Peter Popoff (born July 2, 1946) is a German-born American. He claims to be a
faith healerFaith Healer is a play by Brian Friel about the life of faith healer Francis Hardy as monologued through the shifting memories of Hardy, his wife, Grace, and stage manager, Teddy.-Synopsis:...
, and performs revival meetings on national television which include
laying on of handsThe laying on of hands is a religious practice found throughout the world in varying forms. In Christian churches, this practice is used as both a symbolic and formal method of invoking the Holy Spirit during baptisms, healing services, blessings, and ordination of priests, ministers, elders,...
. His ministry is based in
Upland, CaliforniaUpland is a city in San Bernardino County, California with an elevation of . As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 68,393. It was incorporated on May 15, 1906, after previously being named North Ontario.-History and culture:...
, and is funded through donations. A widely popular minister in the 1980s, he went bankrupt in 1987 after skeptics
James RandiJames Randi is a stage magician and scientific skeptic best known as a challenger of paranormal claims and pseudoscience. Randi is the founder of the James Randi Educational Foundation...
and
Steve ShawBanachek is an American mentalist. Banachek has written books on mentalism, such as Psychological Subtleties, and invented various magic and mentalism effects, including the Penn & Teller bullet catch and the original "buried alive."-Biography:Born in England and raised in South Africa and...
exposed his method of receiving information about revival attendees from his wife via an in-ear receiver. He has since returned to his ministry.
Early life and career
Popoff was born in Germany. In a message entitled "10,000 Miles of Miracles", Popoff claimed he had been born in "the bomb shelters of
BerlinBerlin is the capital city and one of sixteen states of Germany. With a population of 3.4 million within its city limits, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city and the eighth most populous urban area in the European Union...
at the end of
World War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including all great powers, organized into two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
". Other sources indicate he was born in
HamburgHamburg is the second-largest city in Germany and the sixth-largest city in the European Union...
in 1946.
During his appearances at church conventions in the 1970s, Popoff routinely and accurately stated the home addresses and specific illnesses of his audience members, a feat he allowed them to believe was due to divine
revelationIn religion and theology, revelation is the revealing or disclosing, or making something obvious and clearly understood through active or passive communication with supernatural entities . It is believed that revelation can originate directly from a deity, or through an agent, such as an angel...
and "
GodGod is a deity in theistic and deistic religions and other belief systems, representing either the sole deity in monotheism, or a principal deity in polytheism....
given ability". In 1986 when members of CSICOP reported that Popoff was using a radio to receive messages, Popoff denied it and said the messages came from God. At the time of his popularity, skeptic groups across the United States printed and handed out pamphlets explaining how Popoff's feats could be done. Popoff would tell his audience that the pamphlets were "tools of the
devilThe Devil is believed in certain religions and folklore to be a powerful, supernatural entity that is the personification of evil and the enemy of God and humankind. The Devil is commonly associated with heretics, infidels, and other unbelievers...
".
Randi controversy
Popoff's earlier claims were
debunkedA debunker is an individual who discredits and exposes claims as being false, exaggerated or pretentious. The term is closely associated with skeptical investigation of topics such as U.F.O.s, claimed paranormal phenomena, conspiracy theories, alternative medicine, religion, research outside...
in 1983 when noted skeptic James Randi and his assistant, Steve Shaw, researched Popoff by attending shows across the country for months. They discovered that radio transmissions were being sent by Peter's wife, Elizabeth Popoff, where she was reading information which she and her aides (Volmer Thrane, the brother of his manager Nancy Thrane, and Reeford Sherrill) had gathered from earlier conversations with members of the audience. Popoff would simply listen to these promptings with his in-ear receiver and repeat what he heard to the crowd. After tapes of these transmissions were played on
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny CarsonThe Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson is a late-night talk show hosted by Johnny Carson under the Tonight Show franchise from 1962 to 1992....
, Popoff's popularity and viewing audiences declined sharply, and his ministry declared
bankruptcyBankruptcy is a legally declared inability or impairment of ability of an individual or organization to pay its creditors. Creditors may file a bankruptcy petition against a debtor in an effort to recoup a portion of what they are owed or initiate a restructuring...
later that year. In September 1987, sixteen months after the Carson airing, Popoff declared bankruptcy with more than 790 creditors having claims against him.
