J.L. Bailey is an unclassified graduate student. He can be contacted at [email protected].Televangelists garnered more media attention in the 1980s than they have in recent years.
Gone are the good ol’ days when rarely a week passed without inclusion of the latest news from Bennie Hinn, James Robertson, Pat Robertson, Earnest “Put-Your-Hand-on-the-Radio” Ainsley, Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker and of course, Oral Roberts.
These days, news about the aforementioned multimillion-dollar people of God seems sparse.
In 1963, Oral Roberts founded a university in Tulsa, Okla., baring his name. One famous landmark of this university is a 60-foot tall bronze sculpture of praying hands. In 2005, the university reported revenue of $76 million.
In 1987, Oral Roberts made one humdinger of a plea, stating that God told him to raise $8 million for the university or he would be “called home.”
I know a little bit about preachers. My dad was a man of the cloth. His Sunday morning messages were heartfelt and sincere. There were never dramatics or incomprehensible, self-serving pleas for money.
Also, my mother did not drive a Mercedes, redecorate our home eleven times in fourteen years or do anything resembling the recent allegations surrounding Oral Roberts’ son, Richard.
For those of you unfamiliar with Oral Roberts, he began his ministry holding tent revivals in Southern states. This grew into one of the most successful evangelical empires that still generates millions of dollars each year.
During the last few weeks, Oral’s son, Richard, who now oversees the day-to-day operations of the university, has taken a leave of absence amid allegations of financial improprieties.
It seems that three recently fired Oral Roberts University professors were furnished a computer hard drive containing Roberts’ personal financial information and expenditures. This information with perceived improprieties was sent to the University’s board of regents.
The regents showed appreciation for these scandalous revelations by terminating the whistle-blowing professors’ employment. The fired professors have filed a lawsuit against the university.
Where does God fit in to this huge mess?
The most eye-raising allegations center on Richard Roberts’ wife, Lindsay, and her alleged propensity for under-aged males in addition to sports cars and redecorating.
It was reported that Lindsay Roberts’ cell phone records included numerous text messages to under-aged boys between 1 and 3 a.m. Could she have simply been providing extra credit for homework assignments?
Also, she allegedly spent nights in the ORU guesthouse with an under-aged male nine times and was allegedly photographed 29 times with an under-aged male in her sports car.
In a statement, Lindsay Roberts responded that she lived her life in a “morally upright manner” and had never engaged in any sexual relations outside of marriage as the allegations imply.
How does a well-known religious leader’s life get to this point? How do these self-professed servants of God, set apart by their calling, create such a big mess?
Richard Roberts believes that God offered input into this latest scandal. In a recent chapel service at ORU, he said God told him to deny the allegations.
According to an Associated Press report, Richard claims God told him, “We live in a litigious society. Anyone can get mad and file a lawsuit against another person whether they have a legitimate case or not … This lawsuit is about intimidation, blackmail and extortion.”
It is unfortunate when those professing a divine calling from God to preach the Gospel to the multitudes become entwined in scandals.
The Roberts family has come a long way from the early days when Oral went from town to town preaching to anyone who might show up.
Now people can simply hit the remote and the televangelist of their choice will appear. This is easy; it is convenient. And this, in many cases, is what people want. Easy religion.
In my experience, religious faith is not easy, nor is it convenient. And like most things in life, it requires practice and commitment.
Who can be sustained by a slick, well-coiffed, silver-tongued, materialistic Oral Roberts offspring who spends millions of dollars sent by the likes of retired teachers and well-intentioned people, many of whom that live on fixed income?
To him who has been given much, much is expected, Richard.