Marcus Lamb, a Christian Broadcaster and Vaccine Skeptic, Dies of Covid

NY Times
By Alyssa Lukpat

Marcus Lamb, a Christian broadcaster in Dallas who had been dismissive of Covid-19 vaccinations, died on Tuesday after contracting the coronavirus, his family said.

Mr. Lamb, 64, who frequently suggested on his Christian television network that people pray instead of getting inoculated, had to be rushed to the hospital when his oxygen levels dropped “all of a sudden” after he contracted the virus, his wife, Joni Lamb, said on the network on Nov. 18.

Mr. Lamb’s wife and son confirmed his death on Tuesday on “Ministry Now,” the show the couple had hosted together.

“I’m at a loss for words today,” his son, Jonathan Lamb, said on Twitter on Tuesday. “My father was promoted to heaven at 4am this morning.”

It was not immediately clear when Mr. Lamb had tested positive for the virus or where he had died. Daystar Television Network, the network the Lambs founded in 1997, did not respond to requests for comment on Wednesday.

As the network’s chief executive, Mr. Lamb hosted his own broadcast as well as the show with his wife. His children regularly appear on the network, which says it reaches more than 108 million households.

Daystar broadcasters, including the Lambs, have repeatedly questioned the efficacy of the vaccine. On May 10, the couple’s show included a segment in which the Covid vaccine was falsely said to be “killing your immune system.”

“We want to warn you, we want to help you, we want to give you an alternative,” Mr. Lamb said.

Instead of getting vaccinated, “we can pray, we can get ivermectin and budesonide and hydroxychloroquine,” he said, referring to several drugs that have not been approved for Covid treatment by the Food and Drug Administration. Mr. Lamb also denounced vaccination mandates for schoolchildren.

On the Nov. 18 show, Ms. Lamb said her husband had contracted the virus after she had. He had diabetes, which exacerbated his symptoms, she said.

Last month, Jonathan Lamb said on a show that his father’s Covid battle was the result of “a spiritual attack from the enemy.”

Mr. Lamb last appeared on “Ministry Now” on Nov. 3, and he coughed several times throughout the hourlong broadcast.

Daystar has taken legal action against vaccination mandates. Last month, the network petitioned the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit to “set aside” the federal mandate that companies with 100 or more employees require Covid vaccinations. The court stayed the mandate.

Marcus Daron Lamb was born on Oct. 7, 1957, in Cordele, Ga., according to an online biography from his network. He was a bishop in the Church of God. In addition to his wife and son, his survivors include two daughters, Rachel Lamb Brown and Rebecca Lamb Weiss.

Alyssa Lukpat is a reporter covering breaking news for the Express desk. She is also a member of the 2021-22 New York Times fellowship class.