Times<\/em> reports:<\/p>\n\u201cI only have one word to say and that\u2019s \u2018devastated,\u2019 \u201d said the Rev. James Richards, who has volunteered at the Crystal Cathedral for 10 years. He said congregants want to continue to worship in their church.<\/p>\n
Congregant Bob Canfield said he felt \u201cthrown under the bus.\u201d<\/p>\n
A Few Comments<\/strong><\/p>\nI have many thoughts and feelings in response to the sale of the Crystal Cathedral. I\u2019ll briefly mention a few:<\/p>\n
\u2022 Although I am a fan of Chapman University, I am glad that the cathedral will still be devoted to the worship of the triune God.<\/p>\n
\u2022 I am stunned and saddened that a church, even a church with a television ministry, could become $50 million in debt. This speaks of extraordinary carelessness on the part of church leaders and a virtual absence of accountability. I\u2019m afraid it bears witness to the sinful hubris of the Schuller family, who ran the Crystal Cathedral with little oversight. It also points to the folly of allowing charismatic, powerful pastors and their families run churches without spiritual and financial accountability.<\/p>\n
\u2022 Though Schuller\u2019s \u201cHour of Power\u201d was never my cup of tea, it did mean a great deal to my grandparents when they were no longer able to go to their own church because of their physical limitations. I\u2019m glad they\u2019re not here to witness what has happened with this ministry, which they supported with their modest donations.<\/p>\n
\u2022 The demise of what was once a thriving television ministry serves as a parable and a warning for churches that are unwilling to deal with cultural change.<\/p>\n
\u2022 Before I look down my long nose at Robert Schuller, may I take a long, hard look at myself and the pride that might very well go before my own fall.<\/p>\n
\u2022 The response of the congregation to the loss of the Crystal Cathedral property reminds us of the danger of associating church with buildings. Back when that church was called \u201cGarden Grove Community Church,\u201d it had an identity beyond that of its property or pastor. If you name your church after your building, you\u2019re making a major theological error and asking for trouble. Perhaps what is happening to this congregation is actually painful but necessary pruning. Lord willing, the members of this church will come to see themselves, not in terms of their building or their pastor, but as a gathering of God\u2019s people whose identity is in Christ and whose mission is in Garden Grove. Perhaps, the end of the Crystal Cathedral will lead to the resurrection of Garden Grove Community Church. I hope and pray this is true.<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The Los Angeles Times reports that, after months of rumors and lots of battles in bankruptcy court, it has now been decided that the Roman Catholic Diocese of Orange will purchase the Crystal Cathedral for a tidy sum of $57.5 million. This sale is the result of the financial failure of the Crystal Cathedral and […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":109,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7277],"tags":[16636,484,2440],"class_list":["post-2264","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-church-life","tag-catholic-diocese-of-orange","tag-church","tag-crystal-cathedral"],"yoast_head":"\n
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