Richard Lee Roberts (born November 12, 1948) is an American television evangelist and faith healer who serves as the chairman and chief executive officer of the Oral Roberts Evangelistic Association. He previously served fifteen years as the president of Oral Roberts University.
Early life and education
Richard Lee Roberts was born on November 12, 1948, in Tulsa, Oklahoma, the son of evangelist Granville Oral Roberts and schoolteacher Evelyn Lutman Roberts. The third of four children, Richard had an older sister, Rebecca Ann, who was killed, along with her husband, Marshall Nash, in a plane crash in 1977; and an older brother, Ronald David, who committed suicide in 1982, six months after coming out as homosexual, and five months after entering a drug rehabilitation facility. Roberts's younger sister, Roberta Jean Potts, is a practicing attorney in Tulsa.
As a young boy, Roberts watched his father travel the United States and the world conducting healing meetings, where he would preach and pray for the sick. At times, his father and mother were gone for periods as long as six weeks. When school permitted, Roberts accompanied his father on trips and dreamed of having a healing ministry of his own; many times walking by his side as his father prayed for people in the "invalid tent"."Claim Your Inheritance by Richard Roberts, 2002, The Oral Roberts Evangelistic Association, pages 19-20," During the portions of the services where his father prayed for people,"You Can Touch Heaven With Your Faith by Richard Roberts, 1991, The Oral Roberts Evangelistic Association, page 23," Roberts was often standing on his chair, clapping when people were healed.
At age 5, Roberts had his first public performance at an Oral Roberts crusade in Baltimore, Maryland, where he stood on a chair to sing "I Believe." Around the same time, his father began to teach him golf; the first time he swung the club, Roberts sent a ball through the family's living room window. In the book Expect A Miracle: My Life and Ministry, Oral Roberts wrote about the bond he and his son Richard built through playing golf.
Though drawn to ministry, the attention his father drew made Roberts uncomfortable, leading to teasing at school. Roberts wrote, "I came home from school many a day with my shirt torn and my nose bloodied from being in fights with the other kids who made fun of me, my dad and the healing ministry of Jesus Christ." As a teenager, with the negative press his father was receiving and pressure from his father to sing at crusades, he began to pull away from involvement with his father's ministry and began pursuing other talents and interests, such as singing."Faith to Try Again by Richard Roberts, 1997, Albury Publishing, page 13" Roberts learned to play the guitar and performed around Oklahoma, dreaming of a career as a nightclub singer in Las Vegas. In 1966, he played the lead in his high school's production of The Sound of Music and was offered a scholarship to Interlochen.
Graduating from Memorial High School in May 1966"Tulsa People Magazine, Volume XI, Number 77, May 1998, page 19" Roberts attended University of Kansas, intending to study music."Claim Your Inheritance by Richard Roberts, 2002, The Oral Roberts Evangelistic Association, page 15," During the summer of his freshman year, he worked at the famous Starlight Theater in Kansas City, with a number of performers including Shirley Jones. He also had been working in a number of nightclubs and had been offered a contract to sing in Las Vegas."Claim Your Inheritance by Richard Roberts, 2002, The Oral Roberts Evangelistic Association, page 21,"
While at the University of Kansas, Roberts fell ill and had to go to the hospital. When he returned home, he heard a voice telling him that he was in the wrong place and that he belonged at Oral Roberts University instead. The next year, Roberts left Kansas and enrolled at ORU."" In 1968 Roberts dedicated his life to Jesus Christ and joined his father’s ministry as a singer."Faith to Try Again by Richard Roberts, 1997, Albury Publishing, page 35"
Roberts holds three degrees from Oral Roberts University: BA in communications in 1985; a master's degree in 1992;Oral Roberts University Alumni Directory, 1998, p. 313. and a DMin degree in 2002."Roberts Passes Helm to Son", The Bulletin, January 28, 1993.
Family Against the wishes of his family and friends, Roberts married Patricia "Patti" Holcombe on November 27, 1968. In his book, He’s The God of a Second Chance, Roberts wrote that the marriage was "a terrible mistake that I didn't know how to get out of," but that he did not believe in divorce.He’s The God of a Second Chance, p. 30. Together they have two children, Christi (b. 1971) and Juli (b. 1972). Patti filed for divorce in 1978."He’s The God of a Second Chance, page 31" In 1983, she released a book called Ashes to Gold, discussing her thoughts on Roberts' ministry and university.
Because of his high-profile divorce, Roberts believed it was important to go before the executive staff of the ministry and the university to discuss his desire to remarry and seek their approval. They approved his request."Expect a Miracle-My Life and Ministry by Oral Roberts, page 228" Several weeks later, on January 11, 1980, Roberts married Lindsay Salem at the campus chapel of Rollins College."He’s The God of a Second Chance, page 54"
Together, Richard and Lindsay had four children. After several miscarriages, their first child, Richard Oral, (born on January 17, 1984) who, within hours, developed complications and died 36 hours after birth. Their other children are Jordan (b. 1985), Olivia (b. 1987) and Chloe (b. 1989)."36 Hours with an Angle by Lindsay Roberts, 1990" Roberts has 3 grandchildren.
