FAITH HEALING and its history quickly came to mind with last December’s news of the death of Oral Roberts, the legendary minister whose early beginnings were tied to radio broadcasts and to claims of healing by faith, generally spoken of then as “laying on of hands.”

That Roberts rose to great heights in his 91 years of life considering he began in times of general disdain for most faith healing claims and for preachers who used the airwaves to solicit financial support for their ministries, is miraculous in and of itself.

Roberts gained acclaim and acceptance despite strong public opinion tied to some fairly obvious phony claims from other faith-healer radio broadcasts and from traveling tent revivals with a propensity to prey upon poor people, particularly in small towns in rural America, who had little education and less hope. The 1960 movie Elmer Gantry, based on a Sinclair Lewis novel, didn’t help faith-healers. Gantry, a drunken, dishonest street preacher who latched on with a traveling tent revival, was portrayed by Burt Lancaster.

FAITH HEALERS were held in low esteem in my 1950s teenage mind because of an incident that occurred with some octogenarian great-grandparents. Great-grandfather had fallen out of a hayloft at age 20 and injured his spine. He walked with the aid of a cane and had slurred, halting speech the rest of his life. He and great-grandmother had great faith and never missed church unless one was ill.

A man and woman, posing as faith healers, came to the great-grandparents’ rural Freestone County home (in the community of Luna, which no longer exists) one day and said they could heal him. As those two old folks knelt for him to receive the “healing,” the “healers” suggested they were in financial need and could there be a “love offering.” Great-grandmother went into the bedroom and got some cash from, where else, under the mattress. Upon her return and the “offering,” both were asked to kneel and close their eyes to receive the “laying on of hands.” As they did that, the woman went into the bedroom and removed all of the meager cash stash.

AFTER completion of the “healing prayer,” which the couple assured would be effective within a few hours, the “healers” left.

Upon learning of the healing scam, I spent the next 24 hours driving over Freestone County and every abutting county in search of the couple. Great-grandmother had given a very good description of them and their car to the county sheriff and to me. I had no idea what I would do if I’d found the “healers” and I probably should be thankful I didn’t. It was just beyond my comprehension how someone could do such a despicable thing to two such great old folks.

However, I did get past my blanket indictment of faith healers and Roberts got past being strictly a faith healer and built a great reputation as a minister. His ministry grew and among his more notable accomplishments was the establishment of Oral Roberts University in Oklahoma.

Upon his death, such well-known evangelical ministers as Billy Graham and Joel Osteen had praise for Roberts and his ministry.

And, in the community of Luna, people always held him in high regard as noted by another Luna octogenarian, “Uncle” Edward Ezell, who wrote a weekly Luna news column for our hometown newspaper. The column always began the same way: “Well, I just finished listening to a mighty fine sermon on the radio by Brother Oral Roberts, so now I will lay down pencil and paper and go gather the news.”

THAT MEANT that “Uncle” Edward would walk around the Luna Community that afternoon, going to each home to see who might’ve “motored to Waco to shop” or who was “on the puny list.” The Luna news correspondent might also recommend communicating with “Bro. Roberts and seeking his prayers.”

While few might actually endorse the “laying on of hands,” anyone who was raised in rural, fundamentalist climes such as are abundant in our state, would never doubt the power of prayer. And, most would agree that Oral Roberts built a great legacy.

Willis Webb is a retired community newspaper editor-publisher. He can be reached by email at wwebb@wwildblue.net.