The State : Evangelists Sell Homes

Criticism of a lavish life style by Oklahoma-based evangelists Oral and Richard Roberts has prompted the sale of their two Southern California vacation homes, valued at more than $1 million, Richard Roberts said. The younger Roberts said the criticism resurfaced since his father asked followers to sell unneeded valuables to help raise $11 million by May 6 to keep his 41-year-old ministry afloat. Richard Roberts said he and his father sold their homes in Rancho Mirage in the last year. “There was a perception that just having the house was bad,” the younger Roberts said. “I didn’t want to do anything that would reflect negatively on the ministry.”