The Rev. Robert H. Schuller, 84, has been voted off the board for Crystal Cathedral Ministries, which he founded over 50 years ago. This follows an earlier move to oust his son, Robert A. Schuller. The ministry is in debt and rife with family divisions, including one over a required anti-gay marriage pledge demanded by his daughters.
The church has filed for bankruptcy and “owes about $7.5 million to unsecured creditors, many of whom are vendors for the cathedral’s ‘Glory of Christmas’ pageant.”
The demise of the church follows a long-standing fight with his daughters — another bizarre case of a religious institution run like a family business. In this case, Schuller found himself at odds with his daughters who seem to have created a modern King Lear for the televangelist world. “How sharper than a serpent’s tooth it is To have a thankless child!” (King Lear, 1.4.312)
While Schuller designated his son to take over the church, the son was tossed out by his sisters and Sheila Schuller Coleman took control of the ministry. One of the issues was the son’s opposition to changing the church’s format and Coleman’s insistence that choir members sign a covenant acknowledging Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior and the belief that marriage should be between a man and a woman. Her father opposed the pledge and has long been welcoming to all in the church. Schuller’s daughter, Carol Schuller Milner, supported her sister and they forced removal of her father.
As was said in King Lear: “Ingratitude, thou marble-hearted fiend, More hideous, when thou show’st thee in a child,Than the sea-monster.”
Source: OC Register
I first saw the Hour of Power in 1984 on AFN Frankfurt in Germany, when it was not televised on cable- or Air-TV for Germans already. It was uplifting and very exciting to see this christian program, which was so pleasantly different to what we had in Europe and in my catholic church. Later on we as a familiy got the HOP on CNN weekly and we truely loved it and read Dr. Schullers books. Dr. R.H. Schuller is an honest man with high integrity and decency-and also was his son R. A. Schuller. What happened since 2008 is a shame and ruined the lifetime work of an honest man and a great idea. I am afraid that HOP will vanish from tv-screens soon. I cannot believe, that this is Gods intention, but the greedy Schuller ladies/familiy made it possible. Unbelievable.
I was born in a Muslim family…though I was not religious at all I liked Dr schuller’s encompassing mostly universal message ,,,,,as I grew. married and had my own children, his program was one of the weekly religious program we watched with enthusiasm …..who dares to say he knows God. I believe we all have religion, faith in one form or another…mostly divisive (I am right you are wrong, …you are lost and I am found) all of which is mostly just a business and has very little to do with God. Dr schuller’s good intention, good heart…a loving and accepting heart with his possibility thinking teachings was a very a force bringing people of all race & creed together and that was the genius just like today’s young Joel Osteen. to me, it is shame what has happened after 50 years of hard work ….these ladies ruined father and son relation, ruined their relation with their father and ruined the the most well known & respected church in the world to the ground . what do we learn from this?????
I truly feel a lot of sadness for Dr. Schuller and Robert jr. I have for a long time been asking myself where did Robert A. go, This is very sad. I also pity Mrs. Dr. Schuller and comfort her that her sacrifice and services towards the growth of music in the cathedral are not wasted and God will reward her and her husband. I stopped watching the Hour of Power when the lady came in. I saw Robert and his wife being anointed to take over the running of the church and was very happy, but when the lady came, I somehow lost interest. I will always be faithful to what Schuller Sr and Jr. taught me. GOD BLESS THE SCHULLER FAMILY
The word is: Jesus came to save us from our sins. We are to repent, and follow Christ. Yes, we all are sinners, some of us saved by grace. That is the positive message. I too listened to Hour of Power for years and enjoyed the beautiful music, and the testimonies of others who had accepted Jesus as their Lord and Savior and what He had wrought in their life. However, I ceased for a long tim something wasn’t right, even though I embraced Schuller son and daughter as they tried to hold together a ministry that apparently had “Ichabod” written over the door. But, not knowing the plan of God, I pray that the situation will turn around and God will restore the ministry as He wants. Get self out of the way, and let the Lord finish His work
I completely agree that women do not belong as ministers they may be great teachers or examples of morality -where is honor your father and mother the requests for money and all the give aways-fancy display of so called memorials was going too far the little cracks of power and greed
finally brought the walls down-I gave a lot of money over the years for the eagles etc. and have been drawn into believing it was what pleased God I cannot point to anyone else Never mention SIN just think positive and God will turn into Santa . I do feel sorry for Dr. Schuller I believe he was sincere when he started but got caught up in the show and the response he was getting his daughters have now made a mockery of it all-I will pray for them all and especially for Arvella how she must be hurting
So disappointed in the Schuller family. I have watched Hour of Power for many years, and my mother as well, when she was alive. I miss Rev. Robert Schuller’s sermons. He helped me so much. Robert, Jr. was okay, but Sheila Schuller is more like a Sunday school teacher. I miss the large choir singing the beautiful hymns. I will be watching another church telecast so that I will get a better uplift and have what I have been missing since these changes have taken place with the Hour of Power and the Schuller family.
