NATION : Oral Roberts Says He Is Broke Again, Makes Pitch for $11 Million
Evangelist Oral Roberts said today his religious operations, university and hospital may collapse unless he can raise $11 million in less than two months.
Roberts, who met an $8-million deadline two years ago after saying God would “call me home” unless the money was raised, said in an interview in the Tulsa World that the ministry’s monthly income is barely half what it was two years ago--$5 million as opposed to today’s $2.7 million.
He blamed the religious climate arising from the sex scandals involving television evangelists Jim Bakker and Jimmy Swaggart. “While neither my wife nor I have ever been guilty of immorality or sex deviation or financial wrongdoings, somehow I have been hit harder than anyone else,” Roberts complained.
Roberts said he needs the money within seven weeks to pay creditors and meet his payroll.
“If it happens and I am unable to pay the good people who work for me . . . , I’ll just walk away,” Roberts said.
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