ORU improving?
November 28th, 2007 7:53:06 pm pst by 
Sterling Camden
I don’t think I’ve ever mentioned on this blog before (because it isn’t something I’m particularly proud of) that I received my Bachelor’s degree from Oral Roberts University. When I say that I’m not “proud”, I’m not talking about the quality of the education that I received there. On the contrary, I think that their academics when I attended were excellent — largely because Oral (who was president at the time) and other high-ranking administration officials purposely ignored the curricula, leaving that in the more capable hands of the faculty. In fact, Oral had a stated policy at that time that he would not read any book published by a faculty member, so he wouldn’t be forced to fire them. No, what has embarrassed me about ORU ever since I was a sophomore is its hollow, camera-facing facade: the image portrayed to television viewers across the nation of a highly homogenous, straight-laced but happy population of brothers and sisters in Christ who all think that the Oral Roberts ministry is the best thing since the original Pentecost.
Despite his showmanship, I’ve always believed that Oral was basically sincere. I really do think he believes that what he preaches is the truth. I don’t feel the same way about his son, Richard. Even back when he and his first wife, Patti, led the World Action Singers (we liked to call them the “Worldly Action Swingers”) on stage, he has always impressed me as the central incarnation of the insincerity and hypocrisy that infected the Oral Roberts ministry and spread into the university. He was the spoiled child of a great father. Before he divorced his first wife, the official policy of the University and the Oral Roberts Evangelical Association was to terminate anyone who got divorced. Any guesses as to when that policy was modified?
After I left ORU, I tried to have as little to do with the place as possible. I became even more disgusted with it when Richard Roberts assumed the presidency in 1993. The Alumni Association keeps sending me mail and email, mostly looking for contributions, which I often report as spam. But one message I received this morning caught my eye. It quoted the following statement from George Pearsons, Chairman of the ORU Board of Regents:
Today, a letter was sent from Richard Roberts to the Board of Regents of Oral Roberts University tendering his resignation as President of Oral Roberts University effective today, November 23, 2007.
The Board of Regents will meet Monday and Tuesday, November 26 and 27, 2007 to determine action in the search process for a new president.
Executive Regent Billy Joe Daugherty will continue to assume administrative responsibilities of the Office of the President, working together with Chancellor Oral Roberts, until the Regents meeting.
In his letter of resignation to the Board, Richard Roberts said, “I love ORU with all my heart. I love the students, faculty, staff and administration and I want to see God’s best for all of them.”
I had been completely unaware of a scandal brewing at ORU involving the alleged misappropriation of funds and personnel for personal and political purposes, centering on none other than Richard Roberts.
Here’s a brief timeline of the University’s history. How we used to joke about that 900-foot Jesus! The bronze hands in front of the City of Faith turned green almost as soon as they were put in place — a color that many students and faculty members considered apt. But the position of the hands is not correct — they should have been outstretched to receive your cash.
It seems that I’m not the only one happy to see King Richard abdicate.
As I said, I haven’t been keeping up with anyone at ORU. I don’t know if any of my old professors are still there, or how the academic quality has fared after all the money left. I wish them all the best — but before they can get better they’ve got to get real.
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I’d forgotten that OR had a university, doubly surprised that it produces intelligent graduates.
I wouldn’t lose any sleep over young Roberts’s fall.
When Oral founded the University, he wanted it to become accredited (which it was) and recognized academically. So he hired people to hire the best faculty they could get, many of which held views opposed to (or at least quite different from) those preached by Oral.
Since many of the students who arrived there were initially believers, this created quite an environment for discussion.
The one thing I’m most thankful for from my education at ORU is that it cured me of religion.
Very interesting. I’ve never known much about the university but it’s obvious some people with sense want to reclaim it.
Yes, I always wondered why so many otherwise sensible people wanted to stay there. I “stayed the course” for four years, because by the time I became disillusioned I already had too many untransferable credits — but as soon as that was done I high-tailed it.
Oral Robert University? Ouch, that’s a really bad name
Just Oral University would make it even worse..
Never heard of Oral Roberts before, Kiltak? He’s a TV evangelist.
I was led here from batesline.com.
