Forum Views ()
Forum Replies ()
Read more with google mobile :
Crystal Cathedral makes deep cuts
Yahoo!
My Yahoo!
Mail
More Yahoo! Services
Account Options
New User? Sign Up
Sign In
Help
Yahoo! Search
web search
Home
Singapore
Asia Pacific
World
Business
Entertainment
Sports
Technology
Africa
Europe
Latin America
Middle East
North America
Crystal Cathedral makes deep cuts
By GILLIAN FLACCUS,Associated Press Writer -
Sunday, January 31
Send
IM Story
Print
GARDEN GROVE, Calif. – Blaming a struggling U.S. economy, the megachurch founded by Robert H. Schuller Sr. is pulling its signature TV program "Hour of Power" and taking other measures to offset a nearly $8 million drop in revenue.
"Hour of Power," which has aired for 40 years, will continue to appear on cable networks such as Lifetime and TBN, and on broadcast TV in markets including California, Colorado, Florida and Ohio, said John Charles, director of development and public relations.
"If we can just hang in there and be smart about surviving the downturn in the economy, this storm will pass and we will be OK and we can begin to grow again as a ministry," Sheila Schuller Coleman, Schuller's daughter and the church's recently appointed leader, said in a prepared statement.
The church saw revenue drop 27 percent from roughly $30 million in 2008 to $22 million in 2009, church spokesman Mike Nason told The Associated Press. The church had projected an 18 percent revenue drop.
Church leaders blamed the decline on the struggling U.S. economy. They intend to save $4.9 million and stave off further financial collapse by selling 170 acres in southern Orange County, including a retreat and wedding center, laying off 50 employees and cutting "Hour of Power" from eight of the 45 domestic broadcast TV stations that air it.
Church officials declined to name the cities where the program would be cut because station managers have not yet been notified.
The 10,000-member church will also cancel this year's "Glory of Easter" pageant, which attracts thousands of visitors and is a regional holiday staple along with the church's "Glory of Christmas" show.
The disclosure mirrors the troubles in recent months at other megachurches that have suffered from the downturn and reduced charitable giving.
Rick Warren, best-selling author and founder of Saddleback Church, made an appeal on New Year's Eve for urgent donations after finding his organization was nearly $1 million in the red. Parishioners raised $2.4 million for Saddleback and its ministries within days.
The Crystal Cathedral doesn't expect a similar outpouring from its members or viewers of "Hour of Power."
"It would be nice, but we understand the economy and people are hurting and our audience are not rich people," Charles said. "There's a lot of people on fixed incomes and they're giving what they can."
That aging membership base, along with the bad economy, could be a big part of the Crystal Cathedral's problem, said Richard Flory, a senior research associate for the Center for Religion & Civic Culture at the University of Southern California.
The era of blockbuster televangelists is fading and viewership is declining even as the age of the average viewer creeps upward, he said.
"I can't imagine anybody younger than 40 watching some sort of televangelist," he said. "Younger people are worshipping in smaller venues. I think the megachurch is always going to appeal to groups of people, but the television piece of it, I just don't see that as a growth market anymore."
The church, founded more than 50 years ago, and its internationally known telecast have been bleeding dollars and members for years _ a trend that accelerated when Schuller Sr. stepped down and passed his senior pastor role to his son, Robert A. Schuller Jr.
Schuller Jr. became engaged in a bitter family feud, disappeared from "Hour of Power" broadcasts and abruptly left the church in 2008, less than three years after he took over for his father.
Schuller Jr. announced his own weekly show on AmericanLife TV Network last summer. Coleman, his sister, was appointed as the ministry's top administrator.
"Hour of Power" changed formats, with Coleman and her father appearing on the show with a stable of up to six guest pastors. Last year, Schuller Sr. pleaded for donations in an open letter posted on the church's Web site, saying the final months of 2008 were devastating.
Nason rejected the idea that the losses were the result of turbulence among leadership. A random survey last fall of nearly 700 members showed the departure of Schuller Jr. was not a factor in reduced giving, he said.
"What was significant was the economic downturn, and they were giving 30 to 40 percent less dollars to the ministry in 2009 than they did in 2008," he said.
Flory, the professor, said the economy undoubtedly plays a large role in the church's troubles _ but the leadership changes at the top don't help keep viewers tuned in.
"The turbulence at the top blows up and nobody's ever heard of the daughter," he said. "I think since the beginning it's been pretty much an entertainment, feel-good place and it probably doesn't feel very good right now."
The Crystal Cathedral has a storied history.
Schuller Sr., now 83, first formulated his outreach to the unchurched in the mid-1950s when he opened a ministry at a drive-in theater in the suburbs of Orange County that catered to Southern California's emerging car culture. He pulled people in with his sermons on the power of positive thinking.
The little church later grew into the Crystal Cathedral, a worship hall with a soaring glass spire that opened in 1970 and remains an architectural wonder and tourist destination.
