Schuller achieved his vision, but he couldn't sustain it

Orange County Register ^ | April 5, 2015 | David Ferrell

[EveningStar]

From the moment he climbed atop a drive-in theater snack bar to preach to families in their automobiles, Robert Schuller established himself as a different sort of clergyman ...

At its peak, his Orange County-based ministry operated the Crystal Cathedral in Garden Grove and the "Hour of Power" television program, which put Schuller's grinning face and folksy humor before an estimated 20 million viewers a week.

But Schuller lived long enough to see the empire crumble. Amid acrimonious family squabbling, his church filed for bankruptcy in 2010 ...

"The private Schuller – particularly among strangers but even around his faithful staff, friends and wife – is often surprisingly aloof, stiff and uncomfortable, sullen and sour at times. ... He displays not the slightest trace of spontaneous humor, rarely smiles and never seems to laugh." ...

[EveningStar]

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[EveningStar]

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[Theodore R.]

Was the smile for public consumption only? He knew the American people could be fooled.

[Steve_Seattle]

I could see why some people liked him - he was a good salesman - but I’m not surprised at his private demeanor. Johnny Carson was much the same - pretty much a cold fish in his private life, except when he was boinking women other than his wife. I suppose he loosened his tie for THAT.

[Steve_Seattle]

I think I recall a news story about him being belligerent - maybe drunk - on an airplane flight.

[Hardshell]

He was another victim of the purple robe syndrome. He just couldn’t get up in front of his congregation and deliver a message without first putting on a costume......

[carton253]

He is dead...let him rest in peace instead of ripping apart his corpse. Nothing can be gained from that.

[napscoordinator]

Giving Religion a bad name day after day. What a fraud this monster was. Oh well he is gone and hopefully will vanish into ancient history.

[Jan_Sobieski]

“Schuller came along and did things very differently than those guys,” Bailey said. “He went after a different audience. He was about positiveness, harnessing one’s own individual talents – be all that you can be. In someways he was like the Army recruiter: ‘A Christian can be all that you can be.’”

Jesus warned us about guys like Schuller:

Luke 6:26 Woe unto you, when all men shall speak well of you! for so did their fathers to the false prophets.

[ABN 505]

Cult of personality,Funny how their Churches never seem to outlast the death of the founders.

[Loud Mime]

good point.

I abhor the evangelists who claim to have “special connections” to the almighty. When egos and religions meet, we have trouble.