Robert Harold Schuller passed away at the age of 88 on April 2, 2015.
Schuller's message — that "Possibility Thinking" and love of God overcome hardships — was a uniquely American blend of Bible and psychology.
He and his late wife, Arvella, an organist, started a ministry in 1955 with $500 when he began preaching from the roof of a concession stand at a drive-in movie theater southeast of Los Angeles.
In 1980, the Crystal Cathedral was built — the touchstone of Schuller's storied ministry — At its peak, in the 1990s, the "Hour of Power" had 20 million viewers in about 180 countries. Schuller faded from view in recent years after watching his church collapse amid a disastrous leadership transition and sharp declines in viewership and donations that ultimately forced the ministry to file for bankruptcy. In 2011, the Crystal Cathedral was sold to the Roman Catholic Diocese of Orange.
On September 24, 2014, the Diocese released its proposed redesign plans, including extensive changes to the interior intended to make the building more suitable for the "altar-centered" Catholic ritual while retaining some qualities of the original design. It is now know as "Christ Cathedral", closely resembling the name of the "Crystal Cathedral."
Schuller's message — that "Possibility Thinking" and love of God overcome hardships — was a uniquely American blend of Bible and psychology.
He and his late wife, Arvella, an organist, started a ministry in 1955 with $500 when he began preaching from the roof of a concession stand at a drive-in movie theater southeast of Los Angeles.
In 1980, the Crystal Cathedral was built — the touchstone of Schuller's storied ministry — At its peak, in the 1990s, the "Hour of Power" had 20 million viewers in about 180 countries. Schuller faded from view in recent years after watching his church collapse amid a disastrous leadership transition and sharp declines in viewership and donations that ultimately forced the ministry to file for bankruptcy. In 2011, the Crystal Cathedral was sold to the Roman Catholic Diocese of Orange.
On September 24, 2014, the Diocese released its proposed redesign plans, including extensive changes to the interior intended to make the building more suitable for the "altar-centered" Catholic ritual while retaining some qualities of the original design. It is now know as "Christ Cathedral", closely resembling the name of the "Crystal Cathedral."
