The Rev. Rex Humbard, one of America's premier televangelists, died on Friday at the age of 88.
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(Photo: Rex Humbard Ministry)This undated photo provided by Rex Humbard Ministry shows The Rev. Rex Humbard, a former itinerant preacher whose televangelism ministry once reached more parts of the globe than any other religious program. Humbard died Friday, Sept. 21, 2007, family spokeswoman Kathy Scott said. He was 88.
Humbard died of natural causes at a South Florida hospital near his home in Lantana, Fla., said family spokeswoman Kathy Scott.
The son of Pentecostal evangelists, Humbard hit the television airwaves in 1949 when the visual medium was largely untapped by evangelists. In 1952, weekly Sunday messages began broadcasting from his nondenominational Cathedral of Tomorrow, a renovated theater that seated 5,400 people, in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio.
His ministry flourished as did those of his contemporaries Billy Graham and Oral Roberts.
By the 1970s, the "Cathedral of Tomorrow" broadcast appeared on more TV stations in America than any other program, Humbard claimed. At the show's peak, weekly Sunday audiences averaged 8 million viewers and up to 20 million worldwide.
One of Humbard's regular viewers was Elvis Presley. Humbard spoke at Presley's funeral in 1977.
"I am proud to be an electronic evangelist for I believe that God has a plan – a plan to get into the homes and hearts of mankind for Jesus," Humbard said in his 1971 autobiography, Miracles in My Life.
Coming out of radio broadcasting, Humbard was impressed with the power and magnitude of television when he viewed in 1952 one of the first television programs broadcast live to northeastern Ohio. He was watching the Cleveland Indians-New York Yankees baseball game through a window in O'Neil's Department Store in Akron, Ohio. It was then that he set out to build a church and his own studio broadcasting facilities.
"The vast majority of people do not go to church, and the only way we can reach them is through TV," he wrote.
"We must go into their homes – into their hearts – to bring them the gospel of Jesus Christ."
According to his son, Charles Humbard, president of Gospel Music Channel, the televangelist was the first minister to broadcast a church service on television on a weekly basis.
By 1979, Humbard drew global audiences with the show broadcasting in Canada, Europe, the Middle East, Far East, Australia and Latin America.
In the December 1999 issues of U.S. News & World Report, Humbard was listed as one of the Top 25 Principal Architects of the American Century.
"What America needs is an old-fashioned, Holy Ghost, God-sent, soul-savin', devil-hatin’ revival!" Humbard would admonish audiences.
His messages were simple; he stressed "moral truths" and stayed out of politics.
"Seek the Savior," Humbard would urge, and all other moral problems will solve themselves.
Time magazine has described Humbard's television services as a "blend of folksy, pep-talk piety and bubbly, inspirational hillbilly music."
His ministry expanded to include Mackinac College in Michigan, the Real Form Girdle Company in Brooklyn, an office tower in Akron and his own private jet.
Financial overreaching, however, rocked the ministry with television airtime alone costing nearly $2 million and millions of dollars in loans. Federal and state regulators complained that his church was selling unregistered securities to followers and not informing them that the cathedral lacked funds to insure repayment.
Humbard left in 1982 and moved to Florida. There he sought a base from which to expand its worldwide ministry into Latin America. Meanwhile, the congregation in Cuyahoga Falls dwindled and Cathedral of Tomorrow was sold to fellow televangelist the Rev. Ernest Angley in 1994. Still, Humbard continued speaking to live audiences and his ministry continued to sell his tapes and books.
"Dad never retired,” said his son Don in 2006, according to The New York Times. "He just changed direction. He wanted to make more special appearances."
Don is treasurer of the Rex Humbard Ministry Inc.
Besides Don and Charles, Humbard is survived by two other children, Rex Jr. and Elizabeth, and his wife of 65 years, Maude Aimee.
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First, Government laws does not determine righteousness. There are many laws that are morally bias against some and more beneficial to others. God's laws are not bias. In every dispensation God has allowed men to rule themselves, to prove that man apart from God cannot successfully rule himself on a long term basis. He will always over-rule, go beyond proper balance for the sanctity of humanity and ultimately setup his own nation's demise. Look at EVERY nation in history (and I mean EVERY Nation in history) before the US existed and you'll see this truth. America is headed in the same direction as ALL previous nations before it. Without exception. There is NO Nation on Earth in the history of man that has been able to survive without fault and corruption; because too many men in heart are corrupt and will eventually be in power. Corruption can only produce corruption. There will be only one Kingdom that will last forever, without fault. It will be the Kingdom of God, that will dominate the Earth when Jesus Christ returns.
Men should always be very careful how they judge others; with the same measure that you judge others will you be judged. The Bible is the only parameter to judge men by; not government laws and policies.
It's great that God is the final judge. Thank God that uninformed individuals will not be standing at the throne of God as an advocate for anyone else. Jesus Christ paid the price for man's redemption and is therefore the only advocate for men.
Hampstead Pete- We were all born in sin and you are no exception.What may be highly offensible to me may not be to you and vice versa.The good news is- Jesus came to die for us all that we make seek salvation and forgiveness thru Him. I grew up in Rex's Cathedral. My parents went to school with his kids. My Great Grandfather sold him the land the Cathedral was built on. There was noone more repentive than him. It is too bad that our so called Christian brothers and sisters seek hate ,judgement and sinister thoughts instead of forgiveness. I will definately pray for you and hope you see the err in your post. God Bless! And glory to God- Rex is home!!!
Hampstead Pete you should not judge all churches because of a few crooks in the pulpit. There has always been and always will be charlatans in the pulpit but there are alot of churches doing Gods will and helping people throughout the world. Its up to you to see where your money you give is going.
"Federal and state regulators complained that his church was selling unregistered securities to followers and not informing them that the cathedral lacked funds to insure repayment."
Sounds like just another fast-buck scam artist, preying on the faithful. You know what? You deserve people like that, 'cause you keep on supporting them and their lifestyles. Ever wonder why god needs so much money?