Schullers' rift centers on 'Hour of Power'
Different pastors and even some businessmen will host the show, the elder minister says.
The schism between the Rev. Robert H. Schuller and his son at Orange County's Crystal Cathedral arose over a disagreement about broadening the church's long-running television show, "Hour of Power," beyond a single personality -- a move opposed by the younger Schuller, pastors involved in the matter said Sunday.
The elder Schuller announced Saturday that he was removing his son, the Rev. Robert A. Schuller, as the show's only preacher three years after turning the program over to him.
The show will now be hosted by different pastors, and even businessmen, from around the country and Latin America.
"Hour of Power," which reaches 20 million people worldwide, had not been revamped in many years, according to those familiar with it.
Robert H. Schuller obliquely addressed the change during a service Sunday.
Though never referring directly to his son, he said the long-term survival of his ministry was dependent on expanding its imprint beyond the Schuller name.
"The real minister's name that we honor is Jesus, not Schuller," he said to thunderous applause.
Schuller built his worldwide ministry over a half century on the psychology of positive thinking and appealing to people turned off by the formality of traditional faiths. In contrast, his son's sermons have been full of direct references to the Bible.
"I was called to start a mission, not a church," Schuller told his audience Sunday. "There is a difference. . . . You don't try to preach . . . what is sin and what isn't sin. A mission is a place where you ask nonbelievers to come and find faith and hope and feel love. We're a mission first, a church second."
Schuller said he hoped "Hour of Power," now in its 39th year, would go on "for decades, centuries to come. Because of that, we don't want one face . . . to be a spokesman."
When he finished, he received a standing ovation. He sat down and dabbed tears from his eyes.
In a brief interview, Schuller said that replacing his son on "Hour of Power," a formidable fundraising source, had nothing to do with church finances.
"I love my son and am proud of my son," he said, adding that the younger Schuller will continue to work as a Crystal Cathedral senior pastor.
Asked whether his son wanted to turn the Crystal Cathedral into a church rather than a mission, Schuller declined to answer, then said, "But I think it is a wise question."
- Schuller to Air Spiritual Programs in Soviet Union Nov 24, 1990
- Schuller Hands His Son Keys to Crystal Cathedral Jan 02, 2006
- 'Hour of Power' - Schuller Plans Sharp Cuts as Donations Lag May 04, 1988
