Robert Schuller’s mighty glass empire appears to be shattering and his hour of power seems to be on its final minute. Robert A. Schuller is a believer and teacher of Universalism (all will be no saved no human is condemned by sin). He is the father of the gospel of self-esteem and possibility thinking and was one of the top pushers of Christian pop psychology and was also a main figure in the Church Growth Movement, and those redefining Christianity.
How the mighty have fallen over family feuds and secret sin!
Televangelism empire in chaos over family split (OneNewsNow.com)
GARDEN GROVE, Calif. – Once one of the nation’s most popular televangelists, the Rev. Robert H. Schuller is watching his life’s work crumble.
His son and recent successor, the Rev. Robert A. Schuller, has abruptly resigned as senior pastor of the Crystal Cathedral. The shimmering, glass-walled megachurch is home to the “Hour of Power” broadcast, an evangelism staple that’s been on the air for more than three decades.
The church is in financial turmoil: It plans to sell more than $65 million worth of its Orange County property to pay off debt. Revenue dropped by nearly $5 million last year, according to a recent letter from the elder Schuller to elite donors. In the letter, Schuller Sr. implored the Eagle’s Club members – who supply 30 percent of the church’s revenue – for donations and hinted that the show might go off the air without their support.
“The final months of 2008 were devastating for our ministry,” the 82-year-old pastor wrote.
The Crystal Cathedral blames the recession for its woes. But it’s clear that the elder Schuller’s carefully orchestrated leadership transition, planned over a decade, has stumbled badly.
It’s a problem common to personality driven ministries. Most have collapsed or been greatly diminished after their founders left the pulpit or died.
It’s a sad day in God’s kingdom when preaching the word of God is thought of as “entertainment” rather than a spiritual experience. I watched Robert Jr. try to mimick his father’s actions and speech, and it was obvious that it wasn’t his style and therefore didn’t come across as genuine. Sadly, the era of Robert Sr. that we all loved is truly over, but it’s unfair to expect anyone — even someone w/ the same dna — to imitate that. Let us also not forget that the Schuller’s are simply human beings — and thus sinners — like the rest of us, and are entitled to the same forgiveness and mercy that our Heavenly Father grants to us. It is my hope that we would all continue to search for the message and messenger that we feel comfortable with, while keeping in mind that it is God’s WORD we should be focusing on, not than the vessel used to spread it.
I do not know much about the beliefs of Robert Jr. but it is obvious on TV that he was mimicking his father. However, Robert Senior teaches universalism and positive thinking and that is not the teaching of Christianity. To say we all loved Robert Senior Is to say all Christians love wolves in sheep’s clothing. You say that the Schuller’s are sinners like the rest of us but Robert Sr. does not believe or teach that anyone is a sinner. God grants mercy for salvation but he also judges the unrepentant. Also, Schuller is not spreading God’s word when he is teaching another gospel.
“The final months of 2008 were devastating for our ministry,” the 82-year-old pastor wrote….The Crystal Cathedral blames the recession for its woes. But it’s clear that the elder Schuller’s carefully orchestrated leadership transition, planned over a decade, has stumbled badly.”
Sorry sir, do not blame the recession. The Gospel of Jesus Christ is not moved into the heart by the power of the dollar nor does the gospel of Jesus Christ have to be preached from a glass mansion to penetrate the conscience.
Blame the words of your own book that you preached out of when you supplanted the Word of God –not the ‘recession’. Words to no profit?
I watched this man preach on a TBN broadcast and I cringed when he had the nerve to give a message from the pulpit from his own personal book.
And people wonder why ‘Christianity’ in America is collapsing. Remember,
“For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?”
1 Peter 4:17
I pray that Mr. Schuller soon understands that his answer of ‘recession’ is not really an answer to his financial problems but a copout word excusing him from any unwise direction. No sir, you cannot blame it on something supposedly, as you imply, beyond your control -i.e. recession. You failed to preach the full counsel of God therefore your empire is crumbling. What is happening around you as far as the ‘recession’ goes does not in the least bit limit God’s ability to move His members to preach His truth so do not presuppose that economic highs or lows determine how successful God is in winning souls to Himself.
God cannot deny Himself:
“If we suffer, we shall also reign with him: if we deny him, he also will deny us: If we believe not, yet he abideth faithful: he cannot deny himself. Of these things put them in remembrance, charging them before the Lord that they strive not about words to no profit, but to the subverting of the hearers. Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.”
2 Timothy 2:12-15
Your empire is turning to ashes because God cannot deny Himself. The American economy is turning to ashes because God cannot deny Himself. The American dollar is turning to ashes because it is funding sin and it has become the object of love for many who name the name of Christ behind the pulpits of multi-million dollar churches owning private jets, mansions, golden toilets, luxury cars, and other moth eaten riches.
The recession sir? May God give you understanding so that you wake up and smell the burnt tobacco leaves of our sin-subsidized cancerous economy that is under the shadow of the Almighty’s judgment.
