Even the Crystal Cathedral Is Tightening Its Belt

This past year our offerings declined noticeably at our rural church, yet such a decrease in giving hit many churches in a down economy. It even hit the mighty Crystal Cathedral, the 10,000-member shrine of Dr. Robert Schuller. After decades of seemingly unlimited growth and outward success, the Cathedral is now forced to tighten its financial belt to ride out the economic slump. Lay offs, selling of property, and cutbacks in the airing of the once popular Hour of Power all signal a turn in the fortunes of a ministry many once looked upon as the model church growth congregation. According to a recent AP article the Rev. Dr. Sheila Schuller Coleman, Dr. Robert Schuller's daughter and the church's recently appointed leader, admitted that "the era of blockbuster televangelists is fading and viewership is declining even as the age of the average viewer creeps upward." "I can't imagine anybody younger than 40 watching some sort of televangelist," she said.

Indeed, it is the passing of an era. In some respects one might applaud such a passing, considering the incredible impact these televangelists had on the rank and file membership of our churches streaming into the privacy of their homes through their TV sets. Consider the countless Lutherans, for example, who had their personal outlook on faith shaped by such TV giants as Baptist Billy Graham and his signature altar call with "Just As I Am" lilting gently through the massive stadium. Dr. Schuller's impact on Lutherans was equally damaging as he preached pop psychology and led so many from the arms of Christ to trust instead in their own confused hearts. Synergism and Pelagianism replaced good theology at every turn. It was virturally impossible to stem the tide of their influence.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Firefighter's Cross

Image
[Note: A similar article to this will be shared with my department at their next meeting. During this Lenten season when we are meditating on the significance and meaning of the Passion of our Lord and the Cross at Golgotha, it seemed like one way to offer a witness to the department that captured their interest and yet was not too heavy.] [Editorial Note: In response to a recent comment on this article I have made some changes to the original version of this article especially in regard to references to the so-called St. Florian's Cross. For any confusion the previous unreferenced information may have caused I apologize. I hope that the changes are satisfactory.] THE STORY OF THE MALTESE CROSS In many ways the familiar symbol to the right requires no explanation. It is the universal insignia of firefighting nationwide. Yet the precise origins of this symbol are less clear. The most popular explanation proposes its beginning in the far distant past of medieval Crusaders fi...
Read more

Historical Roots of the Warham Guild Hood

Image
In doing just a little checking on the internet, it's interesting to see how the Warham Guild hood, which I have as part of my STM degree attire, is actually a throwback to the Medieval hood. One article notes "the work of the Warham Guild in its imaginative renderings of medieval hoods" (reference is from here ). Again, here is my hood: The Medieval hood, which was originally a very practical outer garment to cover a person's head and shoulders, protecting both from the elements, bears striking resemblance to this revived form: This hood was also a part of the garb of monks in that era. The Medieval hood, in some cases, also had what is known as a "liripipe," a long tail hanging from the back of a hood. You can see the modern stylized version of this on my own hood. From an article on "Academic hood development" we read that "By 1463 the favourite dress of doctors was the hood with round bell-shaped cape, and the lir...
Read more

Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed

Image
According to a recent documentary, for all the talk about academic freedom in the world of the large American university system, it would seem that it extends only as far as the system defines it - especially with regards to the subject of origins and science. Noted speechwriter Ben Stein stars as host of the film Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed. Dr. Angus Menuge, professor of philosophy at CUW, highlights the film in an article included in the Concordia University - Wisconsin magazine Concordian , including some seemingly revealing details about the expulsion of talented scientists who apparently were ‘expelled‘ from their positions for mentioning the theory of Intelligent Design: “In the current climate, even when academicians have a relevant doctorate and a track-record of peer-reviewed publication, their careers suffer if they argue that the scientific evidence points to an intelligent source involved in the creation of the world. In 1992, Dean Kenyon, a biology professor at ...
Read more