Friday, November 30, 2007

More From the Wingnut Universe: Regent University Will Explore Ties with Oral Roberts University

One could say that Pat Robertson's Regent University and Oral Roberts University deserve each other. Both were founded by Christianists who made a very good living off their "ministry" and and both teach students who seek Christianist dominion over the rest of the citizenry. Would that Pat would take over ORU and move to Tulsa. It would be a nice development for this area. Based on Pat's track record, if the deal moves forward, I am sure he will benefit financially somehow. Here are highlights from the Virginian Pilot's coverage of this development (http://content.hamptonroads.com/story.cfm?story=137900&ran=54942&tref=po):

VIRGINIA BEACH - A team from Regent University will travel to financially troubled Oral Roberts University in Tulsa, Okla., on Monday to explore “options” for ties between the institutions. “We are pleased to report that Dr. Pat Robertson, president and chancellor of Regent University and long-time friend of Oral Roberts University, has contacted members of the board of regents and has expressed interest in exploring options for the future of ORU with Regent University,” George Pearsons, chairman of the ORU Board of Regents, said in a statement posted on the university’s Web site.
"Dr. Robertson is sending a team on Monday to Tulsa to meet with ORU Regents and administrative representatives,” he said. A spokeswoman for Regent University could not be reached for comment Thursday night. The discussions are “very preliminary,” Pearsons told The Oklahoman newspaper in Oklahoma City on Thursday. The assistance could range from simply giving advice to possible partnerships, he said. “Pat’s just interested in helping in any way he can,” he said. Pearsons told the newspaper that Robertson had made a “great” financial donation to ORU within the past month, but declined to release the amount.
A day earlier, the founder of a Christian office and education supply store chain pledged $70 million to help the university, provided it passed a 90-day review of the school’s finances.
Oral Roberts began building the university on Tulsa’s southern outskirts 44 years ago. It has about 5,700 students. Regent University, founded by Robertson in 1978, is the smaller of the two. The accredited, private, interdenominational Christian university was known as CBN University until 1990. The 2007 student body numbered more than 4,200 – including almost 2,000 full-time students. The university has a faculty of more than 600.

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