As Randi explained in
The Faith HealersThe Faith Healers is a 1987 book by magician and skeptic James Randi with a foreword by Carl Sagan, that documents Randi's exploration of the world of faith healing, and his exposing the sleight of hand trickery and deceit by its practitioners....
, he originally took his research to the
United States AttorneyUnited States Attorneys represent the United States federal government in United States district court and United States court of appeals. There are 93 U.S. Attorneys stationed throughout the United States, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, and the Northern Mariana Islands...
's office, but never heard back from them. This led Randi's friend
Johnny CarsonJohn William “Johnny” Carson was an American television host and comedian, known as host of The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson for 30 years . Carson received six Emmy Awards including the Governor Award and a 1985 Peabody Award; he was inducted into the Television Academy Hall of Fame in 1987...
to invite Randi on the show to explain how Popoff operated. Popoff at first denied that he used the tactics Randi claimed, even asserting "
NBCThe National Broadcasting Company is an American television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices in Burbank,California...
hired an actress to impersonate Mrs. Popoff on a 'doctored' videotape." However, as the media pressed with more questions, "on day three Reverend Popoff admitted the existence of the radio device, claiming, that 'almost everybody' knew about the 'communicator.' And, he added, 'My wife
occasionally gives me the name of a person who needs special prayers'." However, Randi appeared on
CNNCable News Network, almost always referred to by its initialism CNN, is an U.S. cable news network founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. Upon its launch, CNN was the first network to provide 24-hour television news coverage, and the first all-news television network in the United States...
previous to this claiming Popoff used a transmitter, but Popoff said this was false and he got the information from God.
Popoff's shows also featured audience members who were brought on stage in wheelchairs and then rose dramatically to walk without support. Two in particular were celebrities Kyle Ellsworth and Petrina Dy. These were some of Popoff's most incredible "healings", but what believing audience members and television viewers did not know was that wheelchairs were used by Popoff to seat people who were already able to walk.
Popoff wrote several paperbacks in the early 1980s that were published by Faith Messenger Publications but are now out of print. He was also known for collecting donations to be sent to the
Soviet UnionThe Union of Soviet Socialist Republics was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. The name is a translation of the , tr. Soyuz Sovetskikh Sotsialisticheskikh Respublik, abbreviated СССР, SSSR. The common short name is Soviet Union, from , Sovetskiy Soyuz...
, which earned him a profit from a fraud scheme.
In 1991,
NOVANova is a popular science television series from the U.S. produced by WGBH Boston. It can be seen on the Public Broadcasting Service in the United States, and in more than 100 other countries...
's episode
Secrets of the PsychicsSecrets of the Psychics was a PBS NOVA episode following James Randi's work. Also appearing in stock footage are Peter Popoff, Uri Geller, and many others....
aired footage of Popoff with his wife's radio transmission dubbed in. Since then, that episode was released on video to teach critical thinking.
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/teachers/programs/2012_psychics.html
Resurgence
In 1998,
The Washington PostThe Washington Post is the newspaper with the largest circulation in Washington, D.C. and is the city's oldest paper, founded in 1877. Being located in the nation's capital, it has a particular emphasis on national politics and international affairs...
reported that Popoff's following disappeared after he was exposed by Randi, but Popoff "joined dozens of other preachers to become fixtures on
BETBlack Entertainment Television is an American cable network based in Washington D.C., and targets young African-American audiences in the United States. Robert L. Johnson founded the network in 1980...
." Consequently, Popoff, along with
Don StewartDon Stewart is a Pentecostal minister and faith healer. He is a televangelist who hosts "Power and Mercy" on Black Entertainment Television, The Word Network, and other television channels. He is the successor to the late A.A...
and
Robert TiltonRobert Tilton is an American televangelist who achieved notoriety in the 1980s and early 1990s through his paid television program Success-N-Life. At its peak it aired in all 235 American TV markets...
