Crystal Cathedral goes Tango-Uniform...

[onager]

This was posted in LBN and multiple times in GD, but not in here.

Among all the TV preachers, I always found the oleaginous Bob Schuller to be one of the most annoying. His whole schtick was nothing but Norman Vincent Peale with mo' Jesus.

Crystal Cathedral teeters on the edge

GARDEN GROVE, Calif. – Capitalizing on the emerging car culture of Southern California in the 1950s, the Rev. Robert H. Schuller started a drive-in church and built it into an international televangelist empire, symbolized by the soaring glass Crystal Cathedral and its weekly "Hour of Power" show.

Now Schuller's life's work is crumbling.

Citing debts of more than $43 million, the organization declared bankruptcy this week in a collapse blamed by some on its inability to keep up with the times and a disastrous attempt to hand the church over to Schuller's son...

Church leaders blame their predicament almost entirely on the recession, saying donations and ticket sales for their holiday pageants began to drop precipitously in 2008. The additions to the 40-acre grounds also forced the ministry to take out a mortgage that still carries a $36 million balance...

In the past two years, the church has laid off 250 of its 450 or so employees, sold its beloved retreat center, cut salaries and canceled contracts with more than 100 TV stations nationwide, Charles said.

Family members took 50 percent pay cuts this year, the church spokesman said. He would not say how much they are paid.


http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/us_crystal_cathedral_bankruptcy;

[tsuki]

1. The big scary here is also taking a hit. Donations and attendance

are down.

For years they advocated that their congregation vote against their own economic interests. They are heavy into cultural war issues. I guess they never figured that the well being of their flock was important to their own well being.

[DeSwiss]

2. Sounds like you're saying......

...people in glass cathedrals shouldn't throw stones.

;)

K&R