ORU, Richard Roberts sued over involvement in Randi Miller campaign
Two ORU professors and an adjunct professor who were fired late this summer have filed a lawsuit in District Court against Oral Roberts University, ORU President Richard Roberts, and several other university officials.
You can read the plaintiffs' petition here on the Fox 23 website (PDF format).
The suit alleges that Roberts directed Professor Tim Brooker to mobilize students and university resources to support the 2006 mayoral campaign of County Commissioner Randi Miller. Brooker says that he advised against involvement as a violation of the university's tax exempt status and as contrary to his personal policy for political science students getting practical campaign experience: "We don't do local politics because it turns neighbors into enemies." Roberts overruled his objections. The suit alleges that Roberts' order violated the school's articles of incorporation and the faculty and administrative handbook and policy statement.
When the IRS came calling a couple of months later, Brooker was told he was to be the fall guy (the suit alleges), to accept responsibility for the school's involvement in the Randi Miller campaign and to shield President Roberts and the school from any repercussions. He also would have to suffer disciplinary procedures for his violations of school policy, even though those violations were ordered by the administration.
Brooker later came into possession of an internal document -- a "compendium itemiz[ing] numerous and substantial acts of misconduct and improrpieties by Defendants ORU and ROBERTS." The lawsuit goes on to provide
a summary of the information contained in the draft of the internal Oral Roberts Ministry report developed by ORM Community and Governmental Liaision [sic], Stephanie Cantese [sic], sister-in-law of Richard ROBERTS. The report appears to be a confidential assessment of potential vulnerability for legal, moral, political and ethical problems of the ROBERTS family, Oral Roberts Evangelistic Association and Oral Roberts University.... Some of the more salacious entries -- of which the Defendant ORU, Defendant ROBERTS, and members of the Board of Regents are painfully aware -- have been omitted from this Petition to preserve, as much as possible, the remaining positive image of the University.
What follows is four pages of small print that paints a picture of people who are treating the funds and assets of ORU and ORM as their own personal property.
The attorneys for the plaintiffs are Gary Richardson, who ran as an independent for Governor in 2002, and Paul T. Boudreaux. There are a number of sloppy typos in the petition, which surprises me -- the spelling of Stephanie Cantees' name, time line issues (saying that Brooker was hired by ORU in 2007, obviously a typo). I assume these would be corrected in an amended petition.
Oral Roberts University is an important asset to our community. I daresay it has attracted more energetic and entrepreneurial people to Tulsa as students who then become long-term residents than a dam or a pedestrian bridge or an arena ever will. Whoever is responsible for the decision, getting the university involved in Randi Miller's campaign for Mayor was foolish politically, legally, and ethically. This is a sad day for Tulsa.
MORE: I wrote a couple of blog entries about ORU's apparent involvement in the Randi Miller mayoral campaign:
Oh, are you in for it now! (January 27, 2006)
ORU really in for it now! (February 2, 2006)
That second entry links to Steve Roemerman's entry which includes the January 16, 2006, e-mail purportedly from Tim Brooker recruiting student involvement in Randi Miller's campaign.
UPDATE 2007/10/03: A couple of interesting comments were posted to today's Tulsa World story on the lawsuit, and it stirred some recollections.
To untangle the references: Brandon Brooker is the son of Tim and Paulita Brooker, two of the parties to the lawsuit. Toby is Toby Huyssen, who was Randi Miller's campaign manager. The second commenter is referring to an encounter at The Fountains, following the Republican Men's Club luncheon, when I asked Brooker about the Miller campaign recruitment e-mail.
Toby Huyssen later took the blame for sending the Miller campaign recruitment e-mail under Brooker's name. I remember thinking, when the Tulsa World finally reported on the Brooker e-mail on February 27, 2006, that it was strange that Brooker seemed to defend the e-mail when I asked him about it on January 20. If he hadn't actually written it, why didn't he tell me that he hadn't written it and that they were trying to find out who had?
