Robert Tilton

Robert Gibson Tilton (born June 7, 1946) is an American Televangelist that preaches the prosperity theology on his show Success-N-Life, running 1981–1993; 1997–present. His program was taken off of the air in 1993 as a result of ABC's two-year Primetime Live investigations into his ministry and fundraising practices in which he was exposed for exploiting and scamming vulnerable followers.

Success-N-Life
On Success-N-Life, Tilton daily taught that all of life's problems, especially that of poverty and illness, could be attributed to sin. Tilton's main role in his show and live sermons was stressing the importance of the viewers making "vows of faith", a.k.a large financial commitments to his ministry--claiming that, in return, God would reward them with material goods, money, or by healing. Tilton would specifically ask that people vow what they could not afford in the name of faith, stating that God would not be satisfied with the sacrifice any other way. Tilton would frequently name $1,000 vows being his preference, but would claim to receive "words of knowledge" that one individual must vow $5,000-$10,000, "prophesized" by listing illnesses and etc.

On one occasion, Tilton set aside a small fraction of the funds to take a trip to Madui, India, an impoverished city, to spread the word of God and perform miracle healings for five days. At the end of every show, he asked the audience for money.

Tilton would also perform faith healings through the television screen by either speaking in tongues or holding up a hand through which "the energy of God (would) flow" and (loudly) praying. Tilton essentially believed in screaming the demons away.

In the program's prime in 1991, the ministry was earning nearly $80 million per year through donations, completely tax free.

Scandal
(WORK IN PROGRESS)

The main focus and widespread discovery of the fundraising scandal was that surrounding the "prayer request forms."

Tilton created a service in which viewers in need could send the ministry a donation including a personal letter asking Tilton to pray for them.