Televangelist Rex Humbard dies at 88

[Soldier4Christ]

Televangelist Rex Humbard dies at 88

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.

"He was the ultimate role model in showing love and caring about other people over and above himself," grandson Rex Humbard III 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.

"The vast majority of people do not go to church and the only way we can reach them is through TV," he said in his autobiographical book, "Miracles in My Life."

"We must go into their homes _ into their hearts _ to bring them the gospel of Jesus Christ."

His Sunday services were televised by 1953. He began with a renovated theater and eventually built the $4 million domed, 5,000-seat nondenominational Cathedral of Tomorrow, which included velvet drapes, a hydraulic stage and a cross covered with thousands of red, white and blue light bulbs.

His ministry eventually expanded to include a Mackinaw, Mich., campus used for religious education and a 23-story Akron office tower.

The broadcast, also called "Cathedral of Tomorrow," developed into a mixture of preaching and music, with Humbard's wife, Maude Aimee, an accomplished gospel singer, and the Cathedral Quartet as regular performers. The Humbards' children also performed.

One of Humbard's admirers was Elvis Presley, who often sang gospel music himself. Humbard spoke at his funeral in 1977.

By 1970, Humbard's syndicated program appeared on more TV stations in America than any other program and eventually reached more than 600 stations, according to the 1999 reference work "Religious Leaders of America."

By 1979, the show was broadcast in the United States, Canada, Europe, the Middle East, Far East, Australia and Latin America, giving it a worldwide reach greater than any of his competitors, the reference said.

However, mounting financial problems forced Humbard to leave one dream unfulfilled. Construction was never completed on a 750-foot broadcast tower in Cuyahoga Falls, between Akron and Cleveland.

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.

Humbard eventually left in 1982 and the congregation dwindled, sometimes with as few as 75 people showing up.

But his career was never touched by the sort of scandals that engulfed the Rev. James Bakker and the Rev. Jimmy Swaggart in the 1980s. For a time, Humbard was one of the ministers who served on the board of Bakker's PTL organization as it tried to regroup after Bakker resigned in early 1987 amid a sex scandal.

Humbard became pastor emeritus of the church in 1983 and moved his family ministry to Boca Raton. He gave up his weekend on-air preaching in the 1990s.

He sold the Cathedral of Tomorrow to fellow televangelist the Rev. Ernest Angley in 1994.

Humbard was born Alpha Rex Emmanuel Humbard on Aug. 13, 1919, in Little Rock, Ark., to Pentecostal evangelists. He and his wife married in 1942.

He grew up traveling with his parents to church revivals across the country and said he came to know God as a youngster while resisting an order from his father to learn to play the guitar in church.

"Then, one night, listening to a visiting evangelist preach, I knew God was speaking to me," Humbard said in his autobiography.

"I walked down the aisle and knelt at the altar and opened my heart to Jesus Christ. Light flooded my soul and I became a new person _ I really wanted to live for the Lord."

Humbard organized the family's revivals, doing advance work, handling business details, acting as master of ceremonies and eventually preaching.

"As Dad once said, `The more I preach, the more I want to preach,'" he said.

It was only after a decade of itinerant preaching, sometimes in huge revival tents, that Humbard decided in 1952 to settle in Akron. He and his wife had been impressed with the enthusiastic response they got in the city.

That year Humbard also saw one of the first television programs broadcast live in northeast Ohio- a Cleveland Indians-New York Yankees baseball game- through the window of a downtown department store. It inspired him to pursue his ministry through television.

Although he lacked formal seminary training, Humbard was ordained in Greenville, S.C., where the family had run a revival, and received credentials from an organization of independent Pentecostal ministers.

Humbard is survived by his wife and their four children, Rex Jr., Don, Charles and Elizabeth.

Funeral services will be held in Akron, where he will be buried near his parents and sister.

[ibTina]

Welcome HOME Brother Humbard!!!!

[Def]

pastor Roger why do you vomit the dirt on every body like that, he is not even cold yet.. you could not shoulder him he was a man and never spoke bad of any one...Rex Humbard was the first Evangelist  i ever heard and he touch my heart. were  i come from they did not speak about Jesus that way and i am sure that in heaven he will be looking down at you .Tina thank you .yes i love Jesus and Jesus love me the bible tell me so and Rex Humbard came into my kitchen in 1976 in Quebec now you do the same whitout saying gossip   He spoke about Jesus saving grace .and God will judge him not you..Bye bye Rex  Humbard I will see you soon, good and faithful servant of the living God.......In Jesus (+¸+) DEF

[Maryjane]

When God calls my number..and it's time to go..
I've made preperations..I want you to know..
I'll be in that number that meets in the air..
Make me a promise..
That you'll meet me there

When loved one are gathered with tears in their eyes..
I want to remind them..
I am not in this place..
I'm already living inside gloryland..
Make me a promise..
That you'll meet me there..
Make me a promise..
That we'll meet someday..
Where mansions are waiting in the land far away..
I want you to tell me..
So I'll know it's true..
Make me a promise that you'll be there too..