I also recall someone tipping me off to the departure of a couple of ORU students from LaFortune's campaign, something hinted at in the comments below. I seem to recall it was mentioned in the ORU student newspaper. If I remember more, I'll post it here.
1. 10/3/2007 2:16:50 AM, Anna , Dr.Roberts i have gotten 4 calls we are all signing papers to send to you. We saw Mrs. Broker write the e mail - she was mad after son left Lafortune's campaign brooker got Toby Brandon's job as campaign manager. Brandon is a skilled as a campaign manager amd thats why his blogs above Brandon I notice he is leaving off Brooker said he got a nice letter of reccommendation to take with him to Coburn when he left the campaign to get a full time job for Coburn. Toby had no experience running a campaign. We all knew Toby lived in an off campus apartment with your son Brandon.We went there to hear him play his guitar. The students are right you live in Silom Springs and drive every day, Toby's mom lives in Germany. Toby told 3 of us he agreed to take the hit about writting the email when it looked like Dr. Mrs. Brooker was going to get in trouble for sending it. Your husband came to him and reminded him about doctoring up his admission papers for him so he could live off campus with Brandon, Toby told us he felt obligated. We got scared that he might be kicked out of school, the computers are password protected and have all our grades and information and under firpa thats big- Brooker promised he could get Swales to go along with a slap on the wrist.2. 10/3/2007 2:28:56 AM, current student, tulsa
Brooker being forced to do Miller's campaign absolute bogus. Brooker's roommate toby was fired by Mayor Lafortune's campaign and Brooker let everyone know how furious he was. Brooker and Dr. Mrs. Brooker his wife sent out a firey e mail "we have been challenged and we must defend our honor" and made a plea for us to join with her in Randi campaign as our honor has been challenged by Lafortune. Dr. Roberts was out of the country because my roommate went with him on medical missions. So how did Dr. Roberts force him? Before President Roberts ever came out for Randi Miller brooker was organizing the young republicans and getting the on board to seek revenge on LaFortune who he bleived treated his sons roommate bad. This is pure crap. Til now i went with the story Dr. Brooker but no more.First you make Toby take the hit for your wife then you lie and say Toby sent it we had wittnesses who are you kidding. you talked bad about chris medlock because michale bates when we accompied you to the republican mens club forum michale challenged you all the way back you went after chris medlock and told us you are taking him on personally. This had nothing to do with President Roberts and I can give names of those who heard you say this. I worked for Kathy Taylor got credit and my roommate did MAyor Lafortune you said at the beginning of class we could work on any campaign for credit. Come on students if you were in his class that semester come out you know what he is saying. Dr. Brooker you resigned no one forced you out.. you did the same in 2006 when i was a first year student you told us you resigned. Many the got tired of it.
Let me try to parse that last paragraph:
First, you [Tim Brooker] make Toby [Huyssen] take the hit for your wife, then you lie and say Toby sent [the Miller campaign recruitment e-mail]. We had witnesses [to the contrary]. Who are you kidding? You talked bad about Chris Medlock, because Michael Bates, when we accompanied you to the Republican Men's Club forum, Michael challenged you. All the way back [from the luncheon to ORU], you went after Chris Medlock and told us you are taking him on personally.
TRACKBACK: Tyson Wynn has an excellent post looking at this lawsuit through the lens of financial accountability for religious institutions.
In much the same way that bad corporate citizens cost us all eventually, bad ministries cost all ministries eventually. No pastor I know would dare use God's coffers as his own personal piggy bank.... And the misery of it all is that because this has happened (if the allegations are true) to the big boys, there will be a regulatory response, placing more burden and regulation on all non-profits, from national and statewide ministries to the local church....I currently serve on the Board of Directors for the Baptist General Convention of Oklahoma. I have never seen a better run, more financially accountable and transparent organization. At our recent meeting, we learned that the BGCO has received an "unqualified good" rating from our external auditors again for 2006. If memory serves, the BGCO has had "unqualified good" ratings since the 1920s. Not only that, but all of our affiliates do, too.
