Biography
James Robison is the founder and president of LIFE Outreach International and the founder and publisher of The Stream (stream.org).
A Choice for Life
James’ early childhood fits the classic description of “dysfunctional.” In 1943, his mother was serving as a home health nurse, caring for an elderly man, when his alcoholic son raped her. She conceived her first and only child and sought an abortion, but a doctor with courage and compassion refused to abort the baby. On October 9, 1943, James was born in the charity ward of a Houston hospital. Feeling she could not properly provide for him, his 41-year-old mother placed a newspaper ad for a Christian couple to take care of him.
Rev. and Mrs. H.D. Hale answered that ad and raised James for the first five years of his life. Then, unexpectedly, when he was 5 years old, his mother came to get him and they lived in Austin for the next 10 years. During this time, while visiting the Hales, James, a shy 14-year-old, had a life-changing encounter with Christ. Not long after, James was given the opportunity to live with the Hales during his last two years of high school. Two significant milestones happened while James was living in Pasadena, Texas. First, he was called God to be an evangelist and began to preach as a teenager. Second, he met Betty Freeman, the love of his life, whom he married in 1963.
A Voice for the Gospel
Since 1968, James has presented the Gospel on television. In 1995, he and Betty launched the daily television program LIFE TODAY. Over the course of six decades, James has preached in over 600 citywide evangelistic crusades attended by more than 20 million people and has personally inspired religious, political, and social leaders. Although James set attendance records at coliseums and introduced countless people to Christ through his powerful sermons, sharing God’s love via the airwaves has a far greater reach. The LIFE TODAY TV program has millions of potential viewers worldwide, resulting in over 50,000 monthly calls to LIFE’s prayer center.
A Heart for Missions
James’ childhood experiences undoubtedly gave him a heart for the downtrodden. LIFE Outreach has a wide range of mission outreaches to those in need, both in the United States and in more than 40 countries worldwide. One of the ministry’s longest-running programs, Mission Feeding, has helped save the lives of more than 18 million children across Africa. More than 350,000 children are provided a daily nutritious meal. Mission:RescueLIFE seeks to reach, rescue, and restore girls and young children from the horrors of human trafficking. Since its launch in 2000, Water for LIFE has provided more than 7,700 wells in 30 nations, thanks to the help of LIFE’s supporters. And a favorite seasonal outreach, LIFE’s Christmas Shoe Project, begun in 2008, has provided more than 2.5 million pairs of shoes for children in need.
Streaming Truth
In 2015, James launched a rich source for breaking news, editorial commentary, inspiration, and cultural analysis. The Stream (stream.org) is designed to give people an “understanding of the times” so freedom will not “perish for lack of knowledge” of truth that transforms hearts and minds.
Published Books
James Robison has authored several books, including Living Amazed, The Stream, the New York Times bestseller Indivisible (with Jay W. Richards), God of All Creation (with James Randall Robison), Living in Love, The Absolutes, True Prosperity and A Dad’s Blessing. Fight the Good Fight (with Jay W. Richards) will be released in early 2024.
