Photos: Oral Roberts Ministries memorial service, Pat Robertson opens in prayer for thousands

Pat Robertson Opens in Prayer

Evangelist Oral Roberts' memorial service was opened to the public at the Oral Roberts University Mabee Center on Monday, Dec. 21st. Roberts died last Tuesday at the age of 91, at his home in Newport Beach, California, with complications of pneumonia. Oral Roberts was the founder of the Oral Roberts Evangelistic Association and Oral Roberts University (ORU). Photo Slideshow below.

Pat Robertson Opens in Prayer for Oral Roberts Memorial

The service opened with a prayer by Pat Robertson, founder of the Christian Broadcasting Network. Robertson described Oral Roberts as a man who walked with God but never gave up the common touch.

Tulsa World reports that "Spontaneous hand-clapping broke out during a video that told the Oral Roberts story, sprinkled with tributes from Jerry Lewis, Roy Clark, Coach Eddie Sutton, Jimmy Carter, President George H.W. Bush and other notable people from the world of entertainment, politics and sports."

Oral Roberts Ministries

Oral Roberts was a Pentecostal charismatic leader who used the power of television to spread the message of Christianity throughout the world. Roberts led more than 300 crusades in 35 countries on six continents. During his life, more than 2,000,000 people had Roberts lay hands on them for healing prayer. A 60-foot tall bronze statue of praying hands, and a 200-foot-high prayer tower at the entrance to the school, are two of the most recognizable monuments in the Christian world, and stand as a testament to Oral Roberts' faith.

According to a Press Release, "Oral Roberts was preceded in death by his wife Evelyn; a daughter and son-in-law, Rebecca Ann and Marshall Nash; a son, Ronald David Roberts; a grandson, Richard Oral Roberts; his mother and father; two sisters, Velma Roberts and Jewel Faust; and two brothers, Elmer and Vaden Roberts. He is survived by a son and daughter-in-law, Richard and Lindsay Roberts; a daughter and son-in-law, Roberta and Ronald Potts, all of Tulsa; 12 grandchildren; and several great-grandchildren.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to the Oral Roberts Ministry Healing Missions Fund, as part of the ongoing goal of Oral Roberts Ministries to take the saving, healing, delivering message of the Gospel into all the world until Jesus returns. Gifts can be sent in care of  Oral Roberts Ministries, P.O. 2187, Tulsa, Okla. 74102, or online at www.OralRoberts.com."

Oral Roberts – January 24, 1918 – December 15, 2009

Sources: maybenow.com; associatedpress.com; foxnews.com

Photo credit: Evangelist Pat Robertson gives the opening prayer at a memorial service for evangelist Oral Roberts on the campus of Oral Roberts University on Monday, Dec. 21, 2009. Roberts died Dec. 15 at the age of 91. (AP Photo/David Crenshaw)