True religion is to look out for widows and orphans. So, I hope Richard’s behavior hasn’t cured Sterling of that. There are probably good charities who use shady solicitation techniques to help these orphans. At least it is purely voluntary to give any of your money. Oral, and then Richard, were the primary ones responsible for raising the funds to run the university, why shouldn’t they get to call the shots? If you don’t like it, as Sterling said, you can just leave and ignore ORU. So, I think you are a bit harsh with the “want money” accusation. If you believe you got your moneys-worth in education at ORU why all the fuss?
The comment about ORU being a hodgepodge of worldviews is an accurate statement. I recall chapel services where the speaker was the “Rev” Jessie Jackson. This was hard for me to swallow being a Northern republican Rockefeller
. Instead of turning my back on religion this ORU culture led me searching to find answers. I eventually found authors who taught a biblical worldview in many areas considered secular – even – political philosophy.
Harry,
Thanks for your comment. My own religious path has been far more complicated than my summary statement above indicates. I do not in any way conflate the Roberts’ teachings and actions with those of all Christians. My own personal journey has led me to a radical agnosticism: I don’t subscribe to certainty in either theism or atheism. In fact, I suspect the distinction to be one of definitions in the end.
Speaking of definitions, I certainly appreciate the message of the OT prophets regarding justice and mercy. The way in which I used the term “religion” above, though, does not include or exclude those actions — I was speaking specifically of a need to believe in a higher power. While I don’t deny the possibility of there being a higher power, I also do not need to believe that that is the case.
I already gave one example of biblical worldview which, in my experience both as student and as a faculty member, doesn’t exist at ORU: political philosophy.
There are others. After struggling with atheism for many years and finally embracing Christianity C. S. Lewis expressed an expectation of Christians in every walk of life to influence culture with Christian principles in _Mere Christianity_. Works by Greg Bahnsen in areas of epistemology and moral philosophy along with the idea of everyone having presuppositions, ideas simply taken for granted, believed, you might say, that form one’s worldview, helped me gel, intellectually, the reality of Christianity. These topics also I never saw at ORU. This is where ORU needs to improve.
You were a faculty member there, Harry? In what department? What years?
I attended from 1978 to 1982 and majored in Biblical Literature OT, with a minor in NT.
I taught Chemistry from Aug., 1975, to Dec., 1980. I did teach a general Ed Chem class called “Chemistry Necessary for Life” during that time. Maybe you were one of my students?
A small tid-bit of my history which is an – oh yeah? – more than anything else, is that in 1968, when I was a freshman or sophomore, chapel seats were assigned alphabetically. Richard Roberts had recently transferred to ORU and credit-wise was in my same class. I had an assigned chapel seat next to his. I don’t remember if we ever spoke to one another. Two things I do remember though were that he was usually absent from chapel but when he did attend he paid no attention because he was usually singing in a barely audible hum. He had a very nice sounding hum.
Unfortunately for me, I didn’t take Chemistry at ORU. My general ed sciences were Biology and Physical Science. Remember Bob Lamb? Both of those classes were easier than my equivalents in High School. I wish I had taken more challenging science courses, but like most students I was spending most of my energy on courses related to my major.
That’s an interesting story about your chapel seat and Richard. By the time I was a student, seating was open. For my first two years there, I listened intently to every speaker, and usually took notes. My last two years I just went for the laughs. Do you remember the Reverend Price’s speech? Priceless.
No. I don’t remember Rev Price’s speech. I just read today’s Sunday Tulsa World front-page article “Robertses powerful in bylaws”. It seems the two spiritual regents, Oral and Richard, have complete power over everything “spiritual”. Officially the “business” regents have 100% voting power over ORU decisions. At a charismatic University everything and anything can be dictated “spiritual” but it’s not usually in an exegetical (logically using Scripture) way. It seems my vision for ORU as I have expressed in these posts is no more than just a wish. The Tulsa World article also says “Mart Green has said if ORU accepts the [$70 million from the family that founded Hobby Lobby and Mardel], his family expects changes at ORU, including on the board of regents.” Here’s another wish, that Mart Green would require all regents to read Nancy Pearsey’s _Total Truth_.
