After a long absence, we’ll examine all the recent news surrounding the lawsuit, George Pearson’s comments on the current state of ORU, and just who is Stephanie Cantees?

The story from the Tulsa World tells us what insiders have known all along, the bylaws governing ORU’s Board of Regents give the Roberts family a huge voice in university decisions. The Tulsa World article also offers up an interesting quote from George Pearsons from May of this year:

“I am standing here today because the Lord clearly spoke to me and said, ‘Do whatever Richard Roberts asks you to do,’ “

– George Pearsons, Speech to the ORU Board of Regents, May 2007

Hopefully Mart Green’s financial audit and requirements for his 70 million dollar donation will help bring the university to more safer ground from a financial as well as a leadership standpoint.

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.

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.