American media mogul, televangelist, and political commentator Pat Robertson has announced his departure from the role of host on the Christian news and TV program, "The 700 Club," which airs live weekdays on Freeform.
The 91 year old during the 60th anniversary of CBN's first broadcast said that he will be moving on to new projects. Taking the mantle as host is his son, Gordon Robertson.
"Today's show will be my final as host of The 700 Club," Robertson announced, as per CBN News. "My replacement will be my very capable son, Gordon, who will take over as full-time host of the program."
The media mogul's decision to step down from hosting "The 700 Club" after 60 years does not mean he will no longer be part of the show. In fact, beginning this month, Robertson will still appear on a monthly, interactive episode of the Christian news and talk show to answer emails from viewers and will remain available for occasional broadcast appearances as a senior consultant on international affairs.
Meanwhile, Robertson will also be focusing on teaching students at Regent University, a private Christian university in Virginia Beach, Virginia that he founded in 1977. He expressed his excitement in devoting himself full-time to helping train and equip more than 11,000 students at Regent University to become "Christian Leaders to Change the World."
Robertson's work with the Christian Broadcasting Network's flagship program involved sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ will millions of viewers across the country and in other countries as well where episodes of the daily show were aired. With inspiring testimonies of the Holy Spirit's power and stories of the lives touched by the generosity of CBN partners, the show also brought about a sense of community with its aid for others in need and disaster relief efforts.
"'Good and faithful' doesn't even begin to describe my father's service to CBN for 60 years. His legacy and the example of his prayer life will continue to lead The 700 Club in the years to come," Gordon said of his father.
The younger Robertson, who is now 63, is a Yale graduate and former estate lawyer who has served as executive producer of "The 700 Club" for 20 years now. He added, "The best part is, he is just going across the street to Regent University and will be on The 700 Club regularly in the future."
For John C. Green, an emeritus political science professor at The University of Akron, Robertson has had "an enormous impact on both American religion and American politics." He told the Associated Press, "Here's a well educated person having sophisticated conversations with a wide variety of guests on a wide variety of topics. It was with a religious inflection to be sure. But it was an approach that took up everyday concerns."
Robertson's close ties to politics was due to the fact that his father was Absalom Willis Robertson, a Democratic Representative from Virginia. The CBN founder even ran for president in 1988. In finding his true calling with CBN, he went on to attract a large audience and feature several U.S. presidents as guests, including Democrat Jimmy Carter and Republicans Ronald Reagan and Donald Trump.
"[Robertson] opened up a path that many people have followed," Green explained. "Surveys show that lots and lots of people view - in one format or another - religious broadcasting these days. But in politics, I think what he did was help cement the alliance between conservative Christians and the Republican Party."
