Oral Roberts University  

Oral Roberts University (ORU)



Matt 25:23
Well done, good and faithful servant. KJV


Can one person who hears and obeys the call of God really make a difference? Visit Oral Roberts University in Tulsa, Oklahoma and decide for yourself. As you enter the campus, giant praying hands pointing upward to heaven remind us where the source of power came from for this University.

Oral Roberts was born in Pontotoc Oklahoma as Granville “Oral” Roberts in 1918. He was the 5th and youngest child of Rev. and Mrs. Ellis Roberts. Oral thought Jesus lived in his home because he heard His parents talking to Him so much. Oral’s mother knew his entire life that God wanted Oral to preach the gospel. One of the ironies of the name Oral was that Oral spoke with a stutter and preaching the gospel seemed impossible. It wasn’t until Oral, at age 17, was dying with tuberculosis that Oral finally surrendered to God and to God’s call for his life. One night as Oral lay gasping for breath; his dad came into his room, held him close, and said, “I won’t let you die without the Lord!” His dad took him to a healing service, which was rare at that time. Not only did God heal Oral from tuberculosis that night, He also lifted Oral’s stuttering. Shortly afterwards, Oral and his father began preaching together.

ORU was birthed as the result of a mandate God gave founder and Chancellor Oral Roberts to “Raise up your students to hear my voice, to go where My light is dim, My voice is heard small and my power is not known, even to the uttermost bounds of the earth. Their work will exceed yours, and in this I am well pleased.” 1

As I got out of my car, I noticed a young man talking on a cell phone. I couldn’t help hearing that he was praying with the person on the other end of the line. “Lord Jesus,” he said. “I pray for the gift of joy. May her spirit be filled with your joy.”

My first official stop at Oral Roberts University was the Prayer Tower, where I watched a movie about the university. As I left the inspiring movie, I entered the small gift shop and met Ann. (See photo in the Photo Gallery under Oklahoma – Tulsa – Oral Roberts University.) Ann and her husband retired in Tulsa and working in this bookstore was Ann’s retirement job. “I prefer to take the re off the word and just called it tired,” Ann quipped.

“Is Oral Roberts still alive?” I asked. The movie hadn’t been clear about that.

“Yes,” Ann said as her face lit up to be talking about her beloved employer. “His wife died last year. They retired in the late 90’s to California with a group of people who were also in ministry. He has physical problems but still has his mind and says now his calling is to mentor. People go to him. He is 88 years old. His son Richard is the president of the university now.”

I looked around the gift shop. “Do you have any sweatshirts?” I asked. “My daughter likes sweat shirts from universities.”

“No,” she said. “You’ll have to go over to the big store for that. They just give me the things that people who are visiting the Prayer Tower might want. We have a book that is a collection of Oral Robert’s tent revival sermons. Some of the older ladies come in here telling me about hearing him in a tent revival. They are thrilled to have that book.”

“You sound like you enjoy your job,” I said.

“I do,” she smiled. “It’s not a job, it’s a ministry.” I remembered the movie saying that one of the goals is to help all students realize that they are in a ministry regardless of the job they are performing. Ann obviously understood that concept.

I went to the Information Desk to get directions to the larger store. There I met Anastasia. I was struck by the power of her inner beauty. Anastasia had that fresh innocent look of a young woman who loved God. (See picture in the Photo Gallery.) I had to talk about it. “I heard on the movie that ORU trains the mind, body, and spirit. I can’t get over how healthy looking everyone is. Does ORU really train the body?”

“Yes,” Anastasia said. “We have to take gym classes and work out.”

I’d seen the list of degrees and heard of their academic success so I knew how they trained the mind. “How do they train your spirit?” I asked.

“We have Chapel. We have classes on spirituality and are encouraged to pray and read our Bibles,” Anastasia said.

“I noticed that no one is wearing shorts,” I said, feeling out of place in my cute lime green shorts outfit with a matching butterfly necklace and earrings. At least I’m not wearing my jean short shorts, I thought.

