Televangelist Rex Humbard Dies at 88

[Cirque du So-What]

Source: Associated Press

ATLANTIS, Fla. (AP) — The Rev. Rex Humbard, a former itinerant preacher whose televangelism ministry once reached more parts of the globe than any other religious program, died Friday a family spokeswoman said. He was 88. Humbard died of natural causes at a South Florida hospital near his Lantana home, family spokeswoman Kathy Scott said.

The son of evangelists, Humbard evolved his ministry from revivals across the country to a permanent home in Akron, Ohio, and television. He realized the potential of the new medium in the early 1950s and became known to millions by the 1970s. But financial overreaching eventually eroded his organization.

As with his contemporaries Billy Graham and Oral Roberts, Humbard's ministry began to flourish in the post-World War II era.

<snip>

His ministry suffered from internal disputes and extensive borrowing. In the 1970s, federal and state regulators complained that millions of dollars in notes that he had issued to followers over the years violated securities laws.

Read more: http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5jC3Qv3fIdF2Oe--otZHcGou7qxWA

---

Rex Humbard was a lesser luminary among TV evangelists, but I recall his TV program in its heyday.

[saigon68]

1. Another Evil "Flim Flam man" bites the dust

Good Riddance

[Whoa_Nelly]

7. My thoughts exactly! n/t

[silverweb]

24. You beat me to it!

:D

[Submariner]

2. More worm food like Falwell.....hopefully Pat Robertson is next soon

[GreenTea]

18. And Dobson next!

[Scurrilous]

3. Good/bad things come in threes?

May 15: Jerry Falwell

Sept. 5: D. James Kennedy

Sept. 22: Rex Humbard

[Warpy]

6. Only if you're Irish

The whole right wing televangelism cohort is getting on in years, though. Falwell was the first (and some say worst) and has simply gone ahead to warm up all the seats. Most of the Old Guard are over 70 and when they're gone, the empires won't be the same. The Old Guard hit their stride just as Millennial Fever was heating up. That has come and gone and the country is beginning to convalesce since Jesus has failed to turn up. Again.

Some of them will fall prey to legal problems, some will fade away as the illnesses of old age take hold, and a few will expire quickly like Falwell. There will be no trumpets nor lightning strikes. It is simply the passing of an age and its fashion, and I don't mourn for it.

[ChairmanAgnostic]

10. no, Guinness comes in sixpacks.

not threes.

[Booster]

39. I think all the seats are already warned up. All of these people

are going to Hell for their greed.

[OnyxCollie]

4. Rex may be gone

but we still have his erection to remind us.

[grytpype]

5. I can't believe that's still there!

[maseman]

30. I live in Akron

As you can see by the picture it is now a tower for cell phone companies.

For those who might not know what this picture is...in Cuyahoga Falls, OH. Humbard had has primary church. He was building this structure where he was going to have a rotating restaurant on top. He got it half-built and ran out of money. The structure has been their my whole life (I'm 32) and is a thing you can see from everywhere around Akron and surrounding cities.

When I learned how to fly it was a great structure for helping navigate. Now the church that is next to this structure is owned and operated by another nut-job evangelist Earnest Angeley.

[Manifestor_of_Light]

57. Yes, I've been right by there.

My aunt lives probably a mile or so from there in Cuyahoga Falls.

However, she has no need for him because she's a Christian Science Practitioner.

[Ian David]

8. Fitting that he died at 88. The number 88 is used as a neo-nazi slogan.

BTW... 88 is also Dale Earnhardt, Jr.'s new car number... sponsored by The National Guard.

[OnyxCollie]

20. His stepmother refused to give up the rights to his old car number.

http://sports.espn.go.com/rpm/news/story?seriesId=2&id=3027220

But Hendrick didn't look outside his existing partners. He quickly announced that Budweiser, who first teamed with Earnhardt in 1999, would not sponsor him in 2008 and began working out new deals. Hendrick has worked with Pepsi's products for almost a decade, and the National Guard is the primary sponsor on Casey Mears' car this season.

The new sponsors will be joined by a new car number. Earnhardt has driven the No. 8 Chevrolet full-time for DEI since 2000, and he tried to take the No. 8 with him to Hendrick. But stepmother Teresa Earnhardt refused to give up her rights to it, and Mark Martin and Aric Almirola will co-drive it next year with sponsorship from the U.S. Army.

The No. 88 was used by Robert Yates Racing, which asked NASCAR to transfer the number to Hendrick for Earnhardt.

