Televangelism

The use of television as a medium to communicate Christianity

Scandals have caused the rapid downfall of some of the most famous televangelists since the 1980s. Many Americans have seen these events as confirmation of their suspicions that televangelists are corrupt and out of touch with mainstream religious views.

The technology of television, which became a popular form of news and entertainment in American homes in the 1950s, had long been ignored by religious groups. While some saw the television as a symbol of modernism and secularism, most simply did not develop the tools and technology necessary to transfer their message to television until the late 1970s and early 1980s. Partly because of a new responsiveness by religious groups to the potential power of television and partly because of a broader engagement by many Christians in the realm of American popular culture, many enthusiastic preachers moved their ministries to the television airwaves during the 1980s. Still others launched their careers with local, regional, and even national programming plans that grew into vast media communications networks and broadcast empires that, despite criticism and skepticism, have maintained followers into the twenty-first century.

The Rise of Televangelism

American Christianity has a long history of utilizing the most efficient and effective communications strategies of each generation in order to carry out the “Great Commission,” Jesus Christ’s instruction to his disciples to spread the gospel teachings throughout the world. Evangelist Aimee Semple McPherson, founder of the International Church of the Foursquare Gospel, was criticized in the early twentieth century for her use of the relatively new medium of radio as a tool for “winning souls for Christ.” In subsequent years, however, ministers embraced not only radio but also television as a viable method of communicating their message.

One of the earliest to do this was Pat Robertson, who founded the Christian Broadcasting Network (CBN) in 1961. Its flagship show, The 700 Club, began broadcasts in the mid-1960s. Part news reporting and part talk show, The 700 Club continued to broadcast into the early twenty-first century, featuring popular hosts and guests from a variety of backgrounds. Though Robertson became known for his controversial and outspoken views, he remained a strong voice for followers of Judeo-Christian traditional values.

Another controversial televangelist was Oral Roberts, the son of a midwestern preacher and an evangelist and faith healer in the charismatic tradition. Roberts began his ministry in the 1950s and launched a series of television specials during the 1970s. His Oral Roberts Ministries continued to broadcast into the early twenty-first century. In the 1980s, however, Roberts became the target of jokes and criticism when he claimed to have had visions of God about raising money for his ministries, including the City of Faith Medical and Research Center, which was open from 1981 to 1989.

Like Pat Robertson, Jerry Falwell became well known for his television ministries in the 1980s. Though he had established the Thomas Road Baptist Church in Lynchburg, Virginia, and the Old Time Gospel Hour radio program in 1956, he became a mobilizing force when his Moral Majority coalition (founded in 1979) endorsed Ronald Reagan in his 1980 election bid.

The Decline of Televangelism

Roberts and Falwell spent the 1980s building ministries that continued to play a role in national religious and political life in later decades. However, in many ways, their careers—at least during the 1980s—were eclipsed by two other figures.

In 1987, Assemblies of God minister Jim Bakker resigned from his position as head of the PTL television network and as host of its popular television show of the same name. Bakker’s resignation came in the wake of scandals involving a sexual encounter with a church secretary named Jessica Hahn and allegations of massive fraud. During their heyday, Jim and his wife, Tammy Faye, lived an excessive lifestyle, even while asking viewers to maximize their financial contributions to their ministry. After serving five years in prison for charges related to fraud and tax evasion, Bakker continued to minister, though on a much smaller scale.

The year after Bakker’s resignation, Jimmy Swaggart, another Assemblies of God preacher, was forced to resign as head of Jimmy Swaggart Ministries (then worth more than $100 million) when allegations surfaced that he had met with prostitutes. Swaggart became another target of critics and skeptics, in part because of his tearful videotaped apology to his followers.

Twenty-First Century Televangelism

While some televangelists did continue to thrive into the twenty-first century—including popular figures such as Joel Osteen, pastor of the largest megachurch in the country based in Houston, Texas, which attracts thousands of followers both physically and through sophisticated television productions of sermons—scandals and criticism also continued to plague such televangelists. In 2007, Senator Charles Grassley opened up an investigation into six well-known televangelists, under suspicion of financial misconduct. While commentators acknowledge that several televangelist ministries are genuinely charitable and service their followers, others, such as influential late night television host John Oliver, have emphasized that too many leading televangelists preach a "prosperity gospel" that calls for donations in return for wealth, which is preached as a sign of God's favor, at the expense of parishioners. After months of investigation, Oliver dedicated a segment of his HBO show Last Week Tonight in the summer of 2015 to exposing these types of televangelists (he cited Creflo Dollar and Kenneth Copeland, among others) and calling on the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to conduct more audits of their ministries. Still, by the end of that year, some televangelists had found another television medium from which to spread their sermons yet further, contracting with the ubiquitous streaming service Netflix to include their lectures for subscribers.

Impact

The rising stars of American televangelism during the late 1970s and 1980s helped lay the groundwork for the development of the Christian media empires that continued to thrive in the early twenty-first century. The Trinity Broadcasting Network, which calls itself the “world’s largest Christian television network,” began in 1973 but expanded its reach during the 1980s, thanks in part to early work by Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker, whose PTL Club actually debuted there. Pioneers in the field contributed to both the legitimization of television as a potential medium for spreading Christianity and the increase in skepticism from those who questioned televangelists and their motives as well as from fellow evangelists and other Christian leaders who believed that the industry lent itself easily to corruption and greed, even in the hands of otherwise good people.

Bibliography

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Jorstad, Erling. The New Christian Right, 1981–1988: Prospects for the Post-Reagan Decade. Edwin Mellen Press, 1987.

Schmidt, Rosemarie, and Joseph F. Kess. Television Advertising and Televangelism: Discourse Analysis of Persuasive Language. J. Benjamins, 1986.

Schultze, Quentin J. Televangelism and American Culture: The Business of Popular Religion. Baker Book House, 1991.

Stern, Marlow. "John Oliver Exposes Shady Televangelists Fleecing Americans for Millions." Daily Beast, 17 Aug. 2015, www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2015/08/17/john-oliver-exposes-shady-televangelists-fleecing-americans-for-millions.html. Accessed 29 Nov. 2016.