Peter Popoff

Peter Popoff (born 1946) is a German-born U.S. televangelist known as a faith healer. He performs crusade services (revival meetings) on national television which include laying on of hands. His ministry is based in Upland, California, and is funded through donations. A widely popular minister in the 1980s, he went bankrupt in 1987 after James Randi and Steve Shaw debunked his methods by showing that instead of receiving information about audience members from supernatural sources, he received it through an in-ear receiver.^[1]

Early career

At appearances in the 1980s ministry conventions, 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 revelation and "God given ability".^[2] 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.^[1] Popoff would tell his audience that the pamphlets were tools of the "devil".^[1]

These claims were debunked in 1987 when noted skeptic James Randi and his assistant, Steve Shaw, researched Popoff by attending shows across the country for months. They discovered radio transmissions being sent by Peter's wife, Elizabeth Popoff, reading information which she and her aides (Volmer Thrane, the brother of his manager Nancy Thrane, and Reeford Sherrill) had gathered from earlier conversation 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 Carson, Popoff's popularity and viewing audiences declined sharply, and his ministry declared bankruptcy later that year.^[1]

As Randi explained in The Faith Healers, he originally took his research to the United States Attorney's office, but never heard back.^[1] This led Randi's friend Johnny Carson to invite Randi on the show to explain how Popoff operated. Popoff at first denied that he used the tactics Randi claimed even asserting "NBC hired an actress to impersonate Mrs. Popoff on a 'doctored' videotape."^[1] 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'."^[1] However, Randi appeared on CNN previous to this claiming Popoff used a transmitter, but Popoff said this was false and he got the information from God.^[1]

Popoff's shows also featured audience members who were brought on stage in wheelchairs and then rose dramatically to walk without support. These were some of Popoff's most incredible "healings," but what believing audience members and television viewers did not know is that wheelchairs were used by Popoff to seat people who were already able to walk.^[3]

Popoff wrote several paperbacks in the early 1980s that were published by Faith Messenger Publications but are now out of print.^[4] He is also known for collecting donations to send to the Soviet Union, which earned him a profit from a fraud scheme.^[1]

In 1991 NOVA's episode Secrets of the Psychics aired footage of Popoff with his wife's radio transmission dubbed in. Since then, that episode was released on video to teach critical thinking.[1]

Current activities

Peter Popoff's 12/2006 infomercial about "Miracle Spring Water"

As of 2005 Popoff's infomercials can be seen late nights and early mornings on the Travel Channel, BET, Vision TV, and Comedy Central.^[5] He is also once again buying time on selected local stations in the U.S.^[6]

Popoff's miracle water and a copy of James Randi's book The Faith Healers, which details Popoff's activities.

Since his return to television, there have been several reports of Popoff gaining financially from donations. Some people have received several letters from Popoff, with each succeeding letter asking for more money than the last. A recent report from Fox affiliate WDAF-TV in Kansas City revealed that Popoff's salary in 2004 was over $500,000, and his assets include a 2006 Porsche convertible worth $90,000. Some reporters are urging those who have donated money to Popoff in hopes of receiving "miracles" to report to the Attorney General in their state.^[2]

In February 2007 Inside Edition did an exposé on his continued faith healing and "Miracle Spring Water." The show explained 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.^[7] Meagher confronted Popoff as he got into his $100,000 silver Porsche, turning his back to the camera Popoff shut his car door smashing Meagher.^[7] 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."^[7]

In May 2007 ABC's 20/20 focused on Popoff's "comeback" and explored the lives of a few people who felt cheated.^[8]

As of 2007, Popoff's program is broadcast on Network Ten in Australia.

Prosperity theology

Peter Popoff's "Prayer Mantle" and prayer card.

Popoff appears on late-night U.S. television as a Pentecostal healing evangelist and also in infomercials. He has promoted his "Miracle Spring Water" as a "point of contact" for divine healing. He has also preached a form of prosperity theology under the slogan "Go into business with God", claiming that God will make "divine transfers" into a viewer's "divine account". One infomercial states, "A divine transfer is a supernatural event. This is not money you're going to make from your job... God is going to supernaturally put money into your account."

Within four weeks of submitting one's address to Popoff's automated phone service, subscribers receive in the mail from Popoff (now calling himself "Prophet Peter Popoff") a three-page essay filled with elaborate biblical language and red-ink imitation handwriting. Instead of the promised "Miracle Water", included is a tiny plastic "Golden Tablet" and a "Miracle Band" (a cardboard bracelet marked simply with "JIREH", Hebrew for "see" but sometimes translated "provide"^[9]). Popoff purports that the "Golden Tablet" was made by God and intended to create immense wealth for the subscriber. Popoff then insists that the subscriber wear the "Miracle Band" while posting him a check for $28.30 (related to Exodus 28:30 in some way), in order to receive further instructions on how to use the "Golden Tablet".

Popoff is known to use the mailings of former TV healing evangelist David Epley, word for word, but substituting his name instead of Epley's at the end of the letters.^{[citation needed]} This is legal as Popoff pays Epley several thousand dollars a month for the right to do this.^{[citation needed]}

Financial details

Publications

See also

References

External links

Official and critical

Media

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