"Ralph Earnhardt drove the No. 88 Olds in 1957 and because of this number's history with the Earnhardt family, I felt car No. 88 should continue with Dale Earnhardt, Jr.," Robert Yates said in a statement.

http://sports.espn.go.com/rpm/news/story?seriesId=2&id=3019878

Earnhardt had hoped the No. 8 would follow him from Dale Earnhardt Inc. to HMS. But when he couldn't reach a deal with stepmother/team owner Teresa Earnhardt, he began exploring other options.

As many as seven numbers were considered, most of them containing an 8.

Make of that what you will...:tinfoilhat:

[LanternWaste]

40. Fitting?

Fitting? Why? Was he a nazi or a skin-head?

[Skittles]

49. evil bastard more likely

yup

[Nimrod2005]

9. Excellent!

[Zorro]

11. So many more to go

Billy Graham
Oral Roberts
Pat Robertson
James Dobson
Benny Hinn
That fat pig-eyed bastard from Texas
Robert "Lay your hands on the TV and feel the power of the Holy Spirit" Tilton

Here's praying they all get called real soon to that great revival in the sky.

[Name removed]

12. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Warpy]

14. You mean Robert "farting preacher" Tilton

I have a friend who watches Tilton with his kids so they can all make fart noises and laugh like idiots.

[no_hypocrisy]

13. Was that the "You Are Loved" fella?

[Ilsa]

15. Here is some of the junk he sold:

"Peter Popoff - a free metal vial with 2 drops of miracle oil!
Oral Roberts and Rex Humbard used this.
Marilyn Hickey - one gram packet of miracle anointing oil (a metal vial for a donation of $15.00)
Jim Whittington used this."

Rex Humbard: 1983
"Open this anointing oil. Don’t waste a drop. The spirit of Jesus is represented by this faith oil. Make a cross on your forehead with it, then by faith, go into a room by yourself and take out any money you have and make a cross on each bill. Do this in faith for God to head your money problems. Anoint your check book if you have one. Believe God to multiply your money according to Luke 6:38. Remember Jas 2:20 says that faith without works is dead. Do this as an act of faith. If for any reason you can’t do this please return this oil and I’ll mail it to another family."


From this link:
http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=&imgrefurl=http://www.bible.ca/tongues-photogallery-pentecostal-trinkets.htm&h=263&w=311&sz=23&hl=en&start=5&um=1&tbnid=KchK4AJe-t6aqM:&tbnh=99&tbnw=117&prev=/images%3Fq%3Drex%2Bhumbard%26svnum%3D10%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DN

[OzarkDem]

17. Don't forget the "faith nail"

"So here’s what I want you to do:

1. Write out every need in your life on the enclosed prayer request.
2. Push the nail through your prayer requests as an act of faith. Pray about your special requests and then remove the nail and keep it as our point of contact.
3. Place your best sacrificial Easter gift for God’s work in the enclosed offering envelope.
4. Send the offering envelope and your prayer requests in the return envelope I have provided.

Rex Humbard"

[Arugula Latte]

25. Doesn't that look like sex paraphernalia you'd buy at some porno shop?

:rofl:

[Bluebear]

26. YES!

Probably surplus! :rofl:

[Rageneau]

16. Get a load of his real name: Alpha Rex Emmanuel Humbard

Wonder if he'd have made it so big if his daddy had named him Elmo?

[tomreedtoon]

19. Question for you guys: are there any new televangelists?

By which I mean, are there any that are gaining the kind of fame and power of Graham, Humbard, Roberts father and son, and like that?

It doesn't seem to me that the younger evangelists who work for those guys have the "gravitas" that is needed to swing a big ministry. Richard Roberts hasn't a fraction of the clout his dad Oral possessed. The last big batch, the ones on PTL like Jim and Tammy, got sunk by scandals.

I'm not saying the species is endangered - they wax and wane - but do you think that they are currently entering a low ebb?

[Mnemosyne]

23. Jay Bakker, son of Tammy Faye and Jim, is a preacher, but

he's a pretty cool guy. Maybe he's hope for the future of Christianity.

http://www.temenos.net/blog/2006/12/son-of-tammy-faye-baker-advocates-for.html

[IndianaGreen]

34. Jay is pretty cool and LGBT-accepting, and his wife is great!

I worry about how he is doing since his mother died. The two of them were very closed.

[Mnemosyne]

38. I've only heard him speak on the tube, but wow, amazing man.

Hard to believe that scoundrel Jim is his dad. Tammy Fay always seemed like such a loving person and I'm sure Jay has a terrible hole in his heart.

I'm so happy to hear that Jay is as great as he seemed, so many have that false persona that never is close to reality.

Isn't he supposed to have a show coming out? Seems I read that somewhere recently.