The heart of the problem: Regents who won't rule, who are there as administration yes men, not a body holding the administration accountable for their stewardship.
Having worked in higher education, I can state that though woefully excessive in Roberts' case, university administration (especially presidents) are afforded great discretion and great potential for corruption in all institutions, private or public. What is needed are strong, independent Regents that are more committed to educational excellence, public accountability, and financial transparency than to the man or woman at the helm. Regent literally means a "ruler" or "one who rules." The more you deal with higher education, the less you see Regents as rulers and more as lobbyists and rubber stamps.
The list of ORU's regents, found in their 2005 IRS Form 990 filing (starting on page 18 of the PDF; kudos to the World for posting it), is a who's who of Word-Faith televangelists: Kenneth Copeland, Creflo Dollar, Jerry Savelle, Benny Hinn, John Hagee, Marilyn Hickey, Jesse Duplantis.
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That's almost as bad as when ORU was caught allowing their mail to be opened by people that were told to toss the prayer requests that were supposed to be prayed over for their sacrificial large or small amounts of money from people suffering health or marriage problems, etc. They once were very prosperous when Richard Roberts was married to his first wife. She wrote about all the loads of money that came pouring in the mail and how all of their lifestyles changed financially. It was a national news story and it looks like this will be too.
Richard Roberts first wife wrote a book after Richard divorced her.
I am very upset by this lawsuit and the need to file it. I know Drs. Swails and Brooker from my days at ORU and I have a great deal of respect for them. In my opinion, if half of the claims in the lawsuit are true it is time for ORU to have a new president.
In 1979,Jerry Sholes, a former employee of Oral Robert ministries wrote a book that was published detailing deception and hypocrisy such as Richard and Oral Roberts having memberships at the extremely expensive Southern Hills Country Club and that they drove expensive automobiles that were replaced every six months, has a membership at the ultraposh Thunderbird Country Club in Rancho Mirago, California. Oral Roberts bought a home in Beverly Hills, California in 1982 with ORU endowment funds! ORU endowment funds of $2,400,000 (two million four hundred thousand in 1982 is worth how much today!) which leads me to wonder if Oral Roberts
University has anything to do or any association or knowledge of direct mail rip off of the Saint Matthews Church that is operated in Tulsa at J.C.Joyce's office near the Tulsa World newspaper. It's interesting he (Oral Roberts) lives such a lavish lifestyle that Lindsey and Richard seem to have caught on to enjoy the same financial luxuries of what it says in the lawsuit against ORU.
Bates,
This suit is not over the university's involvement in the Miller campaign. That's incidental. The suit is for wrongful termination, defamation, and infliction of emotional distress. Other charges--illicit political involvement, sexual harassment, misappropriation of funds, tax fraud (?), etc.--if they have a basis, will have to come separately.
It is time for ORU to have a new president that has no ties to the Oral Roberts family as you can see the greed that has passed down from Oral Roberts who lives in California (Oral has two expensive homes purchased with ORU endowment funds and ORU ways they do business to receive money in the mail for the university. Driving expensive cars, crying out for people to give "faith seed offerings" when they are spending millions on themselves should make the IRS take away and revoke the ORU ministry's nonprofit status. It will be shown when the mismanagement of funds allowed over the years for their own shamelessness, rewarding themselves love of glitz with money sent in from faith seed givers, direct mail and over the air tv pleadings for money, you can see how poorly they have handled their financial empire with the closing of the City of Faith which they went ahead and built without a certificate of need and other medical mission pleadings for money --the money they received that was once a blessing and a good thing for Tulsa has revealed Richard Roberts and Oral Roberts are very much the same as the love of money that turned the PTL ministry downward. Jim Baker at least confessed of his wrongdoings, and I think you will find that the professors that were fired from ORU
make far less than those at the University of Tulsa. Their staff members are not given the luxuries that Oral and Richard Roberts reward themselves in homes, expensive cars, expensive lifestyle habits that all started when money started flowing into the ORU way back in the 80's and 70's with their way they get money from unsuspecting people that give to their ministry hoping their prayer requests and money they give will cure.
