Money Appeal Versus Medical Goal : Media Focus Is Unfair, Oral Roberts Complains

Evangelist Oral Roberts said Sunday that the media are unfairly focusing on his appeal for money instead of his goal “to put medical missionaries into the world.”

The 68-year-old television preacher did not repeat earlier warnings that he would not live past March if he could not solicit $4.5 million to complete a drive for $8 million to start the medical missionary program.

Roberts, accompanied by his wife, Evelyn, spoke to about 600 people here at their Victory Christian Center, where he occasionally preaches. To accommodate the large crowd, a circus tent was connected to the church, a converted warehouse in an industrial area of this city near Palm Springs.

After his hourlong sermon on the responsibility of Christians to donate money to do God’s works, Roberts was driven away and would not talk to reporters.

Roberts told the congregation that he prayed that he would not be ashamed of asking for the scholarship money.

“Sometimes I feel resentment,” he said. I’ve raised a billion dollars for Christ, and only one-tenth of one percent came to my family.

“The media just focused on the money,” Roberts said, “and not what I was doing to put medical missionaries into the world.”

Collection Taken

A collection for Roberts was taken after the Rev. Jeff Walker said, “Just because there is a flurry about what he said, I’m not copping out.”

Roberts touched off controversy earlier this month when he told his audience during a Sunday morning broadcast that he needed “some quick money.” He went on to ask viewers for $100 each to extend his life, saying God might call him home. Normally his broadcasts reach about 1.6 million viewers.