Tulsa World: Oral Roberts blesses ORU's changes

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Oral Roberts blesses ORU's changes
He repeatedly offers thanks to Mart Green's family for stepping in to rescue the school.

Oral Roberts pauses during an interview Saturday. MIKE SIMONS / Tulsa World

By SHANNON MUCHMORE World Staff Writer
Published: 2/15/2009 2:53 AM
Last Modified: 2/15/2009 4:20 AM

Read more about Oral Roberts.

Oral Roberts said Saturday that the university he founded is in good hands with the family of Mart Green, which saved the university from near-financial ruin more than a year ago.

"It was as if we'd known each other all our lives," Roberts said. "And they picked it up and never missed a beat."

Roberts, visiting the university for its homecoming celebration, spoke with the Tulsa World between festivities. He last visited the university that bears his name in late 2007, when he addressed students and faculty amid scandal and financial concerns.

Roberts said he never feared that ORU would be forced to close, and that "if God hadn't sent the Green family, he would have sent somebody else."

Roberts, 91, said creating the university was a crowning achievement in his life.

"Oral Roberts University is the No. 1 thing that stands out in my heart, because youth are the future, and I knew that," he said.

Roberts spoke little of ORU's troubled past 15 months, when the university faced $55 million in debt and multiple lawsuits by former employees and students.

He said he didn't know whether his son, former ORU President Richard Roberts, had misused university money or abused his power, as is alleged in the lawsuits. Oral Roberts said he did not think his son had done wrong.

Richard

Roberts resigned in 2007, and Oral Roberts said Saturday that he did not discuss that decision with his son. He declined to discuss Richard Roberts' future, too.

Clutching a bright red Bible in his lap, Oral Roberts said that the university's incoming president, Mark Rutland, has his full faith and trust. Rutland was the only person he seriously considered for the job, he said.

"He'll have a great opportunity to excel and take this school to a new level," Roberts said.

Rutland, sitting to Roberts' right, held his hand and thanked him for the sentiment.

Rutland said earlier in the day that Oral Roberts had personally handed the future of the university to him.

He described the elder Roberts as saying: "I want you to receive this university from me personally. I want you to consider yourself as succeeding me as the president."

During the interview, Roberts repeatedly spoke of his gratitude to the Green family, which gave $70 million to ORU to help it regain financial stability. Another gift of $10 million was announced last month. Green, who is now the chairman of ORU's board of trustees, has steered the university toward financial transparency and a model of shared governance.

Roberts said he embraced the transition to shared governance and praised ORU's faculty and students for wanting to help decide how the university is run.

Oral Roberts Interview from MIKE SIMONS/Tulsa World on Vimeo.

In a speech Saturday afternoon at the rededication of ORU's iconic prayer tower, Roberts said he felt the presence of God as soon as he stepped on campus.

"If I could name one thing that ORU is best noted for: the presence of God," he said. "And I continue to hope and pray that you will continue it on, and I know that you will."

He began his speech to the crowd of students, administrators and alumni by saying it was "wonderful to be home again."

Roberts said he built the prayer tower in the middle of the campus so the presence of God could not be escaped. He would visit the tower whenever he faced a difficult situation, and once spent three straight days and nights there, he said.

"When I built it, I knew that whatever it cost, we had to build it," Roberts said. "I am glad that we did."

He spoke again of the Green family, and said that he was entrusting the university to them.

"Some people tried to take ORU away from me, but it was a little too much for them to take on," he said.

Roberts, who lives in California, said Green had asked him to come to the campus for homecoming. His doctors, however, had not only advised him against traveling, they eventually forbade him from doing so.

"That was the wrong thing to say to me," Roberts joked.

Roberts said he does not think often of his personal legacy; that will be for his friends to decide, he added. He continues to minister to pastors and others who need his help, he said.

"I don't feel the last word is in yet," he said.