Oral Roberts University is filled with loving and good professors. It was definitely wrong what was done to the fired professors.
Billy Graham evangelistic Association was/is the prototype organization for firewalls and accountability. Oral and Richard are pale copies of Graham in general and his principals in particular.
It would be refreshing to see more preacher/evangelists realize the following. Accumulated wealth adn overwhelm imperfect humans. It distracts them from focusing on their real message. It also dostorts the personal witness of these very visible Christians. Further, it makes all believers suspect in the eyes of the unsaved or unchurched among us. Old Testament Israel was constantly chastised by God for falling in to pagan worship and lifestyles. these modern day mega preachers don;t realize that they are little more than children of God just like anyone else. Wealth tends to make these guys think they are bigger and more important than those they preach to. They most certainly are cut from the same cloth as the average American.
The professors will win as our outdated and current at-will much to be improved law will show they were fired. If our current state legislature and senate would revise this at-will law for abusive employers that have bad top management and allow such dishonest behavior the professors would not have to go through this humiliation.
It happens in other companies that have brand new General Managers and it cost the company/organization in poor morale and money.
Michael,
Thanks for the link. I had no idea that's who the regents were when I posted my comments on my blog. However, now that I see who the regents are I am far from surprised that this has happened.
Most of those televangelists are the king or queen of their own empires that very probably exhibit some of the very same characteristics that are going to be made public in ORU's case. For most, there seems to be a real inability to separate the person from the (tax-exempt) ministry. I will be the first to tell you that I think a workman is worth his wages, and that every American is entitled to every legal tax advantage he or she can claim. That said, non-profit funds should never be used as personal carte blanche. It's illegal, unethical, and sinful.
I’ve known Tim Brooker from very early times, and have met his wife, Paulita, a few times through the years. They have worked hard to develop a reputable professional life, and have not been prone to carry out frivolous agendas or make personal attacks to benefit themselves. They have sincere beliefs, that on the surface, should mesh well with the ‘reputation’ that ORU advertises strongly to maintain. Under that surface, though, are some agendas that ORU is really about and many supporters of this institution stay very busy in their endeavors to the point that they may not have the time to see these things. I realized long ago that becoming involved with ORU is much like the ‘Goodman Brown’ experience. The Brookers apparently have stood up for their own time honored values, and were not the “go along to get along and get along to go along†minions that some of these ‘neocon machines’ really seek to operate through. Hopefully, Tim and Paulita will have a nice paradigm shift through this experience. The Master said: “My people suffer for a lack of knowledge...†and we all need to slow down at times and develop the often displaced ability of discernment. They may very well help expose some forces out there that are more about subterfuge than healing.
I’ve known Tim Brooker from very early times, and have met his wife, Paulita, a few times through the years. They have worked hard to develop a reputable professional life, and have not been prone to carry out frivolous agendas or make personal attacks to benefit themselves. They have sincere beliefs, that on the surface, should mesh well with the ‘reputation’ that ORU advertises strongly to maintain. Under that surface, though, are some agendas that ORU is really about and many supporters of this institution stay very busy in their endeavors to the point that they may not have the time to see these things. I realized long ago that becoming involved with ORU is much like the ‘Goodman Brown’ experience. The Brookers apparently have stood up for their own time honored values, and were not the “go along to get along and get along to go along†minions that some of these ‘neocon machines’ really seek to operate through. Hopefully, Tim and Paulita will have a nice paradigm shift through this experience. The Master said: “My people suffer for a lack of knowledge...†and we all need to slow down at times and develop the often displaced ability of discernment. They may very well help expose some forces out there that are more about subterfuge than healing.
In regard to those who serve as regents, they all have their share of baggage that any free thinking and spiritual minded person should contemplate about before being accepting of the ORU royalty. I've been in 'services' under the 'guidance' of most of these slicksters, and have done research on the one that I had not heard as much about. As I figured, his M.O. is much like that of the others, and I've included an excerpt from: apostasywatch.com
Creflo Dollar
Video - Dollars Gospel Examined + Money Comin!
