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Christian Living

ChurchWatch 12/15/09

The Legacy of Oral Roberts

Oral RobertsHe was a one of the central figures of the 20th Century American church, and he touched the world through his dynamic ministry. Dr. Oral Roberts rose from humble beginnings to become one of the most influential Christian leaders in the world. He died this week at 91.

He rose from tent revivals to found a multimillion-dollar evangelistic association and the Oklahoma university that bears his name. Roberts was a pioneer on two fronts — he helped bring spirit-filled charismatic Christianity into the mainstream and took his trademark revivals to television, a new frontier for religion.

By the 1960s and '70s, Roberts was reaching millions around the world through broadcasting, publications and personal appearances. Oral Roberts University, which was chartered in 1963, became a Tulsa landmark.

“Oral Roberts was the greatest man of God I’ve ever known,” his son, Richard Roberts said at his death. “A modern-day apostle of the healing ministry, an author, educator, evangelist, prophet and innovator, he was the only man of his generation to build a worldwide ministry, an accredited university, and a medical school.

“His name is synonymous with miracles," Richard Roberts added. "He came along when many in Christendom did not believe in the power of God and His goodness. Oral Roberts was known for sayings such as ‘God Is a Good God,’ ‘Expect a Miracle,’ ‘Release Your Faith,’ and ‘Plant Your Seed for a Harvest.’"

Of his ministry colleague, Dr. Pat Robertson said, "I am grieved at the passing of my dear friend, Oral Roberts. He was a pioneer in healing evangelism and in Christian education. He inspired a generation of young people to follow his lead in the charismatic ministry. We were friends for over 50 years and I will miss him."

Dr. Jack Hayford, president of the International Church of the Foursquare Gospel, said of Roberts, “If God had not, in His sovereign will, raised up the ministry of Oral Roberts, the entire charismatic movement might not have occurred. Oral shook the landscape with the inescapable reality and practicality of Jesus’ whole ministry. His teaching and concepts were foundational to the renewal that swept through the whole church. He taught concepts that spread throughout the world and simplified and focused a spiritual lifestyle that is embraced by huge sectors of today’s church.”

"It'd be hard to overestimate Oral's place in history," said pentecostal historian Vinson Synan of Regent University. "He made Pentecostalism a household word, and he rivaled Billy Graham in terms of the crowds he drew."

Oral Roberts University Board Chair Mart Green commented, "Chancellor Oral Roberts was a true disciple of Christ and his contributions to the kingdom of God will live on for many years to come. Just 10 days from Christmas, we know Oral will celebrate the birth of Christ with his heavenly father. The Oral Roberts University family grieves his loss yet celebrates the legacy he leaves behind."

 "The Oral Roberts University family was deeply saddened to hear about the passing of our dear chancellor, Oral Roberts," said ORU President Mark Rutland. "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."

Granville Oral Roberts was born into poverty in Bebee, Oklahoma, on January 24, 1918. He began stuttering as a young child and then, as a teenager, contracted a potentially deadly case of tuberculosis. Unable to leave his bed at age 17, he was carried to a revival meeting by his older brother, where a healing evangelist was praying for the sick.

On the way, he clearly heard God speak to him, saying, “Son, I am going to heal you, and you are to take My healing power to your generation. You are to build Me a university based on My authority and on the Holy Spirit.”

Roberts was miraculously healed of tuberculosis and stuttering at the revival meeting. His healing ministry was born several years later. “If a former stuttering, tuberculosis-ridden young Indian boy in an obscure county in Oklahoma can see the invisible and do the impossible—and still do it—so can you!” Roberts once said.

After his healing at age 17, Roberts spent a dozen years pastoring churches in Oklahoma and Georgia, and preaching at revivals around the country, while also studying at Oklahoma Baptist University and Phillips University.

Roberts gave up a local pastorate in Enid in 1947 and founded Oral Roberts Evangelistic Association (OREA) and began conducting crusades across America and around the world, attracting crowds of thousands—many who were sick and dying, and in search of healing. He felt called of God to pray for the healing of the whole person — the body, mind and spirit. The philosophy led many to call him a "faith healer," a label he rejected with the comment: "God heals — I don't."

He credited his oratorical skills to his faith, saying, "I become anointed with God's word, and the spirit of the Lord builds up in me like a coiled spring. By the time I'm ready to go on, my mind is razor-sharp. I know exactly what I'm going to say and I'm feeling like a lion."

Through the years, he conducted more than 300 crusades on six continents. OREA officials estimate that he personally laid hands in prayer on more than 2 million people. The ministry continues under the leadership of Roberts’ son, Richard, who has ministered in the U.S. and around the world for almost 30 years.

In 1954, Oral Roberts revolutionized evangelism by bringing television cameras into services, providing what he liked to call a “front-row seat to miracles” for millions of viewers. Years later, he began a television program, “Oral Roberts Presents.” More than 50 years later, the ministry’s daily program, “The Place for Miracles,” continues to minister to millions on over 100 television stations, multiple cable and satellite networks, and can be seen around the world via the Internet.

By the 1960s and '70s, he was reaching millions around the world through radio, television, publications and personal appearances. He remained on TV into the new century, co-hosting the program, "Miracles Now," with son Richard. He published dozens of books and conducted hundreds of crusades. A famous photograph showed him working at a desk with a sign on it reading, "Make no little plans here."

In 1958, Roberts founded the Abundant Life Prayer Group to address the around-the-clock needs of those suffering and requesting prayer. More than 50 years later, prayer partners continue to receive calls from around the world seven-days-a-week, 24-hours-a-day. Over the years, they have received more than 23 million phone calls for prayer, along with astounding reports of miracles in answer to prayer.

Roberts answered God’s call to build an institute of higher learning in 1963, founding Oral Roberts University on 500 acres in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Longtime friend Billy Graham officially dedicated ORU four years later. In the 1970s graduate schools, including Medicine, Nursing, Dentistry, Law, Education, and Theology, were added. Roberts served as school president until 1993, when he became chancellor.

Roberts wrote more than 130 books, including such classics as “If You Need Healing, Do These Things,” and “The Fourth Man.” His book “The Miracle of Seed Faith” has more than 8 million copies in circulation. This book’s key principles—God is your Source, sow your seed out of your need, and expect a miracle harvest—formed a fundamental part of Roberts’ ministry and legacy.

“After I’m gone, others will have to judge how well I’ve obeyed God’s command not to be an echo but to be a voice like Jesus,” Roberts said. “As far as my own conviction is concerned, I’ve tried to be that voice with every fiber of my being, regardless of the cost.”

More on the death of Oral Roberts from CBN News

By CBN's Scott Ross: Oral Roberts -- Still Standing on the Promises

More on Oral Roberts at www.OralRoberts.com

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