The end of another career in televangelism appears imminent.
Robert G. Tilton has lost most of his church and television audience since a 1991 expose by ABC-TV’s “Prime Time Live.” On August 16, Tilton, 47, filed for divorce from his wife of 25 years. And next month, a $50 million lawsuit against the televangelist is scheduled for trial.
In connection with the lawsuit, Tilton is prepared to be jailed in order to protect the confidential names of his church members, says his attorney, J. C. Joyce.
Joyce says Tilton is refusing to release the names, addresses, and amounts of offerings given by members of his Word of Faith World Outreach Center Church in Farmers Branch, Texas. Norma Smith, 51, of Dallas, has filed a $50 million lawsuit, seeking the medical records of those who have claimed to be healed on Tilton’s “Success ’N Life” program. Smith accuses Tilton of causing her “intentional infliction of emotional distress” for mailings sent to her husband, Tommie, after his death. One letter promised an imminent “miracle day” for her deceased husband, the other requested he pay a pledge he allegedly made in December 1990—two months after he died.
Joyce says all dead Americans receive mail—from county tax bills to sweepstakes entry forms. He says there was no intention to harm Smith, because the church only corresponds with those who ask for help.
A state court of appeals, the Texas Supreme Court, and the U.S. Supreme Court all have declined to intervene in the dispute. Joyce, who has successfully delayed a state contempt of court ruling against Tilton, by claiming the judge is biased against his client, is surprised at a perceived lack of support from the Christian community. “The church is sticking its head in the sand, but it had better wake up. A pastor shouldn’t be subjected to being put in jail for protecting his church members.”
In another court matter, Tilton filed for divorce in Dallas the day after he asked his congregation to pray for his marital troubles. The petition says “the marriage has become insupportable because of discord or conflict of personalities.” No other reasons were cited by the ministry; spokesman Dan Moroso said, “It is unethical to talk about the personal and private lives of any church employees or pastors.”
Only two years ago Tilton was the largest buyer of television time among all TV preachers, says Ole Anthony, president of Trinity Foundation, a media watchdog group in Dallas. Anthony says Tilton was seen in all 235 U.S. markets, buying 5,000 hours of TV time each month.
But that did not translate into the biggest audience. According to religious-broadcasting analyst Steve Winzenburg of Grand View College in Des Moines, Tilton, at his zenith, had only 250,000 households tuned in and was but the thirteenth most-watched syndicated televangelist. The latest Arbitron ratings show Tilton has lost 85 percent of his national audience, and he now is seen in only 26 markets. Joyce testified at a court hearing that Tilton has lost 75 percent of his 8,000-member church.
Winzenburg says Tilton’s ratings nosedived while his financial appeals escalated following the “Prime Time Live” report. The show accused the TV preacher of throwing unread prayer requests into dumpsters once money had been removed from envelopes mailed to the ministry.
“He used to only ask for donations over $1,000, and he ridiculed those who didn’t have the ‘faith’ to send at least that much,” Winzenburg says. “Then he became desperate, begging for small donations.” He says Tilton spends 86 percent of air time in fundraising and promotion. Anthony estimates Tilton is taking in less than $25 million a year, down from $80 million.
By John W. Kennedy.
