Remembering Oral Roberts and B.H. Clendennen

During the final weeks of 2009, four prominent men of God were called to their Heavenly home - B.H Clendennen, Oral Roberts, Roger Barkley, Sr. and Calvin Hunt.

In memory and in honor of each of these men, I wrote a two-page tribute entitled, "Men of God, Heroes of the Faith." The full article will appear in the February issue of Christian Voice Magazine.

While all four of these men are lovingly remembered and highly respected, two in particular had a personal and direct impact on the lives of me and my family.

Dr. Oral Roberts, a legendary evangelist who rose from humble beginnings to become one of the most influential Christian figures of the 20th century, died December 15, 2009 in Newport Beach, California, due to complications from pneumonia. He was 91 years old.

He was revered as an evangelist, prophet, and modern-day apostle of the healing ministry. He was also a radio and TV minister, author, educator and innovator who built a worldwide ministry, accredited university, and medical school.

Granville Oral Roberts was born into poverty in Bebee, Oklahoma. Inspired by his own healing of tuberculosis and stuttering at 17, he began his career in the ministry. While pastoring churches and preaching at revivals around the country, he studied at Oklahoma Baptist University and Phillips (OK) University.

In 1947, he founded Oral Roberts Evangelistic Association (OREA) and began conducting crusades across America and around the world, attracting crowds of thousands - many who were sick and dying, and in search of healing.

As a young boy, my dad had a hole in his heart that caused many complications and placed limitations on his physical activity. At an Oral Roberts crusade, Roberts prayed for my dad and he was healed. It was a moment he's never forgotten.

In 1958, Roberts founded the Abundant Life Prayer Group to address the around-the-clock needs of those suffering and requesting prayer. Answering God’s call to build an institute of higher learning, he founded Oral Roberts University in 1963, where he served as school president until 1993, when he became chancellor.

In 1981, Roberts founded the City of Faith Medical and Research Center, merging the healing power of medicine and prayer. The facility closed after eight years, leaving a lasting impact on the understanding by many medical professionals of the importance of treating the whole person - body, mind and spirit.

Although he was referred to as a “faith healer,” Oral Roberts often refuted the term, saying, “God heals. I don’t.”

Rev. B.H. Clendennen became highly regarded as a “true soldier of the cross” and was affectionately referred to as “The General.” His reputation as such a spiritual leader was largely due to his style of straight forward preaching and uncompromising commitment to the truth of pure, Biblical doctrine - never embracing what has become known as the so called “social gospel” and the “prosperity gospel.”

Bertram Hamilton Clendennen was born in Lytton Springs, Texas, to a large, poor family. One year after graduating high school, he joined the U.S. Marines where he served during World War II.

Clendennen surrendered his life fully to Jesus Christ in 1949, at the age of 27. Answering the call to preach in 1953, he spent three years in successful evangelism before he became the founding pastor of Victory Temple in Beaumont, Texas in 1956.

Thirty-five years later, Rev. Clendennen resigned his pastoral ministry to enter into full-time missions. As part of his missions efforts, he founded the School of Christ in 1992 - a work that is now ongoing in more than 100 countries around the world and continues to grow.

As a conservative Pentecostal preacher, Rev. Clendennen became an international speaker, author, radio and TV minister. His ministry spanned the globe for more than 55 years with integrity untainted by the media.
 
Until his last breath on this earth, he fought the good fight of faith.