Marcus Lamb, anti-COVID vaccine Christian broadcaster, has passed on at the age of 64, TopNaija.ng reports.

The prominent Christian broadcaster Marcus Lamb reportedly died from Covid-19 complications. He was the co-founder, president, and CEO of the Daystar Television Network, the second-largest Christian television network in the world. The estimated value of the network is $230 million

Daystar Television Network announced Lamb’s death on Twitter on Tuesday and it was confirmed by his wife during a morning broadcast on the network they founded together.

“It’s with a heavy heart we announce that Marcus Lamb, president and founder of Daystar Television Network, went home to be with the Lord this morning,” the network said in a tweet.

“The family asks that their privacy be respected as they grieve this difficult loss. Please continue to lift them up in prayer.”

“This morning at 4 a.m. the president and founder of Daystar and the love of my life went to be with Jesus,” wife Joni said during the broadcast, according to Religion News.

“I wanted you to hear from me that he’s with the Lord.”

She explained that Lamb had diabetes and had been hospitalized with Covid when his oxygen levels dropped.

She said she had used the protocols that they had promoted on the program and “breezed through COVID.”

In addition to Joni and Jonathan, Lamb is survived by his daughters Rachel and Rebecca.

The issue of COVID-19 vaccines has been controversial for religious broadcasters such as Daystar. In August, the spokesman for the National Religious Broadcasters, a trade association, was fired after encouraging evangelicals to consider being vaccinated — comments his employer claimed violated the NRB’s neutral stance on vaccines.

The Rev. James Merritt, a former president of the Southern Baptist Convention, said he was grieved to hear of Lamb’s death. He had appeared on Lamb’s show several times to promote books and the two shared a love of the University of Georgia’s football team. He said that during his visits, Lamb was surrounded by family, describing him as a sweet man.

“They have got a wonderful, beautiful family,” he said. “It’s just a real tragedy.”

Sam Rodriguez, president of the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference, said that he had recently visited the Daystar studios to see Lamb, who was a longtime friend. He said that the Daystar network had a diverse audience and that Lamb had been outspoken about the need to address racism in the church and in society. Rodriguez pointed to a program broadcasted on Daystar and hosted by Bishop Kenneth Ulmer, a Black megachurch pastor in Los Angeles, in the wake of the death of George Floyd.

Marcus and Joni Lamb, said Rodriguez, were committed to addressing racism.

“They were very committed to racial unity and reconciliation,” Rodriguez said. “They are very committed to defeating the giants of bigotry and segregation.”

Lamb posted a photo of Floyd, accompanied by the words “I can’t breathe,” on his Facebook page in the summer of 2020.