While in Minnesota this past Friday I learned about the latest televangelist scandal. According to the Associated Press, Richard Roberts (the president of Oral Roberts University) and family have been using ORU as a personal ATM. The allegations, based upon an internal document prepared by the sister-in-law of Roberts, included Roberts’ daughter use of the ministry jet ($29,411), abuse of the tax status of ORU (Robert’s wife Lindsey spending $39,000 over a year at a SINGLE clothing store), and inappropriate telephone calls/ texts with “underage males” (the phone bill paid for by the University).
Now I totally believe that everyone is innocent until proven guilty. But I was troubled by a statement posted on ORU’s website by Richard Roberts. In the post, he speaks of the university being annually audited by a CPA firm, certain policies and procedures that exist at the University, and new procedures that are being put into place.
But there is no denial of the allegations.
He further states that “any expenses, including trips, errands, food, etc., deemed personal are charged back to me and are paid personally by me on a monthly basis.”
But Richard is missing the point. Why should his daughter be able to take her friends on a plane trip to the Caribbean utilizing the ministry’s plane? If the ministry/ school has a legitimate use for it fine, but do all the students at ORU get to use the plane? In addition, his wife, it is alleged, is making a mockery of the tax code.
ORU is an expensive school to attend. It is a private school and if parents want to send the kids there then fine. But why should parents pay an extra ordinary tuition so that the Roberts family can use the University as their personal ATM? ORU is too improtant of an institution to be abused.
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