(upbeat music)

- [Narrator] The year was 1960.

With little money and no experience,

Pat Robertson bought avacant television station

with one goal in mind:

to fulfill a vision from God.

To reach the world withthe gospel of Jesus Christ.

A vision that began with a signal

that barely made it around the block.

- I don't know if I was tenacious,

or didn't have any better sense,

or I trusted God,

but I, I felt this iswhat he wanted me to do.

- From that broadcast came the 700 Club,

a program that wouldshape Christian television

for the next half century.

(applause)

- Thank you!

Oh, we've got a wonderfulaudience and a wonderful program!

- Today, the 700 Club stands

as one of the longest runningprograms in TV history.

- Pat's life has touchedso many millions of people

with this power of God, the Gospel

of the Lord Jesus Christthat has transformed

and changed lives by the millions.

- As Pat's audiencegrew across the country.

He emerged as an influentialvoice for Christian values,

in the ever-changing moral, cultural,

and political landscapesin America and abroad.

But it was his bid

for the Republican nominationfor president in 1988,

that brought Christianconservatives out of their pews,

and changed the face of American politics.

- For the first time,

the world had to take the church seriously

in a way that heretofore,they had relegated us

over the stained glasswindow, the padded pews,

and said "Stay in your littlecorner and go no further."

- Pat's work and influence

has been felt beyond televisionministry and politics.

- Would you like me to pray for you?

- Inspired by God's Word,

Pat founded a humanitarian arm of CBN,

known today as OperationBlessing International.

- Thank you so much foreverything you're doing.

- Oh, bless your heart.

You know it's my privilege and joy.

- Since its inception in 1978,

Operation Blessing hasprovided food, medical care,

disaster relief, safe water,

and many other services tomore than 246 million people

in the U.S. and around the world.

That same year, Pat opened thedoors to Regent University,

to 70 students.

Now a global center forChristian thought and action,

the university offers morethan 100 degree programs

to over 10,000 students.

Pat has written more than 20 books,

won several prestigious awards,

and has been featured

on the New York Times Bestseller's List.

But more than the institutionsand accomplishments

Pat Robertson's profound, ongoing legacy

is the hundreds of millions of lives

that have changed through them.

- We have probably seenmore people come to the Lord

through CBN than any otherorganization in the world,

but it wasn't me.

It was God.