The Prodigal Prince: Richard Roberts and the Decline of the Oral Roberts Dynasty
In a Longreads exclusive and in partnership with This Land Press, Kiera Feldman tells the story of the rise and fall of Oral Roberts’s ministry. Feldman writes, “In Pentecostalism, Oral is considered the godfather of the charismatic movement, which emphasizes divine miracles and ecstatic experience.” In 2007, Oral Roberts University declared bankruptcy, due in part to the lavish spending by the Roberts family. Though bailed out by Hobby Lobby’s Mart Green, the Roberts family was forced to sever ties with their university. Richard, Oral’s son, maintained, “I have not done anything wrong.”