Luke 12:1
…….Beware ye of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.
Hypocrite - Someone feigning high principles. Somebody who gives a false appearance of having admirable principles, beliefs, or feelings.
Creflo Dollar is a hypocrite. He preaches one thing but practices another.
Last week I exposed on my ‘Quick Hits’ Page the hypocrisy of Creflo Dollar. Apparently, Dollar is having some money problems. He claims his television show is in debt to the tune of $2.2 million. If you’ve ever listened to Dollar for more than 30 seconds you’ll know that he is a big proponent of “seed faith giving†He claims when you have a need you must sow a seed of money (preferably to him) before God will move to meet that need.
Dollar is constantly telling people who are having financial problems that all they have to do is sow a seed and believe. Now it turns out there is more to it than that. It also helps to have a large television audience to turn to in time of need. Dollar makes this clear on his website when he says. “We are currently facing a $2.2 million debt that needs your attention.â€
According to Dollar, this debt needs YOUR attention. I’d say it needs his attention since he’s the one who ran up the debt. I wonder why all his “seed sowing†isn’t working for him? Let’s examine some other interesting facts about Dr. Dollar.
Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Mar. 9, 2000
He drives a black Rolls-Royce, flies to speaking engagements across the nation and Europe in a $5 million private jet and lives in a $1 million home behind iron gates in an upscale Atlanta neighborhood……
Dollar lives in a $1 million home owned by the church in the Guilford Forest subdivision in southwest Atlanta. World Changers purchased another $1 million home on 27 acres in Fayette County in December. The church has amassed a fortune in real estate, mostly in College Park……
As World Changers grew, so did Dollar's emphasis on prosperity. Dollar has no degree in theology. Much of his prosperity message, according to church and his family members, is based on the teachings of friend and spiritual mentor Kenneth Copeland……
http://www.accessatlanta.com/partners/ajc/newsatlanta/dollar/main.html
While Creflo Dollar does have an undergraduate degree from West Georgia College (B.S. in Educational Therapy 1984) the title of Dr. comes via an HONORARY DEGREE from O.R.U.
As I have written before, it is fundamentally dishonest to use the term Dr. when the degree has not been earned academically. Dollar, like many of these heretics love the praise of men. They know that they can impress many gullible people with their fake credentials.
Contrast the dishonesty of “Dr.†Creflo Dollar to the apostle Paul who was highly educated in the scriptures, a Pharisee of the Pharisee’s but he said:
1Cor 2:4-5
And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power: That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.
T.D. Jakes also lives the rich life while asking many of his followers that have very little income to give to his ministry. These preachers have no conscience when they take the money of the uneducated and poor so they can spend it on themselves to live in expensive homes, expensive cars -- somewhere along the way they lost the true meaning of ministry.
UMMMMM....Have any of you idiots prayed for these men? How about we just pray about these things and then see what the truth is before we start "bashing" these men. I don't think any person on this "blog" is mature enough to condemn a man. Grow up!
Well, I've been praying about about these situations since the '70s. That was a time when I began to see through this guise of 'religiosity'. As these charlatans become intoxicated on the ill gotten gain that they've become addicted to, some get to the point of trouble where they may fall on their face 'drunk of it', and then may sincerely seek help. You have to understand that some of these people aren't just making calls of bad judgement, but are parts of an overall umbrella of wolves who seek to devour and destroy the sense of spirituality that they claim to represent. It's great when some do seek help, but while they are actively working the real agenda they have, my time is better spent praying more directly for the numerous victims that I've directly seen and indirectly know about. While having to spend time working two jobs to get by on, and take time to meditate on other people and events more closely related to me and in listening to that "still voice" within for focusing on what is as hand, then I'll leave time to those who feel the call and have such intellect as to pray for the needs of these "ravenous wolves". I suppose that one who is an idiot might not know how to take on such a task. Perhaps the aesthetic bliss that I must have, by definition, blinds me from understanding such deep relativity of those matters.
