Christian Broadcasting NetworkEdit
Christian Broadcasting Network (CBN) is a Protestant evangelical media ministry founded in 1960 by Pat Robertson. Based in Virginia Beach, Virginia, CBN operates a self-contained broadcast network, a news division known as CBN News, a charitable outreach arm called Operation Blessing, and a growing slate of online and international services designed to promote a biblical worldview in public life. Its flagship program, The 700 Club, has long combined religious programming, charitable drives, and commentary on cultural and political issues, making CBN a visible voice for many viewers who prioritize faith-informed perspectives on national affairs. Beyond the United States, CBN maintains international partnerships and bureaus, including CBN Asia and CBN Europe, through which it distributes religious programming, humanitarian aid coverage, and Bible-centered teaching to diverse audiences. The ministry emphasizes religious liberty, family values, and service to the vulnerable as its core mission, while also engaging in the political and cultural debates that shape public life in America and abroad.
History
Origins and early years
CBN began as a modest broadcast project under the leadership of Pat Robertson, seeking to bring Christian programming to a broader audience. The network’s early growth relied on a combination of faith-based programming, audience donations, and a growing sense that media could be used to shape public discourse in a manner consistent with biblical teaching. The launch of The 700 Club in the 1960s provided a permanent platform for religious talk, prayer, and outreach, helping to establish CBN as a recognizable brand among evangelical Christians and others seeking religiously informed commentary on current events.
Rise, expansion, and globalization
Over the decades, CBN expanded from a single program into a multi-faceted ministry with a television network, a news arm, disaster-relief operations, and international partnerships. The organization’s approach has combined spiritual programming with humanitarian outreach through Operation Blessing and a news service intended to report on world events through a Christian lens. CBN’s expansion included digital platforms, online streaming, and a growing presence in Regent University, a private Christian university affiliated with the ministry. The aim has been to provide accessible faith-based media that can influence families, churches, and public policy from a biblical perspective.
The digital era
In the internet era, CBN extended its reach through a robust online presence on cbn.com and through streaming services, social media, and mobile apps. This shift aligns with a broader industry trend toward multimedia ministry that seeks to reach people who consume content across screens and platforms, while maintaining a conservative, faith-centered editorial stance on news and culture. The organization continues to emphasize practical applications of faith for everyday life—home, work, education, and civic engagement—through its online channels and international bureaus, such as CBN Asia and CBN Europe.
Programming and content
News and public affairs
CBN News provides coverage of domestic and international events from an evangelical Christian perspective. The unit seeks to report on issues considered foundational to the ministry’s values, including religious liberty, moral and family issues, and public policy debates. As with many faith-based outlets, CBN News aims to blend journalism with the ministry’s ethical framework, arguing that policy outcomes should reflect certain biblical norms.
Religious programming and outreach
The hallmark of CBN’s television schedule is religious programming, including devotional content, Bible teaching, and family-oriented shows. The 700 Club remains a centerpiece, mixing personal testimony, charitable appeals, and commentary on culture, politics, and public policy. The network also features documentary projects and ministry-focused features designed to educate viewers about faith, social issues, and charitable initiatives that align with orthodox Christian teachings.
Education, youth, and culture
CBN publishes programming geared toward families and young viewers, promoting traditional moral values and faith-based perspectives on education, media, and civic life. Its content often emphasizes personal responsibility, charitable giving, and service to others, presenting these as practical expressions of faith in action.
Organization and funding
Leadership and governance
CBN operates as a ministry with a structure that includes a board and executive leadership overseeing its programming, humanitarian activities, and outreach initiatives. The organization’s leadership has historically drawn on experienced evangelical communicators and donors who support the mission of presenting a biblical worldview across media channels.
Funding model
A central feature of CBN’s operation is donor-supported funding. Viewers and supporters contribute through gifts to sustain programming, humanitarian work, and outreach efforts. In addition to direct donations, CBN’s affiliated entities, such as Operation Blessing, mobilize resources for relief and aid工作的, with the aim of demonstrating evangelical compassion in action alongside media ministry. The combination of charitable giving and programmatic content is presented as a means to both evangelize and serve communities in need.
Global reach and impact
International operations
CBN’s international footprint includes partnerships and bureaus that disseminate The 700 Club–style material and local-language content to audiences outside the United States. Through networks like CBN Asia and CBN Europe, the ministry seeks to appeal to diverse Christian communities, provide humanitarian reporting, and encourage local faith-based initiatives.
Philanthropy and outreach
The ministry’s charitable arm, Operation Blessing, engages in disaster relief, medical outreach, food security, and development projects around the world. Proponents argue that these efforts demonstrate the practical impact of evangelical faith, translating spiritual beliefs into tangible aid for the vulnerable. Critics may point to questions about the balance between charitable work and religious messaging, but supporters contend that the two wings reinforce one another in a holistic ministry of service and proclamation.
Controversies and debates
Political involvement and public policy
CBN and its leadership have been influential in American public life, particularly on issues such as religious liberty, abortion, family policy, and school curriculum. Pat Robertson and associated ministry leaders have used the platform to advocate for conservative policy positions and to support candidates aligned with a biblical worldview. This activity has sparked debate about the proper role of faith-based media in influencing public policy and the separation of church and state. Supporters argue that a faith-based perspective contributes positively to civic discourse and protects religious liberty, while critics contend that political advocacy by religious broadcasters can crowd out secular voices and blur lines between ministry and political campaigning.
Theology, culture, and social issues
CBN's programming reflects an orthodox evangelical approach to theology and social life, including positions on marriage, gender, sexuality, and family. Critics from secular or liberal perspectives argue that such stances can marginalize certain groups and resist cultural change. Proponents counter that religious belief entails moral judgments about public life and that upholding biblical morality is essential to preserving social stability and personal responsibility. The debate often centers on how to balance religious liberty with civil rights and how to treat dissenting viewpoints within a pluralistic society.
Fundraising, transparency, and accountability
As a large religious ministry funded by gifts from viewers and supporters, CBN faces the usual scrutiny associated with nonprofit and faith-based organizations. Critics may question fundraising practices or transparency, while supporters emphasize voluntary giving as a legitimate expression of faith and of commitment to the ministry’s mission. Advocates contend that faith-based media operate under different norms than secular media, with accountability rooted in doctrinal integrity and the fulfillment of stated charitable aims.
Woke criticisms and defenses
From a right-of-center perspective, critiques that portray faith-based media as inherently out of touch with modern society are sometimes seen as attempts to downplay the legitimate moral concerns raised by religious communities. Proponents argue that CBN’s platform offers a counterweight to secular narratives about family, religion, and public virtue, and that religious voices deserve a place in public conversation. They may dismiss criticisms as politically motivated attempts to silence or caricature religious beliefs, asserting that the defense of religious liberty and traditional moral norms is compatible with a healthy, pluralistic democracy.