Gene Scott's Kevo

Dr. Gene Scott (born William EuGene Scott, August 14, 1929 - February 21, 2005) was a United States pastor and teacher who served for almost fifty years as an ordained minister. In 1975 he began nightly live broadcasts as a TV preacher, and eventually satellite broadcasts extended his services and talk shows to many countries. The televised teaching of the white-haired preacher included smoking cigars, wearing a variety of hats and plenty of in-depth teaching. During his live broadcasts he would teach on a variety of topics from the Bible, the Great Pyramid, the history of the United States and many others.

Dr. Scott was also known for his civic and charity activities. His charitable activities included raising money for the Los Angeles Public Library and the Rose Bowl Aquatic Center in Pasadena.

Dr. Gene Scott - Early life and career

EuGene Scott was born in Buhl, Idaho. He earned his Ph.D. in Philosophies of Education at Stanford University in 1957 and subsequently served as an ordained minister for almost 50 years. During his long career, Dr. Scott served as a traveling evangelist for the Assemblies of God, the president of the Full Gospel Fellowship of Churches and Ministers International for nine years and, for a combined total of 35 years, as the pastor of the non-denominational Protestant Wescott Christian Center and Faith Center. For the last fifteen years of his career, Dr. Scott held weekly Sunday church services at the Los Angeles University Cathedral in Los Angeles, California.

In 1975, Dr. Scott was elected pastor of Faith Center, a 45-year old church of congregational polity in Glendale, California. In that same year, after being elected unanimously by the congregation of the Faith Center church, Dr. Scott became the full-time pastor. He held Sunday morning, evening and weeknight broadcasts over "The University Network," of straight talk, Bible teaching and eclectic programming. The Federal Communications Commission revoked all three of Dr. Scott's network licenses, worth about $15 million, because of his refusal to turn over financial records to the commission. Dr. Scott subsequently succeeded in rebuilding his broadcast operations after a passionate stance against the encroachment against the principles of confidential giving to God as taught by Jesus in Matthew 6.

In 1983, the University Network began broadcasting 24 hours a day via satellite to North America, much of Mexico and the Caribbean. During this time, Dr. Scott reported that his sequentially numbered congregants grew to over 60,000 (including 15,000 in the Southern California area), without adjustments for attrition and deceased congregants. Affiliate television and radio stations broadcast Dr. Scott's Sunday church services and nightly talk show, the Festival of Faith. In 1990, Dr. Scott became the international voice of "The University Network" which, at its peak, broadcast to 180 countries of the world. In 2007, Pastor Melissa Scott, his widow, assumed his role as the fulltime Pastor of the church which continues to meet Sundays in downtown Los Angeles at the historic United Artists Theater.

Dr. Scott wrote and published some 20 books. According to Mrs. Scott, he recorded over 70,000 hours of teaching, much of which was edited and restored after his death to air on the University Network. Dr. Scott was a Pastor, teacher, philosopher, artist, philanthropist, philatelist, owner of equestrians and bible scholar who was ahead of his time in his teachings. He painted well over 1000 watercolors, acrylics or oils, which brought in millions of dollars of revenue to his for-profit, tax-paying organization, Dr. Gene Scott, Inc.

Dr. Gene Scott and the Assemblies of God

Although declaring himself an avowed agnostic while attending Stanford University, after receiving his Ph.D. he briefly taught at Evangel College (now Evangel University), then assisted Oral Roberts in establishing Oral Roberts University in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Scott eventually joined the Assemblies of God, a Pentecostal denomination and for several years served in a variety of countries as an evangelist.

Dr. Gene Scott at Wescott Christian Center

In 1970, Scott resigned his Assemblies of God credentials in good standing and formed Wescott Christian Center with his father, a Pastor in Oroville, California. Later, Dr. Gene Scott took over the pastorship of "Faith Center" in Glendale, California, and brought his father, affectionately known as "Pop Scott" and his mother, known as "Mom Scott" to assist him.

Dr. Scott - - Full Gospel Fellowship

Dr. Scott was voted vice president of the fledgling "Full Gospel Fellowship of Churches and Ministers International", of which his father was a member, and later served as its president from October 1975 to July 1984.

Full Gospel Fellowship president, Don Arnold visited and spoke at Dr. Scott's church, the Los Angeles University Cathedral, on more than one occasion in recent years.

Dr. Scott at Faith Center

In 1975, while serving his Oroville ministry, Dr. Scott was approached to serve as a financial consultant for the forty-five-year-old "Faith Center" church in Glendale, California, by its then pastor and founder, religious broadcast er Ray Schoch.

Faith Center owned four broadcast stations, which included KHOF-TV channel 30 in San Bernardino, California, KHOF-FM 99.5 in Los Angeles, California, KVOF-TV channel 38 in San Francisco, California, and WHCT channel 18 in Hartford, Connecticut. Faith Center was in crisis, both financial and in regards to its leadership, which had lost its faith according to Dr. Scott.

Dr. Scott often stated that he never wanted to be a preacher and it was the congregation of Faith Center that unanimously voted him in as Pastor. Dr. Scott was so opposed to leading Faith Center that he submitted a contract of sixteen demanding conditions that he designed to persuade the congregation from voting him in. This contract immediately dissolved the church's governing body that had contributed to the crisis. Other conditions gave Scott complete control and a $1.00 annual salary. Dr. Scott returned the church from debt.

