Oral Roberts: The Televangelist Who Claimed a 900-Foot Jesus Commanded His Medical Empire
In short: Oral Roberts transformed American religion by pioneering televangelism and the prosperity gospel. From humble beginnings in Oklahoma, he built a massive ministry and university, often courting controversy through dramatic fundraising pleas, claims of divine visions, and a lavish lifestyle that frequently clashed with his message of abundant life.
Born in 1918, Oral Roberts rose from poverty to become one of the most influential figures in the Charismatic movement. After a brush with tuberculosis in his youth, he began a career as a traveling faith healer, famously using a large mobile tent to reach thousands. By 1947, he founded the Oral Roberts Evangelistic Association, eventually conducting over 300 crusades across six continents and personally praying for more than 2 million people. His ministry was defined by the prosperity gospel, a theology suggesting that faith leads to both physical health and financial abundance.
Roberts’ career was marked by extraordinary claims and high-stakes ventures. In 1963, he founded Oral Roberts University in Tulsa, and in 1977, he announced a vision of a 900-foot-tall Jesus who commanded him to build the City of Faith Medical and Research Center. This massive facility, intended to merge prayer with medicine, opened in 1981 but struggled financially, closing in 1989. His fundraising methods were equally polarizing; in 1987, he famously told television viewers that God would 'call him home' if he did not raise $8 million by a specific deadline, a move that drew intense criticism and skepticism.
Despite his immense influence, Roberts faced persistent scrutiny regarding his finances and personal conduct. Reports surfaced of lavish spending, including the use of endowment funds for luxury properties and country club memberships. His son, Richard Roberts, later faced lawsuits alleging the misuse of university resources, leading to his resignation as president of ORU in 2007. Throughout these challenges, Roberts maintained his status as a central, if contentious, figure in American Protestantism, eventually passing away in 2009 at the age of 91.
The legacy of Oral Roberts remains complex. While critics pointed to his theatrical fundraising and the failure of his medical center, supporters celebrated his role in bringing Pentecostal Christianity into the mainstream. His life, documented in his own autobiographies and objective historical studies, reflects the volatile intersection of faith, media, and American culture during the 20th century.
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