A thing that I do know is that "we will judge them by their fruits", and this isn't by trying to be judgemental. It is by way of plain knowledge based on real facts and taking time to research, as well as observe, the roots of these events. We may not understand something right away, such as knowing if some unknown person is an idiot or not. But, with years of direct observation, research, thought, contemplation, prayer, meditation, patience and seeking wisdom, revelation comes about. Isn't the Bible full of such examples, yet the masses keep falling for the same bait and continue to seek comfort in the same idols. This may include the religious training one has had, w/o personal seeking of real truth. Hanging on to a framed picture of Jesus, but not really knowing the spiritual power thereof. Practicing dogma, but not understanding the full potential of what the dogma claims to represent.
Has anyone visiting here noticed the mind control, subtle as it can be, exercised by these Roberts' friendly member regents? Copeland and some of his 'associates' have ushered in the Toronto Blessing, as well as other ways of misconstruing, and the masses are 'falling' for it. Ever know of the hand gestures these 'ministers' give and the utterances they really speak? The henchmen that pose as helpers in the meetings? What happens in these victims' lives after they've been affected? Genesis talks of a subtle beast of the field. Try looking like a sincere and intelligent person, and see how close you can get to these people. Anyone else out there who have had some 'hands on experience', and not just assumed it must be real because the local TV influence help get these people aired?
Really, few people are more nondenominational that I, and more lenient in how one makes their personal decision. But, aren't some things capable of being really exposed for what it is? Didn't the Master Himself turn some tables? Be careful about what you understand of the money trail.
btw, some people condemn themselves.
I have read through this entire blog and must admit my heart is heavy. However, we must not throw out the baby with the bath water. Just because a handful of people have maximized and apparently taken advantage of what some call "the prosperity message", does not give us the right to dismiss biblical principles such as sowing and reaping, which were established by the Master Himself. Human nature being what it is, whether in the clergy or laity, will always be prone to excesses. Thus we must each be mindful of ourselves, lest pride and overconsumption devour us. I will pray for these men. After all, God does not consider any of us disposable. Neither should we!
I am suprised this kind of allegations have not come up before. I worked at ORU in the 90's and was completely turned off by the way ORU treated its very loyal employees and how it conducted business. Several people were fired while I was there simply at Richard or Lindsay's whim. If I hadnt been a fairly strong Christian, I would have been totally turned off to ministry. It was a good lesson for me that all is not well in the Christian world
Having read the legal brief and today the transcript of the Larry King interview with the Roberts, I discerned some serious discrepancies.
The facts of the case have yet to be proven, however the allegations are matters of fact. Richard Roberts marched out to one of the biggest microphones in the U.S. and rolled out a carefully crafted PR message designed to keep his followers trusting and giving for as long as possible. However, the way he addressed the campaign issue was a deliberate blurring of the distinction between the out of state campaigning that is legal and the in state campaigning which he knew was illegal. Here is a quote from the transcript:
King:The candidate, they claim -- the litigants claim that you asked them to support a political candidate running for mayor of Tulsa. The candidate lost. He said he was ordered -- the people were ordered to take responsibility when the IRS investigated complaints, because as a university, you can't support political candidates.
How do you respond?
R. ROBERTS: Larry, I didn't ask or coerce anybody to do that. That's not true.
KING: Just plain out not true?
R. ROBERTS: It's not true. I didn't do that. Oral Roberts University has had a longstanding policy with our government students to be involved in campaigns. And students have campaigned for Republicans, for Democrats -- I don't know about Independents. But it's sort of a lab experience the government students have. And they do that in most universities. Most government students on university campuses are a part of some type of political campaign to gain experience.
KING: And they can do that...
R. ROBERTS: Yes, they can do that.
KING: That's not in violation of...
R. ROBERTS: That's legal. But it is correct, we don't ever endorse a candidate as a university. However, as an individual, we have a right. But not as an university or an...
