Christian Broadcasting Network (CBN) has announced that Pat Robertson, longtime TV host, religious broadcaster, educator, humanitarian, and one-time presidential candidate died at his home in Virginia Beach early Thursday morning. He was 93.
Best known for offering prayer and political commentary at the helm of The 700 Club, the flagship program of his media ministry, Robertson’s rise to prominence is rooted in what he called a vision from God to create The Christian Broadcasting Network, which he founded in 1960.
In 1966, Robertson began hosting a daily talk show, The 700 Club. Still on the air today, it is one of the longest-running programs in television history.
The 700 Club runs every weekday on Family TV from 8.00am to 8.30am and repeat at 11.30pm to 12.00 midnight.
Even while promoting a worldview that believes in the inerrancy of the Bible, both his approach to business and his on-air persona were considered unorthodox by some – if not ahead of his time. Today, his influence and legacy crisscross interests and industries that have broken barriers for countless Christian leaders and laypeople.
Born Marion Gordon Robertson in Lexington, Virginia on March 22, 1930, the nickname “Pat” was given to him by his older brother. Sticking with that moniker rather than his birth name was just the first of many conventions he would defy during his lifetime.
The Yale-educated lawyer and son of a U.S. senator, Robertson had hoped to become a successful businessman. In his 1972 autobiography, Shout It From the Housetops, he wrote about his dream of living the life of a New York socialite. But his path took a decidedly different turn in the 1950s when he became a born-again Christian.
“Deep in my heart, I heard (God) speaking to me about the television ministry: ‘Go and possess the station. It is yours.'” – an excerpt from Robertson’s autobiography, Shout It From the Housetops
Robertson abandoned his own dream and accepted what he saw as God’s plan: to start a ministry in Christian broadcasting. But his launch as a religious broadcaster came with challenges, starting with little capital and a dilapidated TV station for sale in Portsmouth, Virginia.
“He had no money to speak of, and he decided the Lord wanted him to have that station,” recalled Greg Laurie, pastor of Harvest Christian Fellowship in Riverside, California. “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.”
In 1960, after moving his wife and kids to Virginia, he created what would become The Christian Broadcasting Network with no more than $70 to his name and a company bank account with a meager $3 initial deposit.
Those humble beginnings, predicated on vision and seeds of faith, eventually grew into a global media ministry that would reach hundreds of millions of people across six of the seven continents.
In 1966, Robertson began hosting a daily talk show, The 700 Club. Still on the air today, it is one of the longest-running programs in television history.
From the set of The 700 Club, he transformed Christian television. But his reach went far beyond spirituality.
Robertson served as chancellor of Regent University, a Christian college he founded in Virginia Beach, VA in 1977, whose motto is to produce “Christian leadership to change the world.”
In October 2021, Robertson announced he was stepping down as a daily host – coinciding with the ministry’s 60th anniversary. However, even after retirement, he frequently made monthly appearances fielding a range of questions and topics from viewers.
Despite his declining health and losing the love of his life in April 2022 – Dede, his wife of nearly 70 years – Robertson’s faith, obedience, and love for God never wavered.
Left to cherish his memory are his four children Tim, Elizabeth, Gordon, and Ann; 14 grandchildren; 24 great-grandchildren; and thousands across the CBN family of domestic and international ministries.
Our condolences to the his family and the CBN fraternity in Kenya and internationally.
