Pat Robertson 1930-2023

I'm often asked "what was he like?" They are speaking of the man for whom I worked for almost two decades. Pat Robertson died today at the age of 93. He spent 60 years as CEO of the Christian Broadcasting Network and 58 of those years as the host of The 700 Club television show. He spent almost 20 years as my boss. No matter your political views and your media-influenced ideas of who he was, please offer me the respect of listening. I know who this man was. Let me tell you.

If there is any good in me it can be largely attributed to Dr. Robertson. I sat shoulder to shoulder with him at times, stood twenty feet from him, watched him when the public didn't see him. I listened, I took mental notes. So much of who I am was learned, observed and soaked into my DNA during the years I worked as a reporter and producer for CBN.

What is he like? I have watched him quietly give tens of thousands of dollars to people whose service to Christ he took note. I witnessed him give millions in charitable contributions to rebuild homes, communities and lives - with no credit given of the money's source. I learned to give. I stood in the background and watched him making earth-shifting decisions by bowing his head and saying "what is the right thing to do?" Those words are within the mission statement of my real estate team. I didn't know what a "voice over" was and lacked a college degree. He gave me a chance. That's why, today, I can do my radio ads in one "take." He taught me to always have a “Plan B.” When I was laid off from CBN in 1997 I had a real estate license in my back pocket. He took chances, he tried the untried, he put ideas on napkins. I am the entrepreneur I am today because he showed me that God entrusts ideas to those who are good stewards of them.

He made decisions by prayer, discernment and listening to God. I try to do the same.

What was he like? He could be harsh and demanding. He could be overly critical and direct. He was a Yale graduate, son of a Senator, smarter than all of us. Pre-internet he read two dozen news publications a day and God help the reporter who got a fact wrong. He wasn't comfortable around people. He liked the television camera better. He was a visionary in the purest sense: he headed for the goal without seeing the bodies trampled along the way. He was opinionated and hard to please. But warm and fuzzy rarely builds empires and perhaps this temperament was needed to change millions of lives - including this one.

One time I ran into USA Today syndicated columnist Cal Thomas in a hotel. He began criticizing Pat (bad move around me...) for "hearing God and being wrong half the time." I told Cal I would rather work for a man who listened and got it right half the time than a man who didn't listen at all.

Pat, thank you. I owe you so much. May God reward you, His good and faithful servant.