Why Did Paul and Jan Crouch Divorce?
Paul Franklin Crouch and Janice Bethany Crouch were still married at the time of his death on November 30, 2013. They married in 1957 and never divorced.
Dr. Paul Franklin Crouch Sr. was born on March 30, 1934, in St. Joseph, MO, to Assembly of God missionaries. At the age of seven, his father died, leaving his mother and grandparents to care for him. He went to school at Central Bible Institute in Missouri where he studied theology and helped to launch the school’s first radio station.
In 1957, Paul met and married his wife, Janice Bethany. The couple had two sons, Paul Franklin Jr., born in 1959, and Matthew, born in 1961. They lived in South Dakota and Michigan before moving to California where Paul accepted a position in the Department of Television and Film Production for the Assemblies of God. Over the next decade, Paul also spent time managing secular and Christian radio stations.
With Paul’s background in television, film and radio, he and Jan launched Trinity Broadcasting Network (TBN) in 1973. Over 40 years, TBN became the world’s largest broadcaster of religious programming. During the last few years of his life, Paul and Jan were plagued with scandals: they were accused of financial mismanagement, resulting in a lawsuit filed by their granddaughter. Their son Paul Jr. divorced his wife Tawny in 2007 after 17 years of marriage and then resigned from TBN in 2011 without explanation.
Paul Sr. also struggled with chronic heart problems that a pacemaker was not able to correct. In November 2013, he passed away from congestive heart failure. He and Jan had been married for 56 years.