Shannon Muchmore 581-8378
shannon.muchmore@tulsaworld.com

By SHANNON MUCHMORE World Staff Writer

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	Report Comment KJNOKIE, TULSA (2/15/2009 4:48:08 AM) "Roberts said he does not think often of his personal legacy"------probably a good idea due to all the scamming he has done throughout his career.
	Report Comment Lawrence, Tulsa (2/15/2009 8:12:18 AM) I'm definitely no big Oral Roberts defender, never have been. But this university is good for the city and good for those who attend. I'm glad the Roberts family is out of the university administration.
	Report Comment Graychin, Eucha (2/15/2009 8:48:26 AM) ORU's path from its beginning to its greatness has been strewn with obstacles and boulders, stupidity and corruption. God works in mysterious ways to build "His" university, doesn't he?
	Report Comment MAB, (2/15/2009 10:55:54 AM) I'm posting simply because every single article about ORU generates so many negative comments. Whether you agree with what Oral and Richard have done the truth is that the school has trained thousands of people with a great education and many of those people are making an incredible impact on the world through quality medical care, overseas compassion, excellence in business and more. To miss that would really be a shame.
	Report Comment The Real Joe Dolty, TULSA (2/15/2009 11:24:28 AM) I agree with MAB
	Report Comment stugraham, broken arrow (2/15/2009 11:39:26 AM) Wow, what a bunch of judgmental folks, who probably have very little knowledge of actual fact. ORU, Oral and Richard, have impacted countless lives. Sure not all of these have been in a positive fashion, but I would venture to guess there have been some instance of positive guidance. As humans, we all make mistakes, we all err and fall short; yet it is not our place to judge. A little more positivity in this world, a little more compassion, a little more love for our fellow mankind might not be such a bad thing. Like Momma used to say, "If you don't have anything nice to say, maybe it is better to say nothing at all." God bless Oral and anyone else who strives to follow in His footsteps.
	Report Comment ORU_TXAlum, (2/15/2009 1:10:38 PM) It was great to see O Rob at the game last night. ORU is in good hands now. Thank God for grace.
	Report Comment Classics, (2/15/2009 2:09:49 PM) Despite everything, I also am grateful for the work that God used this man to build. God bless OR and ORU.
	Report Comment Graychin, Eucha (2/15/2009 6:13:32 PM) These quotes are especially interesting: "Rutland said earlier in the day that Oral Roberts had personally handed the future of the university to him. He described the elder Roberts as saying: "I want you to receive this university from me personally. I want you to consider yourself as succeeding me as the president." " And: "He (OR) spoke again of the Green family, and said that he was entrusting the university to them. "Some people tried to take ORU away from me, but it was a little too much for them to take on," he said." And so it goes.
	Report Comment Serenity, Tulsa (2/15/2009 7:15:25 PM) classics: God didn't use this man to do this job, He appointed himself to do the job with people's money. Oral Roberts and his family are too far to compare with Jesus. They use the name of God to manipulate people and have a privileged and luxury life.
	Report Comment Nickie, (2/15/2009 7:30:24 PM) The man looks very good for 91-years-old. Hope he is in good health. He and the Green family are okay.
	Report Comment jonas x3, Tulsa (2/15/2009 10:28:33 PM) Nothing has changed --- business as usual. Oral Roberts said that the university's incoming president, Mark Rutland, has his full faith and trust. Rutland was the only person he seriously considered for the job, he said. Rutland originally did not want to be considered for ORU's president. And, he was not on the list of 130 candidates for the position. OR said, Rutland was the only person he seriously considered for the job. The power of the "board" is worthless, ORU's owner, Oral Roberts made the decision.
	Report Comment Mich098, Tulsa (2/15/2009 10:43:34 PM) You may not agree with Oral's religious philosophy, but he is personally a very sincere man who truly believes what he teaches.
	Report Comment remarkable, (2/15/2009 11:34:15 PM) Thank you Oral Roberts for being obedient to God and instilling dreams and visions to our generation. May the Lord extend your years on the earth. We miss your preaching and teaching. Please have ICBM come back.
	Report Comment remarkable, (2/15/2009 11:38:51 PM) jonas x3, Oral Roberts as founder, chancellor and owner of the University has every right to make decisions as he chooses with or without the board. But, he chooses to work together as a "team" with fellow board visionaires. If you believe nothing has changed- the problem is within you- you have not changed. If you are not a student or a faculty staff, or given to the ministry to help people- or neither have a son or daughter or any member of your family involved in ORU in any way shape or form- THIS IS NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS. This is not a tax issue so it does not involved your money or your affairs.. So don't comment things you don't know about.
	Report Comment Graychin, Eucha (2/16/2009 7:45:50 AM) Remarkable: Actually, the abuses at ORU are everyone's business, and it is a tax issue. Contributions to ORU are tax deductible. As a condition of receiving that benefit, tax-exempt organizations agree to avoid giving benefits of "ownership" to any person. ORU does not "belong" to Oral Roberts or anyone else. It never did. It belongs only to its Board, who are required to operate it to further ORU's exempt purpose (education), and not to enrich themselves or any other person. Your attitude towards OR's "rights" is exactly the attitude that got Richard into so much trouble.
	Report Comment Angry Citizen!, Bluejacket (2/16/2009 7:49:50 AM) Chin- If we would have played the tax scam like that guy, we'd be cellmates...
	Report Comment Angry Citizen!, Bluejacket (2/16/2009 2:00:35 PM) BYD- Where did Tulsa's District Attorney go to school?

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