Career
Oral Roberts Evangelistic Association
At 19, Roberts joined his father's ministry and became immediately involved in several areas of the ministry including radio, television and traveling with his father on domestic and international crusades. His first trip was in December of the same year to Haiti singing with the music team, Oral Roberts Collegians. His first area of responsibility was reorganizing and developing the Collegians music group into the World Action Singers. Roberts and this group were featured in the new Sunday morning television program, taped in Los Angeles and prime-time television specials that were taped in different locations around the world. Over the next decade Roberts sang on the television programs and produced more than 15 record albums. When not involved in television production Roberts traveled the US and around the world performing in concerts and speaking at ministry sponsored events, as the ministry continued to raise funds to complete the building of the university."Miracle of ORU, Abundant Life Magazine, January 1972" In addition, Roberts travelled and sang in numerous healing meetings with Kathryn Kuhlman from 1973-1975."A Tribute to Kathryn Kuhlman, Abundant Life Magazine, May 1976""We are moving the earth again at ORU, November 1970"
Roberts’ world fell apart after his wife, Patti, filed for divorce. In the book Expect a Miracle, Oral Roberts remembered his son coming to his office devastated, explaining what had just happened, asking what was to become of him and his work in the ministry. Oral noted that numerous individuals, including close friends and ministers, advised him to remove Richard from the Ministry, send him overseas for a number of years, and even disown him. After prayer, Oral believed that God was not through with Richard, and he was still to be involved in the ministry.
Roberts remarried and continued traveling, doing concerts, and singing on television. The concerts transformed into a combination of music, preaching and ministry events where Roberts prayed for people and people were testifying they had been healed. In 1982, Roberts held the first of many international crusades, starting with South Africa. According to the ministry website, oralroberts.com, Roberts has ministered in over 40 countries on six different continents including: Russia, India, Brazil, Australia, Niger, and Indonesia."www.oralroberts.com"
Roberts continued holding domestic meetings and ministering on television programs."Richard Roberts...His Ministry and His Message!, Abundant Life Magazine, April 1983" In 1984, Roberts begins a live daily one-hour program called Richard Roberts Live that combined ministry, music, and special guests such as Richard Kiel, known for his role as Jaws in the James Bond movies, and Donna Douglas, best known as Elly May Clampett in the television show The Beverly Hillbillies."Abundant Live Magazine, October 1984""TRACO Advertising Press Release – Richard Roberts Live, 1987,
In 1985, Oral Roberts stepped down, and Richard Roberts was elected president of Oral Roberts Evangelistic Association (OREA) by its board of directors."Abundant Life Magazine, December, 1985" In 1986, Roberts worked with his father and helped found the International Charismatic Bible Ministries to support independent churches and ministries and help expand opportunities for student recruitment for ORU."Abundant Life Magazine, October Issue, 1987"
In 1987, Roberts was elected as the executive vice president of Oral Roberts University, and was involved in all areas of administration, presiding over the ORU chapel services. During the same time period, Roberts continued daily television, domestic crusades with his father, his own international crusades, and speaking at churches and conferences across the country."When All Hope is Gone, by Richard Roberts, Harrison House Inc. publications, 2006 In 1992, Oral Roberts announced to the board that he was resigning as president of ORU.
Oral Roberts University
Serving dual roles
On January 27, 1993, the board of regents elected Roberts as the second president of the university. Reports showed the university was in debt as much as $52 million,"Claim Your Inheritance, Richard Roberts, Oral Roberts Evangelistic Association, 2002, page 62" with tuition and fees not keeping up with expenses. Roberts assembled a team from his executive staff to work with him on resolving the financial problems.
Marketing the university for growth
Roberts pushed the team to increase enrollment, tighten budgets and find additional revenue streams. At the same time, he used his television program to promote the university. He started the Adopt A Student scholarship campaign as one of these efforts, and embarked on other efforts to promote Christian education and increase enrollment."Miracles Now, Oral Roberts Evangelistic Association Vol.2. No. 5 Sept.?Oct. 1998""Miracles Now, 2002" Over the next four years, enrollment increased by 1,200 students and the university's debt shrank by 50 percent"Excellence Magazine, Oral Roberts University, Winter 1995, page 5" Roberts used his ministry connections to help with recruitment, specifically in the African American community. Through his speaking at churches and conferences, he was mainly responsible for the 20% African American student body. ORU received the Racial Harmony Award from the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities in 2002."Excellence Magazine, Oral Roberts University, Fall 2002"
In 1993, Roberts made a number of changes in the athletic program, hiring Bill Self as head basketball coach, changed the school mascot from the Titans to the Golden Eagles, and"Excellence Magazine, Oral Roberts University, Summer 1997" hired Mike Carter as the new director of athletics."Excellence Magazine, Oral Roberts University, Winter 1995"