Christian Broadcasting Network News announced the passing of famed televangelist Pat Robertson, on the morning of June 8th. In the press release promulgated by that outlet, Robertson’s son, Gordon Robertson, said: “Today, June 8, 2023, my father, Pat Robertson, has gone home to be with his Lord. My dad was at home, surrounded by his family when he entered glory and met his Savior face to face, whom he loved and served with his whole heart, mind, and being.”
CBN News then posted a statement about Robertson’s passing on Twitter, saying, “With great sadness, we announce that Dr. M.G. “Pat” Robertson has gone home to be with his Lord and Savior today, June 8, 2023. Thank you for your prayers for the Robertson family and the ministry of CBN at this time.”
With great sadness, we announce that Dr. M.G. “Pat” Robertson has gone home to be with his Lord and Savior today, June 8, 2023. Thank you for your prayers for the Robertson family and the ministry of CBN at this time. For more details on Pat’s life and legacy, visit… pic.twitter.com/vxbvrNxEG8
— CBN News (@CBNNews) June 8, 2023
In the statement released by the Christian Broadcasting Network, which Roberston founded in 1960, about Robertson’s death, the outlet described his early life and rise to prominence throughout the cultural chaos of the 1960s and 1970s.
Robertson was the son of a US Senator and was himself a Yale-educated lawyer, and though he initially aimed to be a successful businessman, his life goals changed in the 1950s when he became a born again Christian, the CBN report notes.
He then focused on the ministry, creating the Christian Broadcasting Network in 1960 with just $70 to his name. Pastor Greg Laurie, one of today’s most famous men of God, described that period of his life and his creation of CBN by saying, “He had no money to speak of, and he decided the Lord wanted him to have that station. When it was all said and done, Pat got it for free. So that means not only did he have faith, but he was a good negotiator, too.” After years of diligent and difficult work, Robertson got a big break in 1966 with his The 700 Club, a daily talk show that’s now one of the longest-running TV programs ever. He only stepped down from being a daily host in October of 2021.
Robertson then became an increasingly influential television preacher and helped get Ronald Reagan elected in 1980, becoming one of the key people behind the GOP’s reliance on evangelical Christians for electoral success. Roberston ran for the GOP nomination in 1988, but lost to HW Bush.
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Not dissuaded by that failure, Robertson then charted a different course toward influence and hugely expanded CBN, taking it to 150 countries in more than 100 languages, including formerly communist nations after the fall of the Berlin wall in 1989, and bringing countless people to Christ in the process, along with building a hugely successful media behemoth.
Franklin Graham, Billy Graham’s son and one of America’s most influential evangelists, described Robertson by saying, “I was always impressed with his boldness. He did it in a nice way. He wasn’t offensive, but he spoke truth. And that offended people – when you speak truth. But that’s ok.”
Featured image credit: By Foley, Mark T., 1943- – https://www.floridamemory.com/items/show/134285, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=73597050