Church Leaders Pay Tribute to Pat Robertson: ‘He’ll Indeed Be Missed’
Church leaders are responding to the passing of televangelist and Christian Broadcasting Network (CBN) founder Pat Robertson, who died on Thursday at 93.
As Christian Headlines previously reported, Robertson died on June 8 in his home in Virginia Beach. He launched CBN in 1960, which has since reached 200 nations and has been translated into 70 languages. He served as the host of the 700 Club from 1966 to 2021.
Robertson was also the founder of Operation Blessing, Regent University, International Family Entertainment, The Flying Hospital, American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ) and The Christian Coalition.
Here is what five church leaders had to say amid his passing:
“A kind and gracious servant went to be with Jesus today. Having had the opportunity to know Pat, it was clear he wanted everyone he met to experience the love of Christ and salvation for themselves. He was bold and brave, steadfast in his commitment to serve the Kingdom of God with his many giftings,” Dr. David Jeremiah, senior pastor of Shadow Mountain Community Church, said in a statement emailed to Christian Headlines.
“He’ll indeed be missed, yet his legacy of sharing the Gospel – on the airwaves, worldwide – carries on. Praise God for that,” he continued.
Allen Jackson, the pastor of World Outreach Church in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, remembered Robertson as a “courageous leader.”
“His bold faith and visionary approach resulted in a legacy of CBN and Regents University,” Jackson said. “His gentle but determined strength was a voice of Biblical wisdom for us all. He will be greatly missed.
Matthew Potter, co-founder and head of strategic relationships for pray.com, commended the late televangelist for his accolades in ministry.
“As we remember Pat Robertson, we recognize the journey of a soul who dared to dream, dared to believe, and dared to make an indelible impact. The founder of the Christian Broadcasting Network, he built an extraordinary platform, empowering millions to connect with their faith on a deeper level, which inspires us today at Pray.com to do the same with the technologies of our era.”
“Through the legacy he leaves behind, we are reminded of the power of a single individual to influence a nation’s spiritual conversation,” he added. “As we honor Pat Robertson, let’s each commit to fostering the same level of dedication and passion in our own lives – to stand up for our beliefs, to dream bigger, and to create the extraordinary impact we were born to make.”
Pastor and evangelist Franklin Graham lamented Robertson’s passing, noting that he was a friend to him and his father.
“Pat Robertson, a great friend to my father, to me, and to our ministries, has moved to a new address in Heaven. Heaven is real and awaits everyone who puts their faith and trust in God and His Son, Jesus Christ. I will miss Pat, but I know that I will see him again one day. I’m sure that his family would appreciate our prayers,” Graham wrote on Twitter.
Pat Robertson, a great friend to my father, to me, and to our ministries, has moved to a new address in Heaven. Heaven is real and awaits everyone who puts their faith and trust in God and His Son, Jesus Christ. I will miss Pat, but I know that I will see him again one day. I’m…
— Franklin Graham (@Franklin_Graham) June 8, 2023
Dr. Alex McFarland, the Woodland Park, Colorado-based Biblical Worldview for Charis Bible College director, lauded Robertson’s life and ministry, calling him “one of several Christian leaders raised up by God 50 years ago to call America back to her founding principles,” Fox News Digital reports.
He continued, “Through the Christian Broadcasting Network and Regent University and Law School, Pat Robertson has left a wonderful Christian legacy, the results of which only eternity can reveal. It was my privilege to meet him several times.
“At a very critical juncture in my family’s life in 1988, he walked through a crowd of hundreds of people at a huge conference and came to speak with me directly. My parents were facing bankruptcy — and I was considering entering the ministry,” he continued.
“Why he singled me out and walked over to me, I don’t know. But I began to share my family’s problems and my looming decision about ministry. He put his hand on my head and prayed for my family and specifically prayed that I would become a great man of God and a preacher of the Gospel.”
“Pat Robertson’s personal attention to me in the midst of a massive conference,” McFarland asserted, “was a moment in my life I will never forget. I would say his prayer over me touched my family in a lasting way for the next several decades. May God bless the sacred memory of this great leader.”
Robertson is survived by his children Tim, Elizabeth, Gordon and Ann; 14 grandchildren; and 24 great-grandchildren. He was married to his wife, Dede, for nearly 70 years. She died in 2022.
Related:
Pat Robertson, Trailblazing TV Pastor, Dies at 93: He ‘Dedicated His Life to Spreading the Gospel’
Photo courtesy: ©Getty Images/Mario Tama/Staff
Milton Quintanilla is a freelance writer and content creator. He is a contributing writer for Christian Headlines and the host of the For Your Soul Podcast, a podcast devoted to sound doctrine and biblical truth. He holds a Masters of Divinity from Alliance Theological Seminary.
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