[IndianaGreen]

43. The first season ended with Jay struggling with his dad's rejection, his mom's illness

and the ostracism of the evangelical community. I don't know if there is a second season. Tammy Faye looked very ill in those episodes, and Jay ended up stopping the filming to protect his mom's privacy.

[Mnemosyne]

44. Unselfish acts of love always move me to tears. What a

caring and thoughtful son. I think being ostracized by the fundy evangelicals may be the best thing to happen. Jay has seen the hypocrisy first hand, bet he is honored to have them turn on him.

I was stunned when I saw Tammy on L.King a couple days before she died. She raised a great son and he showed her. She died knowing how very loved she was, and it doesn't get any better than that.

If you hear of the show returning could you please, please pm and let me know. I don't watch much tube so I'm always missing worthwhile shows.

If more preachers were like Jay, I'd even be tempted to attend "church" just for the fellowship. I quit believing in Heaven and Hell long ago and started seeing the Oneness. Religion divides more people than it ever brings together, imo. Sadly.

Nice chatting with you IG! :hi:

[Thor_MN]

37. Mac Hammond, Joel Osteen, Creflo Dollar...

There's a sucker born every minute...

As long as there are idiots willing to give up their money, there will be hucksters willing to take it from them.

[Manifestor_of_Light]

58. Joel Osteen now holds church in what used to be The Summit.

In Houston, the basketball arena. I thought it was only good for rock concerts.
I took my kid to see U2 on the Elevation tour in 2000 there.

Osteen dropped out of Oral Roberts (anal roberts?) after one or two semesters.


Some bible scholar. :wtf:

I bet he couldn't pass the religion courses I took from a brilliant graduate of Princeton at a Presbyterian university. They were tough and I wasn't even in seminary!

Those TV preachers are still pitiful.


Anybody remember Reverend Ike?

And at Nicheren Shoshu (now known as Soka Gakkai), who are allegedly Buddhist, they chant for new cars. Same deal.

[Raine]

21. I remember his show

I watched it as a kid. I was intrigued by those ministery shows...they were so strange.

[tom_paine]

22. As another table is set in the Bushie Section of Hell

How large it must be, to accomodate all those Royal and Loyal Bushies and BushCristianists (who are actually worshipping the ideals of Satan like "Blessed are the Warmakers".

I hope that Satan places them between the Nazis and the Stalinists, which is only fitting.

[mitchum]

27. Rest in dirt, grifter

[Vidar]

28. Glad to see him gone.

[TankLV]

29. He's dead. GOOD!

Hope he rots in the hell of his imagination...

Fucking evangelical asswipe...

The world is a sweeter place with him no longer living...

Fuck him...

[Douglas Carpenter]

31. I don't recall Rex Humbard being particularly political

And I found this comment about him in the NY Times coverage:

link: http://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/23/us/23humbard.html?_r=1&ref=us&oref=slogin

"Unlike Pat Robertson, the Rev. Jerry Falwell and other televangelists, Mr. Humbard avoided the political messages of the religious right. “For me to preach about the Vietnam War,” he said in the early ’70s, “would be like going to a blacksmith to get a tooth pulled.” If Jesus were preaching today, he said a decade later, “He would never get into politics.”

Don Humbard underscored that conviction. “Dad is strictly a minister,” he said last year, “and he always said, ‘I hate for politics to get into religion and for religion to get into politics.’ ” "


Being that he was not a political figure like some others, I really don't relate to the gloating over his death. After all I cannot imagine that many here would be gloating over the death of a prominent apolitical Islamic Imam or a prominent apolitical Orthodox Rabbi. Then again I don't usually gloat over deaths of people I really don't like. Maybe that's just one of my funny little ways.

And maybe I just have this weird ideal that if religious preachers of any sort are just carrying out their religious preaching and are not trying to seize state power....that's their own business. After all it's a free country, isn't it?

[Raine]

32. I was sure too that he wasn't

into politics. I don't get the gloating either, preachers seem to take a terrible "beating" here especially Christian ones. :-(

EDIT: Changed word.

[Douglas Carpenter]

36. yeah, I just don't understand that level of hostility at all

Whether its a bar, a porno store, a New Age center or God forbid -- a church. If they are minding their own business - let us mind our own business. If you don't believe in what they are doing and propagating - just don't go there and don't support it with your money. But I find the grave dancing just too much. What's the point?

[LanternWaste]

41. We are hostile to things we don't understand...

We are hostile to things we don't (or choose not to?) understand, I think.

[Thor_MN]

45. Could be that bars and porno stores don't have hour long TV programs hawking their wares.

Therefore not achieving the name recognition upon which the disdain might be heaped...

