Renowned Christian leader, author and businessman, Marion Gordon Robertson, popularly known as Pat Robertson has died on Thursday, 8 June, 2023. He was 93.
He died at his residence, surrounded by his family.
The Christian Broadcasting Network announced the demise of its founder on Thursday.
Dr. Robertson served as the founder and chairman of The Christian Broadcasting Network, Inc. (CBN).
He was also the founder, chancellor, and chief executive officer of Regent University; founder of Operation Blessing Relief and Development Corporation (OB).
Pat was the founder and president of the American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ); co-founder and chairman of International Family Entertainment, Inc.; and a leading force behind several other influential organizations and broadcast entities.
Pat Robertson was born on 22 March, 1930, in Lexington, Virginia, to A. Willis Robertson and Gladys Churchill Robertson.
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His father served for 34 years in the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate.
In 1959, Mr. Robertson moved his family to Tidewater, Virginia, with just $70 and a vision of establishing the first Christian television network in the United States.
Although he didn`t even own a TV, he filed incorporation papers for The Christian Broadcasting Network, Inc., then raised funds to purchase a defunct UHF station.
On 1 October, 1961, CBN began broadcasting from WYAH-TV in Portsmouth, Virginia.
At the time, its signal barely reached the city limits, recalled his son Gordon Robertson, CBN`s president and CEO.
The ministry’s scope grew exponentially over the decades, reaching viewers across America and around the globe through television broadcasts, cable, satellite, the internet, and other media.
Today, CBN is one of the world’s largest evangelistic ministries, proclaiming the Good News in over 100 countries and dozens of languages, including Russian, Arabic, Spanish, French, and Chinese.
CBN`s flagship program grew out of a telethon in 1963, when Mr. Robertson asked a “club” of 700 viewers to give $10 a month.
In 1966, The 700 Club program was created, airing each weekday with interviews, prayer and ministry. Today, it is one of the longest-running religious television programs in America.
He hosted the daily program until 1 October, 2021, the sixtieth anniversary of CBNs first broadcast, when he announced that Gordon Robertson would be the shows new full-time host.
Over the years, Mr. Robertson`s co-hosts included Ben Kinchlow, Sheila Walsh, Gordon Robertson, Terry Meeuwsen, and Wendy Griffith.
Throughout its broadcast history, The 700 Club and CBN News have covered national and international events and issues, including key elections, the COVID-19 pandemic, the war on terror, Israel, and the Middle East.
Guests have included former Presidents Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan, and Donald Trump; key congressional leaders from both parties; as well as a “Who’s Who” of world and national figures, journalists, professional athletes, celebrities, and pundits.