[Soldier4Christ]

pastor Roger why do you vomit the dirt on every body like that, he is not even cold yet.. you could not shoulder him he was a man and never spoke bad of any one...Rex Humbard was the first Evangelist  i ever heard and he touch my heart. were  i come from they did not speak about Jesus that way and i am sure that in heaven he will be looking down at you .Tina thank you .yes i love Jesus and Jesus love me the bible tell me so and Rex Humbard came into my kitchen in 1976 in Quebec now you do the same whitout saying gossip   He spoke about Jesus saving grace .and God will judge him not you..Bye bye Rex  Humbard I will see you soon, good and faithful servant of the living God.......In Jesus (+¸+) DEF

 

[MusicMedic5150]

Def... Pastor Roger was not attacking Mr. Humbard. I don't understand your post at all. Read the post again I think you misunderstood the whole thing.

[Shammu]

Def, all Pastor roger was doing is posting the news. Nothing more, then that sister.

[nChrist]

pastor Roger why do you vomit the dirt on every body like that, he is not even cold yet.. you could not shoulder him he was a man and never spoke bad of any one...Rex Humbard was the first Evangelist  i ever heard and he touch my heart. were  i come from they did not speak about Jesus that way and i am sure that in heaven he will be looking down at you .Tina thank you .yes i love Jesus and Jesus love me the bible tell me so and Rex Humbard came into my kitchen in 1976 in Quebec now you do the same whitout saying gossip   He spoke about Jesus saving grace .and God will judge him not you..Bye bye Rex  Humbard I will see you soon, good and faithful servant of the living God.......In Jesus (+¸+) DEF

Hello Sister Def,

I have no idea what you misunderstood, but you must have misunderstood something very badly. First, that was Christian news not written by Pastor Roger. If you click the news links for Christians Unite, you will find a big variety of good Christian news every day. I thought the article was very nice and involved considerable respect for Rex Humbard. It looked like a nice goodbye to an old and loved friend and was probably written by someone who loved him and cared about his ministry. I've looked, and I can't find what upset you. Maybe you misunderstood something in translating from English to French. Tell us what upset you and maybe we can help you understand.

Love In Christ,
Tom

   

[Def]

Hello Sister Def,

I have no idea what you misunderstood, but you must have misunderstood something very badly. First, that was Christian news not written by Pastor Roger. If you click the news links for Christians Unite, you will find a big variety of good Christian news every day. I thought the article was very nice and involved considerable respect for Rex Humbard. It looked like a nice goodbye to an old and loved friend and was probably written by someone who loved him and cared about his ministry. I've looked, and I can't find what upset you. Maybe you misunderstood something in translating from English to French. Tell us what upset you and maybe we can help you understand.

Love In Christ,
Tom

  

well I don't like name droppers unless you drop the name of Jesus..and Jesus said don't do as they do do as they say He dint not have to put the other names on that same page on  that day, Thank you Tom. for me It is case close Love in Jesus Def.

[Def]

Def, all Pastor roger was doing is posting the news. Nothing more, then that sister.

thank you DreamWeaver I understand but we all did in our lives very bad things and we must not compare when it comes to our actions for none is holy but God and Jesus paid the price for all by his precious blood. and as for the situation at hand i sincerely think that it was not the time to bring up or to compare him with other Christians mistakes cause we all made them.And that too is all to the glory of a Holy God and Father of all...personally for it was bad timing and it sounded like gossip specially when he mention the 4 million dollars Church we did not half to know that that day.and all the other name dropping..well i thank God for a brother like Rex Humbard..and Jimmy Swaggart and Tammy and her husband what came out of there mouth was of the Holy Spirit...the body means nothing the material means nothing
God use those Christians by the words of there mouth.the holy spirit spoke through them.well enough and thank you for being gentle with me.DreamWeaver and i love you in Jesus Def.byebye.

[Def]

Def... Pastor Roger was not attacking Mr. Humbard. I don't understand your post at all. Read the post again I think you misunderstood the whole thing.

thank you.don,t try to understand me ..try to understand the love of God he had so much for you He gave  you His Son that shed to the ground his Holy blood for you ..love in Jesus Def.