KING: Did you ask these professors to do anything?
R. ROBERTS: Absolutely not.
KING: Nothing?
R. ROBERTS: And we've had a longstanding policy of supporting candidates all across the country and helping them with their races.
-----End of excerpt---
Most viewers across the country are unaware the distinctions of the campaign laws. Roberts knows very well that the accusation is about instate campaigns, but he asserts the half truth of the universities well known out of state campaign work as if the accusers are going after something that ORU has done for a long time with the blessing of the law. Seems Larry King was not aware of the distinction or he would have surely follwed up harder.
Explanations regarding other charges strain credulity. Eleven remodels of the home at University expense because of the black mold plague sweeping through Tulsas most prestegious homes? Hail damage? Eleven times? With luck like that, makes you wonder if they are living right.
And the following heart tug given to explain twiglight tsext messages to undrage boys must make little old ladies get misty, however I found it hard to swallow.
Roberts:Larry, if I might add, Lindsay and I, for years, have had a special ministry to troubled kids -- to kids who had been on alcohol and drugs. It's not something that we publicize, because we don't want to draw attention to those kids. But for years we have reached out to kids who've suffered with drug and alcohol problems. We've helped them when they've been in and out of jail. We've helped them when they've come to our home drunk. And we've brought them and had them spent the night in our home and then gotten our bibles out and counseled them the next morning when they were sober and tried to help them. We've text messaged them. We've taken their phone calls at 2:00 or 3:00 in the morning. That's not something that we talk about, Larry. But we've had a ministry to these kids for years.
----end of excerpt---------
right...sooo we have unidentifiable drunken teens spending the night at the the Roberts luxery detox and recieving personal ministry from the first family.
Full transcript below
http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0710/09/lkl.01.html
To refer to a previous comment, I tried to connect with some principles of TV ministry over the years. This included attending conferences of Benny Hinn, Kenneth Copeland and others at TBN. As a decent-dressed, college educated man who has been able to meet some politicians or public "greats" I was continually shocked at the barriers to meeting the televangelist personages themselves. In short, it is virtually impossible. This is a red flag warning. Now, after decades of refusing to be corrected the escapologists of televangelism are encountering their own personal Armeggedons. This, quite naturally, disproves their escapist doctrines while it concurrently proves the last page of Revelation is true. www.inthatdayteachings.com
Father,
I lift up Richard Roberts and every individual on this blog to You and ask that You strengthen them with might in their inner mant that Christ might dwell in their heart by faith that they being rooted and grounded in love would know what is the depth, the height, the width, and breadth of the love of Christ which passes knowledge and that You would fill them with the fullness of You. Father, fill them with the knowledge of Your will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding that they might walk worthy of You unto all pleasing being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God strengthened with all might according to Your glorious power unto all longsuffering,patience, and joyfulness. Father, I pray that their love would abound more and more in knowledge and in all judgement, that they would be able to approve all things that are excellent, that they would be sincere and without offense until the day of Christ and that they would be filled with the fruits of righteousness by Christ Jesus. Father, cause them to be counted worthy of this calling and fulfill all the good pleasure of Your goodness in them and the work of faith with power that the name of the Lord Jesus Christ might be glorified in them and they in You. Impart to them the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of You that the eyes of their understanding might be enlightened that they might know what is the hope of Your calling, what the riches of the glory of Your inheritance in the saints is, and what the exceeding greatness of Your power is toward us who believe according to the working of Your mighty power which You wrought in Christ when You raised Him from the dead. Now let them feel your love, your touch, and your glory right now, in Jesus's Name! Amen
I too am a ORU graduate of the 70's , although while attending this "interesting" Christian school , I always was in astonished at how a business could run tax free on 60% free donations with little or no accountibility . I also knew my dear friend Richard was surly tangled up in the money scheme.....I am certain no Televangilist does this originally for the money but I am sure there is a special place in Hell for the con men that cheat unsuspecting people out of their hard earned cash in the name of God . Money corrupts and many have found out !