, received "criticism from those who say that preachers with a long trail of disillusioned followers have no place on a network that holds itself out as a model of entrepreneurship for the black community." Currently Popoff's infomercials can be seen late nights and early mornings in the U.S. and
CanadaCanada is a country occupying most of northern North America, extending from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
on
BETBlack Entertainment Television is an American cable network based in Washington D.C., and targets young African-American audiences in the United States. Robert L. Johnson founded the network in 1980...
, The Travel Channel, The Learning Channel (TLC), Global Television, TV One, The Word Network and
Vision TVVisionTV is a Canadian English language cable television specialty channel that airs multi-faith and multicultural programming.VisionTV is owned by S-VOX, a not-for-profit charitable organization...
. This includes television in Australia on
NineThe Nine Network, or Channel Nine, is an Australian television network based in Willoughby, a suburb on the North Shore of Sydney. For nearly 40 years between 1956 and 2005, it was the most watched television network in Australia...
, in the United States, United Kingdom, and New Zealand.
A 2006 report from
FoxThe Fox Broadcasting Company , commonly referred to as Fox , is an American television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, from 2004 to 2009 Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the 18–49 demographic...
affiliate
WDAF-TVWDAF-TV is the Fox affiliated television station serving the Kansas City, Missouri-Kansas designated market area. The station is owned by Local TV LLC, the media arm of private equity firm Oak Hill Capital Partners. Its studios and transmitter are located in the Signal Hill neighborhood of Kansas...
in
Kansas CityThe Kansas City Metropolitan Area is a fifteen-county metropolitan area straddling the border between the states of Missouri and Kansas that is anchored by Kansas City, Missouri. In 2008, it was estimated to have a population numbering just over 2 million...
revealed that Popoff's salary in 2004 was over $500,000, and his assets include a 2006
PorschePorsche SE is a German automotive manufacturer of luxury high performance automobiles, which is majority-owned by the Piëch and Porsche families. Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG , often shortened to Porsche AG, is responsible and manufacturer of the Porsche automobile line...
convertible worth $90,000. Some reporters are urging those who have donated money to Popoff in hopes of receiving "
miracleA miracle is a perceptible interruption of the laws of nature, such that can be attempted to be explained by divine intervention, and is sometimes associated with a miracle worker. Many folktales, religious texts, and people claim various events they refer to as "miraculous". People in different...
s" to report to the
Attorney GeneralIn most common law jurisdictions, the attorney general, or attorney-general, is the main legal advisor to the government, and in some jurisdictions he or she may in addition have executive responsibility for law enforcement or responsibility for public prosecutions.-Usage:The term has traditionally...
in their state. In 2005,
KPRC-TVKPRC-TV is the NBC television affiliate in Houston, Texas, owned and operated by Post-Newsweek Stations, a subsidiary of the Washington Post Company.The station operates on digital channel 35, but its PSIP virtual channel is 2...
brought hidden cameras to a "People United For Christ" event and were caught by Popoff's bodyguards and escorted out as one man tried to take a reporter's driver's license.
In February 2007,
Inside EditionInside Edition is a syndicated news program, on the air since January 9, 1989. It was originally similar to the programs Hard Copy and A Current Affair, but now more closely resembles Entertainment Tonight or The Insider. It was created by John Tomlin and Bob Young for King World Productions Inside...
did an exposé on his continued faith healing and "Miracle Spring Water." The show explained that his new television programs feature him "healing the sick" in a manner identical to his method prior to James Randi's exposé. The investigation led by Matt Meagher featured clips from the infamous Carson show, an interview with Randi, and
Inside Edition seeking comment from Popoff. Meagher confronted Popoff as he got into his Porsche, but was smashed as Popoff attempted to shut the door of the car against him. Asking Popoff why he took thousands of dollars from a desperate married couple, Popoff refused to answer questions and declined to be interviewed. The interview ended with Randi saying "flim flam is his profession; that's what he does best. He's very good at it, and naturally he's going to go back to it."
In May 2007,
ABCThe American Broadcasting Company is an American television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. It first broadcast on television in 1948...
