Pat Robertson (1930-2023): The controversial broadcaster who brought Christian TV to the mainstream
By 
Gordon Pettie2023-06-09T16:11:00
The 93 year-old founder of CBN and the 700 Club has died at his home in Virgina Beach. Gordon Pettie says he'll be remembered as a fearless Christian leader who tackled the topics many would rather avoid
Pat Robertson may not be well-known among UK Christians, but in the US his name is familiar among the masses.
Best known as a television evangelist, Robertson founded the Christian Broadcasting Network in 1960. CBN went on to become a global media organisation. In 1988 he stood as a Presidential candidate for the Republican party, standing on a traditional conservative platform and eventually losing out to George H. W. Bush.
Related articles
-
OpinionThe Married at First Sight rape allegations are heartbreaking. We are a long way from God’s plan
A BBC investigation has uncovered allegations that two women were raped during filming of the reality TV show, Married at First Sight: UK. Giles Gough asks whether the format is at fault, or if wider societal attitudes towards sex and relationships need to change
-
OpinionNo, Trump doesn’t know more about the Bible than the Pope
US televangelist and pastor Robert Jeffress has claimed that Donald Trump understands the Bible better than the Pope. Jonty Langley respectfully disagrees. Here’s his tongue-in-cheek analysis of what’s going on
-
OpinionIf the UK abandons free speech protections for Christians, the ‘special relationship’ will not hold
Britain and America have enjoyed a close alliance for centuries, with King Charles’ visit to the White House the latest expression of the much-discussed “special relationship”. But as attitudes to free speech diverge, particularly affecting Christians, Lois McLatchie Miller says this relationship may come under strain
More from Obituaries
-
OpinionThe Rt Revd Andrew Watson, Bishop of Guildford (1961-2026): Faithful even in the face of death
From council estates to the House of Lords, Rt Rev Andrew Watson served with humility and deep commitment to discipleship, says Rt Rev Paul Davies. His final pastoral letters to his diocese became powerful testimonies of faith even as he faced a cancer diagnosis
-
OpinionRev Jesse Jackson (1941-2026): Preacher, protester, prophet
Tributes have hailed him as a civil rights titan. But the most important word before Jesse Jackson’s name was “Rev”, says Chine McDonald. His life embodied a tradition in which preaching and political protest were never meant to be separate
-
OpinionDr Ron Kenoly (1944-2026): A father of the global worship community
Worship leader and singer-songwriter, Dr Ron Kenoly, has died aged 81. Known best for songs such as ‘Ancient of days’ and ‘Jesus is alive’, Noel Robinson pays tribute to a man who led by example and united God’s people in worship wherever he went
- Issues
- Topics A-Z
- Writers A-Z
- © 2026 Premier Christianity
Site powered by Webvision Cloud