Historic Gene Scott Bible Collection

Over the years, Dr. Scott acquired a valuable collection of rare bibles and ancient manuscripts. Dr. Scott subsequently put the rare Bibles on display creating one of the largest and most extensive collection of rare Bibles in private hands, rivaling the great collections of the New York Central Library, Huntington Library and the British Museum.

Dr. Scott at the Church of the Open Door

In 1985, Dr. Scott tried to purchase the former Church of the Open Door but was declined by its then owners who were in the process of selling the church for development. The development deal fell through and the owners contacted Dr. Scott, who quickly agreed and pursued his move to save the historic structure located at 6th and Hope streets. Los Angeles Superior Court records show that after many millions had been paid by Dr. Scott to acquire the Church of the Open Door, a cloud on the title was revealed requiring the preaching of legalist doctrine to which Dr. Scott did not subscribe. The deal fell through and eventually it ended up being purchased by another developer. The building was slated for demolition many times.

In an attempt to save the historic structure, Dr. Scott worked with the Council of the City of Los Angeles to have the building designated a Historic Monument. The historical monument designation had already existed at the state level.

The Church of the Open Door building was ultimately torn down and replaced by an office building.

The buildings' historic red neon rooftop "Jesus Saves" signs had become a very familiar sight to Los Angeles area residents over the years. The signs are now mounted on atop the Los Angeles University Cathedral.

Dr. Scott Returns to LA - - Los Angeles University Cathedral

In 1989, Dr. Scott was approached by Bruce Corwin, then president of Miracle on Broadway and Chairman of the Metropolitan Theaters Corporation to restore the United Artists flagship theater (which was built by Mary Pickford, Charlie Chaplin, and Douglas Fairbanks in 1927) in downtown Los Angeles.

In 1990, Dr. Scott and his congregation moved their Sunday service from Glendale to the building now called the "Los Angeles University Cathedral". According to the Los Angeles County Recorder's office and North American title report, Dr. Scott acquired ownership of the cathedral through his entity, Westcott Christian Center, in December 2002.

Scott's restoration of the theater signaled the beginning of a revitalization of the former theater district along Broadway. The Spanish Gothic style (patterned after a cathedral in Segovia, Spain) University Cathedral became the largest non-denominational Protestant church in downtown Los Angeles. Both the Cathedral and the world-famous "Jesus Saves" signs are designated historic monuments.

Thousands of visitors have viewed Scott's exhibition of the "Dr. Gene Scott Bible Collection" with its many historic Bibles, books, and manuscripts which is housed at the Los Angeles University Cathedral. The collection is one of the largest and most extensive collection of rare Bibles in private hands, rivaling the great collections of the New York Central Library, Huntington Library and the British Museum.

The University Network

In 1975, Dr. Scott began a series of broadcasts, which resulted in the creation of the University Network. By 1983, the University Network was broadcasting his sermons twenty-four hours a day via satellite to the United States and Canada, as well as to much of Mexico and the Caribbean. By 1990, his network was available to 180 countries, and by 1992 his sermons were being broadcast in several languages on AM, FM, and short-wave radio. His programming consisted of his trademark informal yet research-laden style of Bible teaching mixed with provocative commentary, music, and personal interests. Doctor Scott also provided lively conversation on such subjects as his paintings, scientific interpretations of the great wonders of the world, and his American saddle-bred horses.

Drawing from nearly thirty years of recorded programming, Scott's radio, satellite and television ministry continues to broadcast Dr. Scott's Bible teaching although on different stations and at different times. Current and past programming may also be viewed via streaming video online courtesy of www.drgenescott.com.

Broadcasts

Since his death, 30 years of various Dr. Scott broadcasts still air via satellite, Internet, short-wave radio, and terrestrial television. The archive of Scott's teaching continues to be aired and Dr. Scott's many teaching resources can be purchased from Dolores Press, the official bookstore of the churhc.

Dr. Scott's Other Activities

The membership and interests of Dr. Scott included:

• Los Angeles Central Library Save the Books telethon
• Vice-Chairman of the Board of the Rose Bowl Aquatics Center and one of its founding directors
• Member, Board of "Rebuild L.A."
• Member, Philatelic Foundation of New York

Marriages

Gene Scott's first marriage was to Betty Ann Frazer, his high school sweetheart at Oroville Union High School. This marriage lasted 23 years. Subsequent marriages include a twenty year marriage to Christine E. Shaw, divorced in 1998, and then to Melissa Pastore, in August 2000. Since Dr. Scott's death on February 21, 2005, Pastor Melissa Scott (b. 1969) has been the successor leader of Wescott Christian Center and Faith Center.

Mrs. Scott points to her preparation for the position as her assistant administrative pastor duties in charge of finances and operations. She became the full-time Pastor of the Los Angeles University Cathedral and Faith Center upon the death of Dr. Scott.

Closing Years

Originally diagnosed with a small but aggressive type of prostate cancer in 2000, Gene Scott declined Chemotherapy and surgery. Dr. Scott publicly reported his PSA (prostate specific antigen) test results which revealed his healing. Four years later, Dr. Scott suffered another bout of cancer.

Dr. Scott suffered a fatal stroke and was pronounced dead at 4:30 p.m. PST on Monday, February 21, 2005. According to Mrs. Scott's press statement, a private nurse and committed follower were in attendance at his bedside during his final days. (Los Angeles Times, Mrs. Scott's public internet announcement.)

Portions of this entry are from the euGene Scott entry on www.wikipedia.com

Additional information about Dr. Scott is available at www.pastormelissascott.com.