Empires built by men always crumble. Mr Schuller built a personal empire that was un-biblical and also stepped away from preaching a Biblical Gospel. Any surprise that his empire crumbled? None!
from The Orange County Register:
Robert Harold Schuller’s ministry began on the sticky tar paper roof of a snack bar in the Orange drive-in theater on Sunday, March 27, 1955.
Choir member Anne Waltz, 25 years old at the time, remembers getting on the roof with Schuller and his wife, Arvella, who played the organ, which was also hoisted up there. The members of this first-ever drive-in church listened to the bellowing voice of their pastor through movie loudspeakers hooked on to their car windows.
“I knew then that I was in the midst of something very special,” Waltz says. “It was an exciting and inspiring time.”
The owner of the drive-in let the 28-year-old pastor rent the snack shack on Sundays for $10.
Less than 25 years after his first sermon at the drive-in, Schuller built a $16 million glass and steel architectural masterpiece – the Crystal Cathedral — that soon became one of Orange County’s top tourist attractions. By 2005, he was the head of a large congregation with an $80 million budget. By comparison, the city of Garden Grove, where the church stands, currently has an annual operating budget of about $90 million.
The church’s “Hour of Power” television show attracted 1 million viewers nationwide and millions more around the world. The “Glory of Christmas” and “Glory of Easter” pageants, featuring elaborate sets, live animals and flying angels, drew thousands each year to the cathedral. At its peak, the church had 10,000 congregants in Orange County and millions nationwide and around the world. It was sought after by such celebrities as John Wayne, Andy Griffith, pianist Roger Williams, and Evel Knievel.
But on Monday, the Cathedral filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. In addition to its financial travails, the church is faced with a crisis spurred by a rift between its founder and his son, who was meant to succeed his illustrious father. Robert A. Schuller’s departure prompted some in the congregation to leave, causing a further drop in donations and revenue. The Cathedral is also struggling to find an inspirational leader to replace its aging leader in the pulpit and make itself attractive to younger church-goers. . . . .
read the full article here.
True Discernment 
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