ORU Board of Trustees, Resource Panel Named

17 01 2008

The new board of trustees:

  • Chairman Mart Green, founder of Mardel Christian and educational supply stores and Every Tribe Entertainment
  • Don H. Argue, chancellor of Northwest University outside Seattle
  • Freddy Boswell, an ORU graduate, Bible translator and executive director of the Summer Institute of Linguistics International in Dallas
  • Stanley M. Burgess, a professor at Pat Robertson’s Regent University in Virginia Beach, Va.
  • Hal Donaldson, editor in chief of Today’s Pentecostal Evangel magazine in Springfield, Mo.
  • The Rev. Robert Hoskins, founder of the Christian missions organization Affect Destiny Teams and president and CEO of Book of Hope International in Pompano, Fla.
  • Lynette (Troyer) Lewis, a motivational speaker and ORU graduate who lives in New York City and Cary, N.C.
  • Ron Luce, ORU alumnus and founder of Teen Mania Ministries in Garden Valley, Texas
  • Charles W. McKinney, an administrator at Florida Gulf Coast University in Fort Myers, Fla.
  • Oral Roberts, founder of ORU
  • Russell P. Spittler, retired provost and professor of Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, Calif.
  • R. Lamar Vest, an executive of the American Bible Society in New York City
  • William (Billy) Wilson of Cleveland, Tenn., executive director of the International Center for Spiritual Renewal, executive producer of Voice of Salvation Ministries and host of “World Impact” weekly TV show

A resource panel will also help oversee the university’s transition as they search for a new president and bring the school back to sound financial footing.  The committee, led by Billy Joe Daugherty, includes Karen Arutunoff, Rick Fenimore, Dr. Glenda Payas, Rick Pearson and Executive Vice President for Finance and Operations David Ellsworth. 

Ralph Fagin, Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs, will serve as interim president.   Link to story.



Regents Vote to Accept $62 Million Gift

15 01 2008

The ORU Board of Regents have unanimously voted to accept the remaining $62 million gift from donor Mart Green. ORU will also join the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability, something we suggested back in October.

Green will also assume George Pearson’s position as chairman of the board of regents.

Details of Green’s Proposal Include:
(from the ORU website)

– Shared governance under a new set of bylaws which will now govern the university and keep the mission and vision intact.

– Replacement of the Board of Regents, Business and Spiritual, with a single Board of Trustees, who will govern the university in trust on behalf of its students, faculty, alumni and other stakeholders.

– Oral Roberts will continue as Chancellor of ORU and will be named a Trustee for the remainder of his life.

– Use of the $62 million donation will be determined by the Board of Trustees.

Save ORU would like to thank Mr. Green for his enormous contribution and commitment to Oral Roberts University, and believe that “The best is yet to come.”

Link to story…



One Professor Settles with ORU

12 01 2008

Professor John Swails has settled his lawsuit with ORU and has been reinstated to his position. A gag order is also now in effect – attorneys and parties involved in the ORU lawsuit are forbidden from talking about the case.

On Monday, the board of Regents will meet to vote whether to accept the remaining $62 million of Mart Green’s $70 million dollar donation to the university.



Richard Roberts on The 700 Club

4 01 2008

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Yesterday, Richard Roberts appeared on The 700 Club with Pat Robertson. He spoke about his recent ordeal at ORU, his resignation and his plans to continue in the ministry.

Roberts spoke about being the fifth choice to fill the role of the school’s second president and candidly admitted that he “never dreamed of being a college president”, but that God moved on his heart to take on the role.

When asked about the lawsuit, he reserved making comments about the case. He also reiterated that God had told him to resign and that he is trusting the Lord for direction.

“ORU changed my life,” he says. “The students and I have had a love affair for years. I love them, and they love me.”

A partial transcript and video are available at CBN.com.

Stay tuned to SaveORU.com for the latest news and analysis.



Richard Roberts will be on The 700 Club today

3 01 2008

Richard Roberts will make an appearance on the 700 club today, Thursday, January 3rd, 2008.

According to cbn.com “Richard Roberts will share what the Lord has shown him about forgiveness.”

The 700 Club is broadcast live at 10:00 a.m. EST/7:00 a.m. PST on the ABC Family Channel and is airs at 12:00 p.m. PST/3:00 p.m. EST on the Trinity Broadcasting Network (TBN).



ORU LAWSUIT: Another Donor in the works?

1 01 2008

Comments on a recent Tulsa World story point to this possibility.

HINT: Read comment number 33.



Everything’s Gonna Be Alright!

5 12 2007

ORU’s assets will enable the university “to restructure and recover from this temporary setback.”

Regent “stands ready” to offer assistance if needed in the future.



Oral Robertson University?

4 12 2007

The current news being reported is that Pat Robertson, founder of CBN, The 700 Club and Regent University is interested in “options” for ties between the two universities.  ORU is widely regarded as a feeder school for Regent’s graduate programs.

Pat Robertson and Oral Roberts University have a long-standing relationship. ORU’s O.W. Coburn School of Law closed in 1986 and its law library, faculty and students were transferred to Regent University (which was then called CBN University). ORU had trouble attaining accreditation from the American Bar Association, which Regent eventually did receive in 1996.

As a media pioneer, Pat Robertson started the Family Channel in 1977 as an alternative to secular programming. It was later sold to Fox in 1997 for $1.9 billion dollars. In 2001, it changed hands again and was sold to Disney. It now bears the moniker of the ABC Family Channel. Regardless of ownership, The 700 Club must air three times a day though a perpetually inherited contract agreement.

Robertson has numerous businesses, including a mining operation in Liberia and an oil refinery company. Regent University reportedly carries an endowment of around $267 million.



A NEW ERA HAS BEGUN

27 11 2007

ORU Gets a ‘Divorce’ from ORM and 70 Million Dollars

The ORU Board of Regents officially voted to ‘accept’ Richard Roberts resignation and to legally and financially separate the university from Oral Roberts Ministries.

A short while later they received a financial pledge of 70 million dollars from Mart Green , whose family started the Hobby Lobby chain of stores.

However, the gift comes with a catch. ORU will receive 8 million in immediate funds, but must demonstrate “good governance” before the remaining 62 million can be given. The gift will effectively wipe out ORU’s 55 million dollar debt.

Is ORU saved? Mission accomplished? We hope so.

Questions still linger as to the results of the regent’s audit of the allegations surrounding Richard and Lindsay Roberts. ORU is a private university and is not required to publicize the findings of their committees or the details of their two day meeting. Either way, the university has proved it doesn’t need Richard anymore.

Stay tuned to SaveORU.com for more news and analysis.



RICHARD ROBERTS RESIGNS

23 11 2007

Richard Roberts resignation is effective immediately.

“I love ORU with all my heart. I love the students, faculty, staff and administration and I want to see God’s best for all of them.”

– Statement from Richard Roberts

The final straw might have been a new wrongful termination lawsuit filed by Trent Huddleston, a former senior accountant for ORU. He claims that he was directed “against his will” to falsely list items as expenses rather than assets in order to defraud the Internal Revenue Service and other agencies.

Stay tuned to SaveORU.com for more news and analysis.