Camping, 89, fell ill after a broadcast of his daily “Open Forum” radio show last Thursday in Oakland, California, and was admitted to a hospital in the San Francisco Bay area, said Tom Evans, a spokesman for his Family Radio network.
“He’s doing well and that’s all we want to say right now,” Evans told Reuters by telephone.
Camping’s daughter, Susan Espinoza, said her father was recovering but had not been doing his regular live broadcasts from the threadbare headquarters of Family Radio International, near the Oakland airport.
“He’s doing quite well,” said Espinoza, who works at her father’s network. “We haven’t made a decision on what will happen with the radio broadcasts, but for now they are playing recorded programs.”
Camping’s media empire spent millions of dollars — some of it from donations made by followers — publicizing the evangelist’s Rapture prediction over the past seven years.
Evans said the Family Network of 66 US stations that carry Camping’s show was airing a periodic announcement about his stroke for listeners and would play archived broadcasts of his show for the time being.
Camping drew international attention by predicting the biblical Judgment Day would happen on May 21, launching a doomsday countdown in which some followers spent their savings in anticipation of being swept into heaven that day.
When the apocalypse failed to occur on May 21, Camping was widely mocked and he called it “a very difficult time.” He has since insisted that his prediction was overall correct. On May 24 he clarified that a “spiritual” Judgment Day had begun three days earlier, placing the entire world under Christ’s judgment, and said the Earth actually would be obliterated on Oct. 21.
