Pat Robertson Biography Quotes 34 Report mistakes

Early Life and Education
Marion Gordon "Pat" Robertson was born on March 22, 1930, in Lexington, Virginia. He grew up in a family steeped in public life; his father, A. Willis Robertson, served Virginia in the U.S. House of Representatives and later the U.S. Senate, offering the young Robertson a firsthand view of politics and public service. Known from childhood by the nickname Pat, he showed early academic promise and graduated from Washington and Lee University. After college he served as a Marine Corps officer during the Korean War era, an experience that exposed him to responsibility and leadership under pressure. He then studied law at Yale Law School, but a profound religious conversion redirected his ambitions. He enrolled at New York Theological Seminary, completed ministerial training, and was ordained in the Southern Baptist tradition, setting the course for a lifetime in Christian ministry and media.

Founding a Broadcasting Ministry
In 1960 Robertson moved to coastal Virginia and launched the Christian Broadcasting Network (CBN), starting with a shoestring budget and a small UHF station. The idea was audacious: use television to share Christian faith, news, and practical help. Out of a telethon grew The 700 Club, a program that blended testimony, prayer, interviews, and current events. As host, Robertson developed a direct, conversational style that drew a national audience and made him one of the best-known televangelists of his generation. Over time he shared the stage with co-hosts such as Ben Kinchlow and Terry Meeuwsen, and he built a cadre of producers and correspondents who framed a distinctive way of discussing news through a faith-based lens.

Institutions and Expansion
Robertson believed media should be paired with education and service. In 1977 he founded a graduate school that became Regent University, which grew into a comprehensive Christian university with programs in law, government, communication, and ministry. In 1978 he launched Operation Blessing, a humanitarian arm that mobilized food, medical care, disaster relief, and community development in the United States and abroad. He also helped establish the American Center for Law and Justice to litigate and advocate on issues related to religious liberty; attorney Jay Sekulow became one of its most visible leaders.

As CBN grew, Robertson and his son Timothy Robertson steered the network into broader family entertainment through cable ventures that eventually became The Family Channel. Their company, International Family Entertainment, sold the channel in the late 1990s to new owners; even after subsequent sales and rebrandings, a long-term agreement kept The 700 Club on the channel, demonstrating the enduring reach of Robertson's flagship program.

Political Engagement
Robertson became a central figure in the rise of evangelical political activism in the late 20th century. In 1988 he sought the Republican presidential nomination, challenging figures such as George H. W. Bush and Bob Dole. Although he did not win the nomination, his campaign demonstrated the organizing power of religious conservatives and reshaped expectations about grass-roots mobilization, voter registration, and caucus participation. In 1989 he founded the Christian Coalition; under leaders including Ralph Reed, it became a formidable force in Republican politics during the 1990s, distributing voter guides, training activists, and influencing debates on abortion, education, and judicial nominations. Robertson's political commentaries on The 700 Club further amplified his voice and made him a frequent subject of national conversation.

Controversy and Influence
As a broadcaster, pastor, and political advocate, Robertson courted controversy. He made pointed on-air comments about foreign leaders, national tragedies, and cultural change that drew intense criticism, even from some fellow evangelicals. Supporters praised him for speaking plainly about moral issues; detractors accused him of conflating faith and partisan politics and of overstating divine causation in public events. Business ventures overseas, along with his comments about economics and geopolitics, also attracted scrutiny in the press. Yet controversy did not diminish the scale of his influence; his programs remained a daily touchpoint for millions, and his books and speeches circulated widely. He interacted with prominent Christian leaders such as Jerry Falwell and Billy Graham, and continued to shape conservative media through CBN's domestic and international broadcasts.

Humanitarian Work and Global Outreach
Robertson invested significant energy in relief and development. Operation Blessing dispatched food, clean water systems, and medical teams to disaster zones and impoverished communities around the world. Under his leadership, CBN produced international versions of its programs and supported local-language productions aimed at addressing spiritual questions alongside practical needs. These efforts built an enduring philanthropic footprint that often stood in contrast to the combative tone of American politics, reflecting Robertson's conviction that media and ministry should be coupled with tangible service.

Family and Personal Life
In 1954 Robertson married Adelia "Dede" Elmer, a nurse whose quiet steadiness complemented his public persona. The couple raised four children: Timothy, Elizabeth, Ann, and Gordon. Family members were integral to his enterprises; Timothy played a leading role in the family's cable holdings, and Gordon P. Robertson emerged as a prominent broadcaster and executive at CBN. After decades as the face of The 700 Club, Pat Robertson stepped back from daily hosting in 2021, and Gordon took on expanded on-air responsibilities, symbolizing a generational handoff within the ministry. Dede Robertson, a partner in his work and philanthropy, died in 2022, a deeply personal loss he acknowledged on air and within the CBN community.

Later Years and Legacy
Robertson continued to write, teach at Regent University, and appear on special broadcasts as health and age permitted. He suffered health challenges but remained active in guiding CBN's direction and encouraging its humanitarian initiatives. He died on June 8, 2023, in Virginia, at the age of 93.

Pat Robertson's legacy is multifaceted: a pioneering Christian broadcaster who built one of the longest-running programs in American television; a university founder who promoted scholarship and professional training from an explicitly Christian perspective; a political mobilizer who helped define the religious right's agenda; and a philanthropist who paired spiritual outreach with relief work. Figures around him, including his father A. Willis Robertson, his wife Dede, his children Timothy and Gordon, longtime colleagues such as Ben Kinchlow and Terry Meeuwsen, legal advocate Jay Sekulow, and political organizer Ralph Reed, illustrate the wide network that sustained his influence. Even those who sharply disagreed with his views recognized that Marion Gordon "Pat" Robertson permanently altered the intersection of faith, media, and American public life.

Our collection contains 34 quotes who is written by Pat, under the main topics: Ethics & Morality - Justice - Friendship - Leadership - Freedom.

Other people realated to Pat: Jerry Falwell (Clergyman), Tammy Faye Bakker (Celebrity), Paul Weyrich (Critic), Jim Bakker (Celebrity), Oral Roberts (Clergyman), Jay Alan Sekulow (Lawyer)