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The founding family of the Crystal Cathedral, the Schuller family, has announced that it is going to leave the church. Members of the congregation were assured by Reverend Bill Bennett that services would still be held on Sunday.
“The congregation can basically stay where they wish to stay,” Bennett said.
Bennett also said that the church was going to adopt a traditional service full of music and hymns. The church was purchased by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Orange back in February for $57.5 million. The church now has only three years to find a new place to worship. No announcement has been made regarding a new senior pastor within the church. The former senior pastor, Sheila Schuller Coleman, announced on Sunday that she was leaving the church to start a new church.
“This is the last Sunday we will be worshiping in this building,” Schuller Coleman said. The service at which she spoke took place at 11 a.m. and was held in the 10,000-pane glass cathedral. The cathedral was designed by Phillip Johnson, an architect.
The announcement from Schuller Coleman was made only one day after her parents announced that they were removing themselves from the board of directors for the Crystal Cathedral. Her parents are Robert H. Schuller and Arvella Schuller. The board of directors is responsible for overseeing the broadcast known as ‘Hour of Power.’ The show’s future and Crystal Cathedral Ministries, which is bankrupt, has not been publicly announced yet.
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The reason for Schuller Coleman leaving the church is the fact that her family does not have a strong relationship with the board of directors. She noted the firings of her brother-in-law and sister. Her brother-in-law, Jim Penner, was the executive producer of the show ‘Hour of Power’ since 1999.
“My entire family has been experiencing a hostile work environment,” said Schuller Coleman. Schuller Coleman was removed as the chief executive officer of the church in February for a temporary amount of time. The firings and the removal of Schuller Coleman caused the congregation to become divided.
One member of the congregation, a man named Mike Abbott, said that he would willingly follow Schuller Coleman to a new church.
“It’s a shame to see a church split like this,” he said. “I think this is the birth of a new ministry.”
Another member of the congregation, Shirley Zink, said that she was happy Schuller Coleman is no longer the senior pastor.
“We need to make everyone aware that Crystal Cathedral Ministries is continuing right here,” said Zink, 67. “I’m looking forward to a traditional church service with a choir, musicians and a great message.”