Wow! I feel really bad for Dr Schuller and his son. I totally believe in equality and I don’t believe that anyone has the right to judge another. If you want to go by the bible, remember what Jesus said, “He said “Keep my commandment, my commandment is love”. It doesn’t sound to me that there is a lot of love going around right now. I really believe that Dr Schueller and Rev Michael Schuller were prime examples of ministers showing love. And in terms of money and finances, Hello Everyone, it costs money to run a ministry and more especially to bring a TV ministry to so many people who are not able to travel to a church, or who are alone. I thank you Dr Schuller and Your Son for bringing your ministry into my home for so many years. I am praying for you and for your family unity. Remember the story of Job. Jennifer Phillips-Renwick Arnprior Ontario Canada
I do not tune in any more and I would appreciate it if my name be taken off what is now a sucker list. Any further mail I get goes into the garbage. Ousting Doctor Shuller is a complete travesty. I’ll be glad when it goes off the air.
Joseph C.MacVittie,North Syracuse,N.Y.
I have just learned of all the behind-the-scene events that have caused problems at the Hour of Power, and I am deeply saddened.
I have watched this program for years, along with my mother, who is not longer here. Robert Schuller Sr.’s sermons were always so positive and uplifting. The ending benediction he gave every Sunday, I have posted on my refrigerator. The guests he had that gave witness to their own beliefs in Jesus and how they were changed, were also very uplifting. Dr. Schuller was sincere in every sense of the word, and to see his life’s work, and all that he built up by his faith, be torn down by his own family is quite heart-wrenching. It is very hard to believe that the behavior of his daughters comes from anything that they learned growing up in that household. It seems that they are the ones more interested in power than their father ever was, and I really don’t think this has anything to do with money. I guess you can’t always see what’s coming if you are too close to it. My prayers go out to all of them.
Rule number one you don’t have family running the church and/or preaching it usually causes problems.Rev.Dr.Robert is old and his mind does not act like it did and this was a cause of the problems too.Too many hang on too long.
He should have acted much sooner (too ‘old’-he hung on to ‘power’ too long) and had various ministers preach then decide just as other churches do.
The son had his own church and he should have stayed there.
As to Dr.Robert’s daughters? Females are not permitted to preach as it clearly says in the NT.”The pastor must be the husband of one wife” as Paul told Timothy and Titus in books by theri name -two young Elders when the church was receiving instructions form the inspired aspotles.It was clearly not a female position! Each has their own duties in the church,inspite of ‘modern’ thouhht.
‘Reap and sow ‘is for all no matter what their status is in life.
Things seem to be in a mess inside,the runnig of the c/cathedral,religion and money dont mix,everything seems to be power crazy!Stick to religion,bring back robert jnr,in his early teachings.Peter.
I HOPE THIS IS THE END OF THE HOUR OF POWER!!! THEY HAVE NOT BEEN PREACHING THE BIBLE OF JESUS CHRIST BUT THE BIBLE OF NEW AGE AND GREED!!! AND THIS IS GOD JUDGEMENT FOR THE PAST 50 YEARS!!!!!!
I HOPE THIS IS THE END OF THE HOUR OF POWER!!! THEY HAVE NOT BEEN PREACHING THE JESUS CHRIST BUT THE BIBLE OF NEW AGE AND GREED!!! AND THIS IS GOD JUDGEMENT FOR THE PAST 50 YEARS!!!!!!
you can’t lose, with the stuff i use
The usual fakery by the usual ” charlatans “, and everyone proclaiming the ” Word of God “. I guess God doesn’t handle bankruptcy proceedings and leaves that to the courts. Maybe the ” Crystal Cathedral ” can be broken ointo shards, and then they can be strung on to necklaces and sold at garage sales to raise a few bucks for the ‘ poor ‘ Schuller family.
I’m basically anti-christian because it’s a lie. Rev Shuller senior, does seem
to be good natured and sincere. His daughters will run this place into the
ground.
How often does “christianity” seem to be about hate? I think it wears a cloak of “love” to hide the hate. Just your typical wolf in sheep’s clothing.
I have news for you all
all religions are made up bullshit. there is no heaven or hell– all made up
Squabble amongst thy selves, oh sons and daughters. In the end Rupert Murdoch will own the church, the broadcast, and all of your wretched souls.
And now they must all wander the desert together …
The Prof wrote, “another bizarre case of a religious institution run like a family business.”
Does he find it bizarre if a duck walks like a duck, or quacks like a duck? What else are most “churches” other than the business enterprise of an individual entrepreneur, a family business or a multi-national corporation? Not ALL churches are de facto private businesses, but in many cases they “by any other name would smell as sweet.” By any other name, they turn capital, labor and marketing into a “product” that generates a positive cash flow that benefits an individual or family.
Sorry to be so cynical, but in too many cases, res ipsa loquitur.