City of Faith Medical and Research Center

City of Faith Medical and Research Center was a hospital and research facility in Tulsa, Oklahoma, founded by Oral Roberts, a prominent Christian evangelist and founder of Oral Roberts University. The center was part of Roberts' vision to combine healing through faith, medicine, and research. It opened its doors in 1981 but closed in 1989 due to financial difficulties.

History

The City of Faith Medical and Research Center was envisioned by Oral Roberts in the 1970s as a place where the healing power of prayer and medical science would work together. The project was ambitious, aiming to integrate a state-of-the-art hospital with a medical school and research facilities. The center was constructed adjacent to the Oral Roberts University campus in Tulsa, Oklahoma, symbolizing the close relationship between the university's medical school and the hospital.

Despite the innovative concept, the City of Faith faced significant challenges from the start. The cost of constructing the facility was immense, and the center struggled to attract enough patients and medical staff. The hospital's reliance on donations and the financial model, which included expectations of divine intervention, proved unsustainable in the long run.

In 1989, after years of financial struggles, the City of Faith Medical and Research Center was forced to close. The closure marked the end of Oral Roberts' vision of a faith-based medical facility. The buildings that once housed the hospital and research center have since been repurposed for other uses.

Facilities

The City of Faith Medical and Research Center was notable for its impressive architecture, including a 60-story tower that was among the tallest buildings in Tulsa at the time. The facility was designed to house a 777-bed hospital, medical school, and research laboratories. The number 777 was symbolically chosen to contrast with the number 666, associated with the Book of Revelation in the Bible.

Legacy

The legacy of the City of Faith Medical and Research Center is mixed. On one hand, it represented an innovative attempt to integrate faith and medicine, inspiring similar efforts elsewhere. On the other hand, its closure highlighted the difficulties of sustaining such a model financially. Today, the story of the City of Faith serves as a case study in the challenges of integrating religious beliefs with medical and scientific endeavors.

See Also

• Oral Roberts University
• Healthcare in the United States
• Faith healing