My sympathies to his family for their loss, but the same for a bar owner or porno store owner. They are very similar in fact, selling a product to those who feel a need or have a weakness for the product.

[mitchum]

56. Or that bars and porn stores get to participate in the tax dodge scam

a grifter is a grifter is a grifter

[Sarah Ibarruri]

46. People are going hungry, can't get health care, the rich are richer than ever....

.... and it couldn't have happened without the evangelical Protestant churches. They called for hating gays, for eliminating abortion, they took away our jobs, destroyed our unions, and it couldn't have happened without the evangelical Protestant churches.

Oh I can definitely understand more than just a little hostility towards it.

[Douglas Carpenter]

48. Rex Humbard was apolitical

and we can hardly blame Evangelical Protestants for all the evils of the world.. After all most black Evangelicals support the Democratic Party and are fairly progressive in their politics.

And the late Rev. Humbard almost never took positions one way or the other on any political issues.

"Unlike Pat Robertson, the Rev. Jerry Falwell and other televangelists, Mr. Humbard avoided the political messages of the religious right. “For me to preach about the Vietnam War,” he said in the early ’70s, “would be like going to a blacksmith to get a tooth pulled.” If Jesus were preaching today, he said a decade later, “He would never get into politics.”

Don Humbard underscored that conviction. “Dad is strictly a minister,” he said last year, “and he always said, ‘I hate for politics to get into religion and for religion to get into politics.’ ” "

link: http://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/23/us/23humbard.html?_r=2&ref=us&oref=slogin&oref=slogin

[Sarah Ibarruri]

52. Doesn't matter.

To give you extreme examples, it's like members of the Nazi Party that didn't actually gas people, or like being in a car with people that do a drive-by shooting. You may not be the one that pulled the switch or the trigger, but you sure were part of the group.

American Christianity either did harm, or said nothing while our rights were being taken. In fact, a large part of Christianity saw this union between Repugnicans and Christianity it as a great opportunity to proselytize and force the rest of the nation to live by some of the bizarre Christian ideas.

Proselytizing religions are very dangerous things. They'll do anything to force conversions.

[Douglas Carpenter]

53. Sorry, but I think you're engaging in prejudice

an apolitical religious person is no enemy

Like anyone else with any other trip. They have there ways. I have my ways. Live and let live.

[Sarah Ibarruri]

54. Well, everyone is entitled to their own opinion.....

I think a majority of American Christians saw the marriage between the GOP and Christianity as a boon to their religious desire to proselytize and force this country to adopt American Christian beliefs, particularly evangelical ones.

[Douglas Carpenter]

55. but Rex Humbard was very much against any marriage between politics and religion

And he said so very publicly. I would think that would almost make him an allie of those who support a separation between church and state.

The vast majority of Americans are at least somewhat religious, mostly Christian. And a good 30% to 40% are deeply religious - also mostly Christian.

They are not going to go away or cease believing in their religion. From my point of view, progressives should welcome those who support progressive beliefs. And we should seek no quarrel with those like the late Rev. Humbard who seek no quarrel with us.

[Sarah Ibarruri]

59. Then I stand corrected. Really tho, Christians have made a name for themselves in the U.S....

... and it's not a good one.

[noonwitch]

50. He always seemed like a kindly old man to me.

Didn't he play the piano or organ during his show? And he sometimes sang, too?


So much hate for an old man who never did anyone any harm.

[IndianaGreen]

33. Now that Rex Humbard knows that his faith was based on solid waste

I wonder if he regrets not choosing a different, more sensual path, for his life.

[John Kerry VonErich]

35. We are being too hard on Rex

He's actually the least crooked of the bunch. His TV show was taken off the air at his request during the famous Televangelists uprising when PTL was being investigated. Rex also presided Elvis Presley's funeral as well. Let's not gravedance on this one.

[Zorro]

42. Too hard on him? Not hardly

He's just another one in a long string of TV hucksters, grifters, and hypocrites that have infested AM Sunday television.

Taking listeners' contributions and investing them in a variety of businesses (including a girdle manufacturing company) instead of using it to attend to the needs of the poor demonstrates where his priorities were.

Whether he's a lesser evil than some of the other more notorious televangelists does not concern me; he's another one of that brood, and frankly I despise them all for their manipulation of their congregation.

[Clintonista2]

47. I'm sure he's in a very very very very very warm place right now

Along with the rest of the crew.

[AnneD]

51. I am saving my tears....

for Billy Graham.......he is the only one in that group of 'contemporaries' worth a plug nickel.