“No,” she said. “It’s too much temptation for the men. We can finally wear jeans but that is recent. We don’t wear shorts or tank tops.” I looked down at my tank top self-consciously and she said, “We could wear that top because the straps are at least 1 inch thick – as long as the bra straps don’t show.” I quickly reached up to feel for my bra straps and she laughed. “Sometimes it’s hard not to let them show.”

My self-consciousness started to overwhelm me until I realized I was following the spirit of the law. There was no chance I was going to be a temptation for the young men. I think Anastasia wanted to make me feel better because she said, “I love your necklace.”

I laughed. “My necklaces often are conversation starters. I try to tell my husband that buying them is a necessary ministry expense but I’m not sure he believes me.”

I rode the elevator to the top of the Prayer Tower and looked out over this magnificent campus. The white and gold buildings contrasted against the colorful landscape dotted with trees, fountains, streams, and flowers. I breathed in God’s peace as I prayed. I went in the prayer room, where they have someone praying 24 hours a day and joined three young men engaged in earnest prayer.

I left the Prayer Tower in search of the larger store. As I walked across the campus, I enjoyed watching the young people. Their clothes were stylish, comfortable, and modest. Couples innocently held hands and giggled but unlike other campuses, I saw no one stretched out on a towel kissing. Not one student had a nasty smelly cigarette acting as an extension to yellow colored fingers. I passed a student praying in the garden. It seemed like everyone was smiling. I went into the bookstore and met Dena.

I noticed Dena immediately because she was walking bent over and holding herself up with a cane. Like the other students, she was smiling, but that smile was occasionally broken with the grimace of pain. I found a sweatshirt and Dena and I stood in line together to pay. I noticed that Dena had to use one hand on a shelf to support herself as she stood in line. When she moved, she almost fell over.

Dena was from Russia. While still in Russia, she began having back pain. The doctors diagnosed her with tumors and operated. Unfortunately, they made grave mistakes – the result of which is her disability. “Coming to America has really helped. I’m much better than I was. The doctors here have been wonderful. Physical therapy is helping but I’m going to always be disabled and in pain. The doctors in America can find no evidence of tumors so they aren’t sure why anyone operated on me in the first place. I’d never even been in a hospital until that surgery.” She shook off the gloom. “I have a lot to be grateful for. The medicine and doctors in America are so much better.”

“You seem at peace with your disability,” I said.

“I am. I’ve been ready to go home for a while now but as long as God wants me on earth, I need to be useful. I’m getting my degree in communications and hope to work in a non-profit agency one day. Because I’m from Russia, I can’t work until I graduate. I’m volunteering now in an agency and they have offered me a job when I graduate.”

Standing behind Dena was a young man (see picture of both Dena and this young man in the Photo Gallery,) whose name I did not get. A Finance major, he was blond, bright eyed, and friendly. “I probably will work in a bank but who knows what God has in store for me.”

“I heard in the ORU movie that this university tries to help all students think of their job as their ministry,” I commented.

“Yes,” he said. “God calls us into all walks of life as ministers.”

I told him about my MBA and corporate career. “People say to me all the time, ‘I’ll bet you’re happier now that you are doing God’s work.’ I tell them that I was always doing God’s work. My previous mission field was corporate America and now just America. I’m happy now but I was happy before.”

“Really,” the young man said. “You ran a technology company. Where did you get your MBA?”

“Jacksonville University,” I said, pleased that he was showing such interest.

I knew that young man had a good career ahead of him and I knew he was going to do mighty works for God. God’s mandate to Oral Roberts was to “Raise up your students to hear my voice.” Dena could stand her pain because she heard the voice of God. The young Finance major was waiting for God to tell him what to do with his career. When I realized that their works would indeed exceed Oral Robert’s, I was overcome with wonder about the potential that one man’s obedience could have. How pleased God must be.

1. ORU Visitor’s Guide, Oral Roberts University

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Cheryle M. Touchton is the Director of Pocket Full of Change Ministries. For more information or to schedule a speaker for an event, go to www.pocketfullofchange.org or call Cheryle Touchton at 904-614-3585.

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