Protestant Reformers & Pastors Codexery

Oral Roberts

Charismatic televangelist who pioneered prosperity gospel and televangelism.

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Oral Roberts

via Wikipedia: Oral Roberts · see source

Granville Oral Roberts was an American televangelist who pioneered prosperity gospel theology and founded Oral Roberts University.[1] From 1936 until 1968, Roberts held ordination in the International Pentecostal Holiness Church, after which he moved to the United Methodist Church, though that affiliation ended in 1987 when his credentials were taken away.[1] Pneumonia complications caused Roberts' death on December 15, 2009, when he was 91 years old.[2]

Life and work

He nearly died of tuberculosis at age 17 and studied at Oklahoma Baptist University and Phillips University without earning a degree.[3][4] He resigned from the Georgia church by year's end because the local conference frowned on an outside minister as pastor.[5] In 1947, Roberts founded the Oral Roberts Evangelistic Association and started the monthly magazine Healing Waters.[6] Roberts founded Oral Roberts University in 1963, stating he was obeying a command from God.[7]

The fifth and youngest child of Reverend Ellis Melvin Roberts and Claudius Priscilla Roberts, Oral Roberts entered the world on January 24, 1918, in Pontotoc County, Oklahoma.[3] Roberts' initial foray into radio occurred in 1947, and by 1954 he had started televising his revival meetings.[8] A 1977 claim by Roberts involved a vision of Jesus, described as 900 feet tall, who instructed him to construct the City of Faith Medical and Research Center.[9]

What the cited sources add

A Guardian obituary states that Roberts used television, radio, and direct mail to become the richest US evangelist.[10] The Guardian also notes that Roberts continued wearing Italian silk suits, diamond rings, and gold bracelets, which staff airbrushed out of publicity pictures.[10] The Guardian obituary ranks Roberts second only to Billy Graham in the hierarchy of American evangelists.[10]

References

  1. Wikipedia, "Oral Roberts" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Son of televangelist fights 'personal character attack'" (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  2. Wikipedia, "Oral Roberts" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Oral Roberts Dies at Age 91", KTUL-TV, December 15, 2009; Sherman, "Oral Roberts dies", Tulsa World, December 15, 2009; Juozapavicius, "Evangelist Oral Roberts dies in Calif. at age 91", December 15, 2009 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  3. Wikipedia, "Oral Roberts" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Oral Roberts's Mother Dies", The New York Times, April 19, 1974; "Interview With Lennox Lewis; Interview With Oral Roberts (transcript)", Larry King Live, January 31, 2002; "The Spirit of Immense Struggle", Oral Roberts University; Arnett, "Oral Roberts Dies", Tulsa Today, December 15, 2009 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  4. Wikipedia, "Oral Roberts" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Religion: Oral's Progress", February 7, 1972 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  5. Wikipedia, "Oral Roberts" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Harrell, "Oral Roberts: an American Life", Indiana University Press, 1985, p. 61 (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
  6. Wikipedia, "Oral Roberts" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Oral Roberts", Oral Roberts Ministries, 2009; "Oral Roberts Tells Conference He Has Raised People From the Dead", The New York Times, June 27, 1987; "I've Raised People from the Dead, Oral Roberts tells 5,000 in Tulsa", The Pittsburgh Press, June 26, 1987; Harrell, Jr., David Edwin (1985). Oral Roberts: An American Life. Bloomington, IN: Indiana University Press. p. 112. (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  7. Wikipedia, "Oral Roberts" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Oral Roberts", Oral Roberts Ministries, 2009 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  8. Wikipedia, "Oral Roberts" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Broadcasters Vote Three to Hall of Fame", Oklahoma Association of Broadcasters, 2010; "Chancellor Roberts Elected to Hall of Fame", Oral Roberts University, November 20, 2009; Schneider, "Oral Roberts, Fiery Preacher, Dies at 91", The New York Times, December 15, 2009 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  9. Wikipedia, "Oral Roberts" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Biddle, "Ideas and Trends – Oral Roberts's Word on Cancer", The New York Times, January 30, 1983; Reifenberg, "Oral Roberts' Ministry Hits a 'Low Spot'", The Dallas Morning News, January 5, 1986; "Oral Roberts tells of talking to 900-foot Jesus", Tulsa World, October 16, 1980 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  10. Christopher, "Oral Roberts obituary", The Guardian, December 15, 2009. facts only, no text reused. theguardian.com

Each numbered sentence above was checked against the source it cites before publication. Sentences citing Wikipedia adapt text from the English Wikipedia article Oral Roberts (contributors), used under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is available under the same licence. Other sources were used for facts only; no text or images are copied from them.

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Sources

Compiled from Wikipedia and the sources listed below. Text from Wikipedia is available under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is adapted from it.

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