I remember Fred Price’s sermon, and the faculty member who leaped to his feet in disagreement, and Oral Roberts’ public rebuke of that teacher. What a disgusting scene. One of several reasons I left ORU (after only 2 years) as an atheist. Took me a while to return to belief – now I’m a Christian Sufi and a theology geek. And since I didn’t get a degree from ORU, I don’t have to put ORU on my resume, thank Goddess. Georgia State University looks a lot better on a professional CV.
)
Hope you’re having happy holidays, Chip! I appreciate what you’ve written here about the current mess at ORU.
Hey Darrell (my last roommate at ORU, for those listening) — yes, having to put that on my resume is the reward I get for “staying the course”.
Remember when we went out to Peaches and bought Pink Floyd’s The Wall album, then took it back to the dorm and listened to the whole thing — passing the lyrics back and forth? What a dichotomy! I remember at the end, when the bleeding hearts and the artists make their stand and the wall comes down, we just sat there for a minute in silence, and then you said “Wow.”
Sounds like you’ve managed to tear down a few walls of your own since then. Me too, except I keep putting up new ones.
[...] ORU improving? [...]
I was a student at ORU from 1968 until I was drafted for Vietnam at the end of my second semester of 1971-1972. During my last two years at the school I was a World Action Singer with Richard and his first wife, Patti, not only a truly glorious talent, but someone who had a wonderful heart, and, unfortunately for her, had been unknowingly captured by the Robert’s family because Richard needed respectibility by having a wife to be his singing partner on the television shows that we all filmed and taped, not only for the Sunday morning half hour shows that Oral Roberts had, but for the NBC, evening prime-time, hour long specials which were taped and shown all over the world. I never felt comfortable with Richard. In my heart I felt that his being the lead for the World Action Singers, he had outside motives, although he did have a pleasant voice. As I was with the World Action Singers, I couldn’t understand how Richard earned a Master’s degree and then a doctorate. He didn’t attend classes for these degrees. It just seemed magically that the degrees were conferred upon him. In other words, he never really earned those degrees. When the time of the World Action Singers came to a close in 1972 or 1973, Richard divorced Patti. I guess he felt like he no longer needed a singing partner and the marriage ended and shortly afterwards, Richard married his second wife, Lindsey, who was not needed for her singing ablilities. And then the chaos pursued. Oral retired as President of the school and left it in the unscrupulous hands of his son, Richard. And Richard and wife number two, Lindsey, nearly brought the school to its knees in ruination. I’ve always wondered why Oral, who knew, of course, about Richard’s fictious degrees left the presidency of the university to Richard. So, Oral had to have been in colusion with his son and the board members in putting an unqualified person, even though it was a Roberts’ family member, in the seat of Presidency of ORU. I, as a World Action Singer, working side by side with Richard for two years, was privy to information that most of the rest of the school, students, faculty, and administrattion knew nothing about. I’ve always been a spectator and a listener, and I saw and heard, so I knew the university was heading down a dark path when Richard was named President. I never understood that, and I guess I never will. So, it was not just Richard who brought such horror and disgrace to the school, but, knowing what he did about Richard, Oral made Richard’s Presidency possible, and therefore it was partly his, Oral’s, own doing. So, now I have lost my respect for Oral (I never had any respect for Richard), and my religion has been jeopordized. I’m sure it’s the same for many students, both past and present. How sad. How truly sad.
I heartily empathize, David.
A fellow student whom I know well used to go bowling with Richard and Lindsey often. Another student he knew, with encouragement from my friend, approached the Robertses to ask for a small donation for a campus-based charity. Lindsey replied, “If we give any more to this ministry, we won’t be able to eat!”
My friend was duly impressed by this display of Christian charity.
Yes, ORU is improving. I am the Alumni Relations Director and an alumna from the Class of ’88. ORU is not the same place. I hope you have checked out the web site lately. We try to post plenty of news. We are searching for a new president. Renovations are occurring all over campus. Spirits are high and donations are coming in from alumni, signifying an increase in confidence and support for the changes that are being made. I hope all alumni who had negative feelings about the university will take some time to investigate the changes and hopefully have a change of heart. Please let me know if there is anything I can do. We will have an Alumni Day of Prayer and Fasting all over the world on Sept. 6. My number is 918-495-6610, and my e-mail is nadams@oru.edu.
