The evangelist was hospitalized after a fall on Saturday.

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He had survived two heart attacksin the 1990s and a broken hip in 2006.

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Chancellor Oral Roberts passes

To the Oral Roberts University Family:

I wanted to inform you that our dear Chancellor, Oral Roberts passed away this afternoon at the hospital in California.

Chancellor Roberts was one of the brilliant spiritual lights of the 20th century and a giant of the Christian faith. At the core of his legacy is a great university that bears his name. Like millions worldwide, I am mourning his passing and am grateful for his visionary life and contributions.

Please join me in prayer for the Roberts family. We will send details on the memorial service as they are available.

Mark Rutland, Ph.D.
President

For more information on Oral Roberts goto http://www.oru.edu/oralroberts

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.

Roberts overcame tuberculosis at age 17, when his brother carried him to a revival meeting where a healing evangelist was praying for the sick.

Unity of body, mind and spirit became the theme of Oral Roberts University.

“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.  Read full Associated Press story here

“He was not only my earthly father; he was my spiritual father and mentor,” said son, Richard Roberts, in a statement.

The Rev. Billy Graham said in a statement that he spoke to Oral Roberts three weeks ago by phone, and that Roberts told him his “life’s journey” was ending.

“Oral Roberts was a man of God, and a great friend in ministry. I loved him as a brother,” Graham said.

More about Oral Roberts, Oral Roberts University Next Page

About Oral Roberts

Roberts was born on 24th January 1918 in Oklahoma, youngest child of Claudia Priscilla Irwin and the Rev. Ellis Melvin Roberts. Roberts finished high schooling and studied for nearly two years at both Phillips University and Oklahoma Baptist University.

Oral Roberts married Evelyn Lutman Fahnestock, a preacher’s daughter in 1938. They lived as a happy married couple for sixty-six years until Evelyn’s death on 4th May, 2005. The couple together expanded ministry services from preaching in a small tent to preaching on the live radio and television. Oral Roberts was also an innovator televangelist who attracted a large following across the globe. During his active years Oral Roberts authored sucessful books, such as “Miracle of Seed-Faith” along with famous autobiographies entitled The Call; Expect a Miracle and Oral Roberts: Life Story. Robert initially started preaching service in a mobile large tent with a capacity of 3000 visitors and later became a widely revered traveling faith healer.   Read more here

Oral Roberts Quotes

• God wants you well. God wants you prosperous. God wants you a whole person.

• I am charismatic with roots of the Pentecostal.

• Well, I can’t figure out God.

• I respect doctors, and one reason is that they have grasped this eternal truth and are against sickness and for health. Consciously or unconsciously, they have a pretty good theology of healing. Sometimes I wish we Christians had such a good theology of healing. Then we might be less inclined to argue about whether it’s God’s will to heal or not.

• In the midst of the turmoil, the fear, the anxiety that’s in our nation and in our world, as I was walking and meditating, I heard the voice of God. I’ve heard that voice many times; it’s familiar to me, and there’s no way that I can fail to understand it’s His voice because I’m familiar with it.

• In the midst of turmoil, the fear, the anxiety that’s in our nation and in our world, as I was walking and meditating, I heard the voice of God. I’ve heard that voice many times; its familiar to me, and there’s no way that I can fail to understand it’s His voice because I’m familiar with it.

• Washington State is obviously a great team. They are not going to do anything fancy, or try to trick you in any way. They are what they are. They are a great defensive team. They are so sound fundamentally, and have tough, smart kids. For us to have success, we are going to have to get the ball into Caleb (Green), and are going to have to make shots.

About Oral Roberts University

Founded to educate the whole person-mind, body and spirit-ORU promises a world-class academic experience in the context of a vibrant Christ-centered community.

Today, ORU envisions a bright future, energized by the financial support of the Green family-who has generously provided more than $60 million to the University-and by the appointment of a new president, Dr. Mark Rutland.

The New ORU is pursuing excellence in every category-strengthening academic programs, upgrading technological capabilities and improving facilities campus-wide.  Read more here

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