January 2008

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Resigned • Richard Roberts, as president of Oral Roberts University (ORU), on November 23. Roberts is facing a lawsuit that alleges he misspent school finances on lavish personal purchases. Days after Roberts's resignation, Mart Green, founder of the Hobbly Lobby and Mardel retail chains, donated $70 million to ORU, most of it dependent on reforms in the school's leadership, finances, and governance. The school had been $52 million in debt.

Died • Jarrell F. McCracken, founder of Word Inc., on November 7 after a lengthy battle with Alzheimer's. He was 79. A pioneer in the Christian recording industry, McCracken launched Word in 1951 with a spoken-word album in which Jesus leads a football team to victory in "The Game of Life." By 1954, McCracken had branched into publishing as well. He sold his share of Word to the American Broadcasting Company in 1974, but remained president until his resignation in 1986.

Died • Ingrid Trobisch, an author, ministry founder, and missionary to Cameroon, of pancreatic cancer. She was 81. Born to missionary parents in Moshi, Tanganyika (now Tanzania), Trobisch was most widely known for her writing, including the bestselling The Joy of Being a Woman. Family Life Mission grew out of Trobisch and her first husband Walter's speaking, writing, and counseling ministry to uphold godly principles in home life.

Died • Henry Hyde, a longtime member of the House of Representatives, R-Illinois, on November 29. He was 83. A vocal pro-life voice in Congress, the Roman Catholic Hyde received the nation's highest civilian honor, the Presidential Medal of Freedom, on November 5. Hyde resigned from Congress in 2006.

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More news on Richard Roberts and Oral Roberts University includes:

Tulsa Dustup | Lawsuit charges ORU president and his wife with fiscal, moral improprieties. (November 14, 2007)

From Liveblog:

More housecleaning at Oral Roberts U. | Creflo Dollar out, Benny Hinn disempowered on board of regents. (December 18, 2007)

Ex-President Roberts Separates Completely (Almost) from ORU | With a promised $70 million gift being dangled in front of them, ORU Regents plan to disentangle themselves from the Oral Roberts Evangelistic Association. (November 28, 2007)

Will Richard Roberts Let Go of ORU? | The former president may still be able to access school funds, say reports. (November 26, 2007)

ORU President Resigns | In October, Richard Roberts denied charges of misusing university funds and took a leave of absence. In November, the faculty gave him a no-confidence vote. Now, he's calling it quits. (November 23, 2007)

Oral Roberts University President Takes a Leave of Absence | Richard Roberts temporarily steps down after three university professors filed a lawsuit earlier this month. (October 18, 2007)

Time has posted a 1951 article about McCracken's first word album, "the Game of Life."

Associated Baptist Press published an obituary for McCracken.

Family Life Mission has an obituary for Trobisch.

Christianity Today profiled Henry Hyde in 1992. The Associated Press, CNN, and others have published obituaries.

Congress has a short biography.

He received a Presidential Medal of Freedom on November 5.

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