When I navigated over to oru.edu and say the view of the Prayer Tower from beyond Howard Auditorium, I got a sick feeling in the pit of my stomach — even though I haven’t been there for 25 years. Too many bad memories.
Wow, people are still commenting on this blog-post 8 months after it was written! I thought I’d give oru.ed a try after reading your lat comment, Chip. For me it was the photo of the library (LRC) that caused the slight feeling of nausea. Like most buildings on the ORU campus, it is very “Jetsons” – badly outdated architecture reflecting what those in the 1960′s thought the future would look like.
I have a lot of bad memories of ORU too, but I do have some good ones too. My friendship with you is one of the good ones.
Thanks for your kind words over at my blog.
The feeling is mutual, Darrell. Yes, there were good times, but most of them were in spite of the Schulegeist of ORU, rather than being derived from it.
.. and allow me to post good wishes to your father and you over here as well.
I am looking for the song the World Action Singers put on an album in the 70′s. The last line went like this “If I care the way I say I do, how can I stand by and watch you slowly wasting your life away, I’ve got to do something I just can’t let you die, can’t let you die, I’ve no right to let you die – let you die”
It was on an album with Richard & Patti Roberts and the singers in a large heart. Can anyone help me?
About the song and album with Richard and Patti standing in a heart formation on the album cover……….I was one of the World Action Singers who recorded that LP. It contained the music we sang on our Valentine’s Day, NBC, hour-long special. And, by the way, the set that NBC built for us for that Special was nominated for an Emmey Award. And, yes, I think we recorded that album in 1970. I was with the Singers for two years, 1970-1972. I have both the LP and a DVD of that special. The album is buried somewhere in my apartment. I haven’t thought of it for years, but I’ll look around for it, and as far as the song you asked about, I don’t remember (we recorded a lot of music.) When I find the album, I still have a working turntable, so I’ll put it on and listen for the song you asked about. I hope I am able to contain my nausea when listening to the LP. I don’t have fond memories of ORU, and especially of Richard. How do I get in touch with you when and if I can find the album? I’ll do my best, but may I ask why you’re interested in that particular song?
Wow, the Internet makes for a very small world (he said, stating the obvious).
I attended ORU from 1985 to 1987, partially forced by overzealous parents who wanted me to receive education with ‘values’. I remember being herded into chapel for the ministry pep rallies. I never bought in to the whole ministry worldview, or the evangelical world view for that matter. I transferred to TU after Oral did the whole “god will kill me if i don’t raise $6 million”. I too saw through the whole ‘made for tv’ image, heard about the scandals with soliciting donations (the rumors about how people who didn’t send in money had their prayer requests tossed in the trash, etc). Still remember SAGA (soviet attempt to gag america). I met some nice people there. Unfortunately it was a turbulent time in my life, and going to ORU was more like a prison sentence at times. One of the funnier momemnts I look back on now was being pursuaded by my sincere but misguided floormates to break/trash all my ‘secular music’ albums. Down the trash chute they went, but I never experienced the life transformation that was supposed to occur afterwards. I’m sorry, but christian rock sucks, Russ Taff, Sandy Patty,etc… how people can stand to listen to that is beyond me. I enjoyed the architecture though. And the City of Faith had so much potential. Now I heard it’s been sold out and is being used for office space. And yes they had some great teachers who really cared about students. I remember a grad student who taught old testament, she was a little black women named Dorothy (i think) who had a mind of her own. I remember her challenging people to think about their beliefs, which evidently made some students uncomfortable because after one statement she made, some students started hissing at her. She quipped, ‘is there air leaking in here?’. Classic! Despite my experiences there (mostly negative, some positive), I’m now a happy gay man and a content practicing buddhist. Those experiences made me who I am today. One bit of advice, the alumni assoc bugged the stew out of me, trying to get me to pay for an alumni directory, etc. I finally told them that Kevin (me) had died in 1990, and they finally left me alone. Anyway, thanks for the memories. I agree with you 100% and wish all alumni well.
Thanks for sharing your experiences, Kevin. Sounds like you’ve managed to find a balanced view.