's
20/2020/20 is an American "television newsmagazine", , broadcast on ABC since June 6, 1978. Created by ABC News executive Roone Arledge, the show was designed similarly to CBS's 60 Minutes but focuses more on human interest stories than international and political subjects...
focused on Popoff's "comeback" and explored the lives of a few people who felt cheated. Various media outlets have ran stories critical of Popoff's "comeback". In July 2008, a Nanaimo,
CanadaCanada is a country occupying most of northern North America, extending from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
resident was reimbursed by Popoff after the woman took her concerns over his fundraising public.
In 2008, the UK broadcasting regulator
OfcomThe Office of Communications or, as it is more often known, Ofcom, is the independent regulator and competition authority for the communication industries in the United Kingdom. Ofcom was initially established in the enabling device, the , but received its full authority from the Communications...
has given serious warnings to broadcasters for transmitting Popoff's material, which the regulator felt promoted his products "in such a way as to target potential susceptible and vulnerable viewers". These programs have included offers of free "Miracle Manna" that can allegedly provide health and financial miracles. If viewers asked for the "manna", they were sent letters asking for money.
In 2009, advertisements appeared in the UK press offering a free cross which contained "blessed water" and "holy sand". The blessed water was supposedly from a source near
ChernobylChornobyl , orChernobyl , is a city in northern Ukraine, in Kiev Oblast , near the border with Belarus. It is twinned with Larne, in Ireland....
(the site of a nuclear accident). Animals drinking from this source were purportedly free from any radiation sickness. The cross also bore the inscription 'Jerusalem'. The usual requests for money accompanied the cross and follow-up requests for money from Popoff were also sent out.
Financial details
At Popoff's peak in 1987, according to his
comptrollerA comptroller or controller is a person who supervises accounting and financial reporting within an organization. A controller is an accountant in a business who oversees accounting and the implementation and monitoring of internal controls...
, he took in $4.3 million a month. After his exposure on the
Tonight show he declared bankruptcy in 1987.
According to
Charity NavigatorCharity Navigator is an independent, non-profit organization that evaluates American charities. Its stated goal is "to advance a more efficient and responsive philanthropic marketplace by evaluating the financial health of America's largest charities."-About:...
, in FYE 2004, Peter Popoff received $548,167 as president of his organization and the Peter Popoff Ministries raised $16,220,066 in revenue in FYE 2004. Then in FYE 2005, Popoff received $628,732, his wife Elizabeth received $203,029, his son received $182,166, and daughter received $176,290 with $23,556,469 in revenue. These figures are from IRS documents, which "only outline the millions of dollars people give Popoff's organization in the US."
Publications
- 3 Steps to Answered Prayer. Faith Messenger Publications (1981) ISBN 0938544101 (91 pages)
- Calamities, Catastrophes, and Chaos. Faith Messenger Publications (1980) ISBN 0938544012
- Dreams: God's Language for Life More Abundantly. Publisher: People United For Christ (1989)ASIN: B000NSMW2S (88 pages)
- Forecasts for 1987. (1984) ASIN: B000B8K0MY (33 page booklet)
- God Has Promised You Divine Wealth
- God's Abundant Blessings
- Prosperity Thinking
- Releasing the Power of the Holy Spirit in Your Life
- Guaranteed Answered Prayer
- Demons At Your Doorstep. Faith Messenger Pubns (May 1982) ISBN 0938544136 (50 pages)
- Six Things Satan Uses to Rob You of Gods Abundant Blessings. Faith Messenger Pubns (April 1982) ISBN 093854411X (93 pages)
See also
- Christian evangelist scandals
- Leap of Faith
Leap of Faith is a 1992 American dramedy film, directed by Richard Pearce and starring Steve Martin, Liam Neeson and Debra Winger. The film is about Jonas Nightengale, a fraudulent Christian faith healer who uses his revival meetings, in Rustwater, Kansas, to milk believers out of their...
, a 1992 Steve MartinStephen Glenn "Steve" Martin is an American actor, comedian, writer, playwright, producer, musician, and composer. He was raised in Southern California in a Baptist family, where his early influences were working at Disneyland and Knott's Berry Farm and working magic and comedy acts at these and...
movie about a faith healer who uses many of the techniques used by Popoff.
External links
Official and critical
Media