Robert Tilton

==''Success-N-Life''==
On ''Success-N-Life'', Tilton regularly taught that all of life's trials, especially poverty, were a result of [[sin]]. His message consisted mainly of impressing upon viewers the importance of making "vows"—financial commitments to Tilton's ministry. His preferred vow, stressed frequently on his broadcasts, was $1,000.<ref>{{Citation|last=SacrifyX|title=Robert Tilton Needs Your Money More Than You Do|date=June 3, 2014|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Unhqk-sAtZ4 |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211221/Unhqk-sAtZ4 |archive-date=2021-12-21 |url-status=live|access-date=May 1, 2019}}{{cbignore}}</ref> Occasionally, Tilton would claim to have received a [[word of knowledge]] for someone to give a vow of $5,000 or even $10,000. When a person made a vow to Tilton, he preached that God would recognize the vow and reward the donor with vast material riches.<ref name="cephas_second_coming">[http://www.cephasministry.com/evangelists_second_coming_tilton.html "Second Coming: A Jet-Settin', Scotch-Sippin' Robert Tilton Washes Up in South Florida and He Still Wants Your Money"], Sean Rowe, ''[[Dallas Observer]]'', quoted by Cephas Ministries, retrieved June 11, 2006.</ref> The show also ran "testimonials" of viewers who gave to Tilton's ministry and reportedly received miracles in return, a practice that would be used as the basis for a later lawsuit from donors charging Tilton's ministry with [[fraud]].<ref name="cbs">''CBS Evening News with Connie Chung'', CBS, first broadcast April 22, 1994; as compiled on ''The Prophet of Prosperity: Robert Tilton and the Gospel of Greed'', DVD produced by The Trinity Foundation, publication date not specified.</ref>

A ''[[Dallas Morning News]]'' story published in 1992 observed that Tilton spent more than 84% of his show's airtime for fundraising and promotions, a total higher than the 22% for an average commercial television show;<ref name="dalmornnews">"TV Preachers Seen as 'Beggars': Public Dislikes Evangelists' Onscreen Methods", ''Dallas Morning News'', first published on November 21, 1992; quoted in ''Christianity in Crisis'' by Hank Hanegraaff, Harvest House Publishers, 1993, p. 348.</ref> other sources put the total fundraising time during episodes of ''Success-N-Life'' closer to 68%.<ref name="television_ministries">{{cite web|url=http://www.cephasministry.com/television_ministries.html|title=A Myth Shattered: New Report Shows Christian TV Ministries Not Focused on Money|access-date=April 15, 2017}}</ref> Some of Tilton's fundraising letters were written by [[Gene Ewing]], the head of a multimillion-dollar [[marketing]] empire writing donation letters for other televangelists like [[W.&nbsp;V. Grant]] and [[Don Stewart (preacher)|Don Stewart]].<ref name="millions">{{cite news | url=http://docs.newsbank.com/g/GooglePM/DM/lib00376,0ED3D68534F95845.html | title=Mailbox ministry: Direct-market evangelist brings in millions lawyer says it all goes back into his mission | publisher=[[Dallas Morning News]] |date=March 10, 1996| first= Howard| last=  Swindle| access-date =May 17, 2007}}</ref>

As a result of Tilton's television success, Word of Faith Family Church grew to become a [[megachurch]], with 8,000 members at its height.<ref name="prosperity" /> Tilton also wrote several [[self help]] books about financial success, including ''The Power to Create Wealth'', ''God's Laws of Success'', ''How to Pay Your Bills Supernaturally'', and ''How to be Rich and Have Everything You Ever Wanted''. Most of his books were published in the 1980s and distributed via promotion on ''Success-N-Life'' and through the many mailings Tilton's ministry sent his followers. The books were republished in the late 1990s to be used as centerpieces of his 1997 infomercial series and are now promoted on his current ({{as of|2010|lc=yes}}) daily live internet broadcast.<ref name="sil">[http://www.roberttiltonlive.com/home.html ''Success-N-Life''] home page, retrieved March 3, 2009.</ref>
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