It brings me great sadness to have to write this news story. Nevertheless, it has happened and it is news. It appears the one of founding fathers of television evangelism has died. Oral Roberts has passed away at age 91.
The News comes via Christian Post:
Charismatic Christian leader Dr. Oral Roberts died Tuesday at the age of 91 after slipping and falling in his house over the weekend.
After the fall on Saturday, Roberts was transported to a local hospital in Newport Beach, Calif., where he was treated for broken bones and a “slight case of pneumonia,” according to a report by the ministry on Monday.
Roberts’ PR agency, A. Larry Ross Communications, confirmed the next day that Roberts died Tuesday due to complications from pneumonia and that arrangements for a public memorial service in Tulsa, Okla., are pending and will be announced soon.
“There will be a private family internment,” the agency added.
In a public announcement by the president of Oral Roberts University, which Roberts founded in 1963, Dr. Mark Rutland informed the ORU family that Roberts passed away Tuesday afternoon and asked everyone to join him in prayer for the Roberts family.
“Chancellor Roberts was one of the brilliant spiritual lights of the 20th century and a giant of the Christian faith,” commented Rutland, who was installed earlier this year as ORU’s third president. “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.”
As many of you know, who this blog regularly; I was for 21 years of my Christian walk, a Pentecostal Christian. I left the Pentecostal movement for good in 2004, due to some of my issue with where they movement was headed as a whole. I can honestly tell you, that I know in my heart that Oral Roberts believed what he preached. Unlike some of my fellow bloggers on the left… and the right; I will not sit here and harp on Pastor Roberts’ failures — after all, he was a moral man and they do fail once and a while. You ask me how I know that Pastor Roberts was sincere. I will tell you, better yet, I will just show you:
11 But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you. 12 Therefore , brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh. 13 For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die : but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live . 14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. 15 For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry , Abba, Father. 16 The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: 17 And if children, then heirs; heirs of God , and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together . 18 For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. 19 For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God. 20 For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope, 21 Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. – Romans 8:11-21 KJV
Now does this mean that I agree with his belief system? No, it does not. I concluded that the Pentecostal doctrine of the sign gifts being for today as being highly flawed. This was no easy task; it took many hours of study, soul searching and prayer to arrive there. Nevertheless, I would highly remiss if I did not point out the fact that Oral Roberts was, in fact, a minister who is commonly referred to as the ‘Old Line’ Pentecostals. Unlike the modern contemporaries of Roberts, Roberts shunned the title of “Faith Healer”, saying, “God heals — I don’t.” That to me says a library full about his personal character.
I wish to extend my personal heartfelt sympathies to the Roberts family during this most sad time of loss.
Oral and Evelyn - Together at last