The Lord God be praised forever and ever through Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior.
Since when is the economy any economy not under Gods control? It isn’t the recession stupid, its a result
of preaching a false gospel. Another Jesus. The chickens have come home to roost. That crystal palace
is for fat rich celebrities and CEO’s who come to have their ears tickled and are justified in their greed. Sin?
What’s that? That’s only something the common folks believe in. If God wants to bless this ministry no
recession no matter how bad would stand in HIS way. Nothing could!! Aparently God must be sleeping.
Right.
Jer.32:27
ah yes … Dr. Schuler, the grampa of them all … mmmmmmmmmmmmmmhm ! …. does anybody know the REAL reason why the bad blood between him and his son who pastored the church for a while and then suddenly there was soft peddled word around the internet about their “disagreements on the direction of the church” ??? I bet the junior would have taken it up 1000/ modernized the whole yawwwwwwwwwwn pogram old schuler had going on .. and again, before I type the next sentence: I want to speak for ALL WOMEN WITH A BRAIN and who are NON submissive to domineering “chrisitian” men:
old man Schuler brought on his lovely daughter Sheila with a DOA personality, about 30 extra pounds and a bad hair day fiasco to tell boring stories nobody cares about, she does as Daddy says and poppa Schuler likes it that way . .. I wonder if the old man has lunch with Jim bakker every so often to exchange “how we control women” notes ?
I am not a died in the wool feminist, but I am advocate for women’s equality … alright ?
Keen 🙂
you ALL are a bunch of idiots to criticize a man like Dr. Schuller. Bet you that have some hurtsome words are the ones that listen to Jimmy Swaggert and Jim Baker and believe that Ted Haggard is “cured ” of his homosexuality. Hope you all enjoy your time with the Devil
I think not!
We criticize Schuller’s universalism, pop psychology, positive thinking, and his methods and they deserves criticism by true Christians.
Discussing the shoddy goods that one huckster is peddling does make us buy from hucksters pulling a different wagon.
At least Swaggert, Baker and Haggard have claimed that their sins of the flesh were wrong (and probably still don’t belong being in the lime light) but Schuller has never repented of his heretical teaching.
Does any body know why Robert Schuller Jr. suddenly stopped being on the Crsytal Cathedral, where he went, what happened, etc? It seems like one week he was on and the next week he was gone and it was protrayed like he was never there. It seems so strange.
I Believe anytime These Big Mega churches Use the Name of God/Jesus to peddle thier beliefs to make Money is one of the Biggest “Sin” there is. I do not feel sorry for them, and the people who follow/give money to keep up this lifestyle are just as bad.
We all blamed North Korea passed its kingdom from father to son to grandson. How about Schuller’s church ?
Actually since the Robert Jr. had a feud with his father the church leadership has been passed from father to daughter.
I see Robert Sr. (84) has been removed from the Board.
I guess his hour of power has run out
The C.C. is reported to be on the verge of being taken over by Roman Catholics.
Times are very interesting!
I Say bring back robert jnr,he did make more of an impacked to the church than his daughter,hope they sort things out!.
I say make it a casino
I never felt comfortable watching this man preach from inside his magnificant crystal palace. I always felt that it was too pretentious, and out of line with our Fathers word. I always felt that the money used to build that monstrosity would have been better off in the bellies of our hungry babies. I would rather listen to the word from a humble servant under an olive tree, than from a man asking for donations to save “HIS” crystal palace. How odd these men of God are. I speak to God and he hears me. I do not need another to tell God what is in my heart.
One of the things that always wanted to make me throw up was that Schuller, Jim Bakker , and others in that crowd would have celebrities as part of their entertainment. I often felt it was for the purpose of saying a particular celebrity endorses God. God needs no endorsement from anyone. How arrorgant some are to suggest an endorsement from a celebrity validates your ministry. Unless God endorses you ministry ” YOU A’INT GOT ONE” . Secondly God never makes genuine ministry entertainment.
Don Fritts,
Those preachers you mentioned are in the same league as the apostasy that is the celeb-elitist Scientology in my opinion. They are into worship, but not to The Living God.
I dont see those preachers as any different from the Catholic Marist Brothers who taught me at school. Nor do I see them as any different from the people who ran the Armstongite cult I became involved in when I was younger.
Whenever a preacher points to himself, he points his followers away from God. And therefore they become the followers of a man (charlatan) and not the followers of God.
A true follower of God will make mistakes but if they are true to the Bible–and therefore to the God of the Bible–they will be on the alert to be corrected by it and have a permanently repenting heart.
That means they will never make excuses for their mistakes or sins or blame them on others or outside circumstances–as Schuler has done.
As Bible-believing Christians it is our duty NOT to excuse the excuses of such folk but to reprove/expose the works of darkness [Ephesians 5:11]. Are those charlatans so ignorant that they don’t know that Scripture? If so, why are they preaching?
God help Schuller and those like him to repent. If they don’t they will add to their sins and encourage others to add to theirs.