The "Hour of Power" telecast, filmed in the cathedral's main sanctuary, at one point attracted 1.3 million viewers in 156 countries. Charles said he didn't know what viewership is now but suspected it's lower.
Nason said the property to be sold is a church campus in southern Orange County known as Rancho Capistrano.
About 150 acres of the property _ including 80 acres of open space _ are already in escrow, he said.
The remaining 20 acres, which contain a spiritual retreat center with hotel rooms, a church building, acres of gardens and a Spanish mission-style hacienda popular for weddings, will also go on sale.
The Family Life Center on Crystal Cathedral's main property in Garden Grove, has been on the market for a year with no buyers, Charles said.
Employees who will be laid off received pink slips Friday and were given 60 days notice, he said.
____
On the Net:
Crystal Cathedral: http://www.crystalcathedral.org
Recommend
Send
IM Story
Print
Related Articles
UK-World Summary Reuters - 36 minutes ago
Indian hero Gandhi's ashes scattered off South Africa coast Reuters - 36 minutes ago
Yemen rebels offer truce with government - report Reuters - 41 minutes ago
Al Qaeda man captured wearing bomb belt - Yemen Reuters - 1 hour 4 minutes ago
Former CA swim coach gets 40 years for molestation AP - 1 hour 24 minutes ago
News Search
Top Stories
Bankers resigned to reform after Davos bust-up
State debt to become 'biggest problem': IMF chief
Got a decision to make? Have some sugar, study says
US angers China with Taiwan arms package
Argentina's central bank chief resigns amid debt row
More Top Stories »
ADVERTISEMENT
Most Popular
Most Viewed
Most Recommended
Turkish twins with different fathers 'trigger divorce'
Bankers resigned to reform after Davos bust-up
US angers China with Taiwan arms package
Blair says no regrets for removing Saddam
Disease spreads in quake-hit Haiti
More Most Viewed »
Woman who saved Anne Frank's diary dead at 100
Scientists praise Obama as Doomsday clock reset
More Most Recommended »
Elsewhere on Yahoo!
Financial news on Yahoo! Finance
Stars and latest movies
Best travel destinations
More on Yahoo! News
Home
Singapore
Asia Pacific
World
Business
Entertainment
Sports
Technology
Subscribe to our news feeds
Top StoriesMy Yahoo!RSS
» More news feeds | What are news feeds?
Also on Yahoo
Answers
Groups
Mail
Messenger
Mobile
Travel
Finance
Movies
Sports
Games
» All Yahoo! Services
Site Highlights
Singapore
Full Coverage
Most Popular
Asia Entertainment
Photos
Copyright © 2010 Yahoo! Southeast Asia Pte. Ltd. (Co. Reg. No. 199700735D). All Rights Reserved.
Terms of Service |
Privacy Policy |
Community |
Intellectual Property Rights Policy |
Help
Other News on Saturday, 30 January 2010 Israel blamed for killing of top Hamas militant in Dubai
Twitter cannot confirm China block
Gates pledges 10 billion dollars for 'miracle' vaccines
German chip maker Infineon raises full-year outlook
Hamas: Israel assassinated operative in Dubai
US GDP surges to 5.7 percent, led by business
Twitter users ask: What will Bin Laden address next?
US economy grew at 5.7% in fourth quarter
Greek PM says austerity pain must be shared
Latin America rejects old U.S. approach in drugs war
|
Gates pledges $10 bln for vaccines for poor
Amazon blows by estimates, sees strong first quarter
Deal elusive in Northern Ireland devolution talks
|
Turkish twins with different fathers 'trigger divorce'
Microsoft profit beats on strong Windows 7 sales
Turkey offers to resume Israel-Syria mediation
|
Estonia shames errant fathers in cyberspace
Concorde trial starts ten years after crash
|
Hong Kong apartment building collapses, 3 killed
'Princess and Frog' pendants recalled for cadmium
Phoenix-area policeman killed, 2 suspects wounded
US pressures China on Iran sanctions
Obama spells out differences with GOP on energy
Sri Lankan police raid defeated candidate's office
China issues proposals to ease land seizure disputes
Nokia, Motorola win smartphone share; outlook weighs
|
Obama supports line-item veto for spending bills
Cambodian opposition leader's trial 'a farce': rights group
Secrecy of US drone strikes in Pakistan criticized
Act of Congress paved way for Saints, Super Bowl
New China-Tibet talks show slight policy shift
Obama defends economic policies at GOP conclave
ACORN foe: Phone scheme meant to embarrass senator
Defense Dept. To Give Congress Plan For Repealing 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell'
Study: "We" Have Happier Marriages
Three killed in Hong Kong building collapse: reports
Obama issues new rules on mental health coverage
Apple Garners Record Quarter; Sells 8.7 Million iPhones
Japan's Fujitsu says it made first 'iPad'
Remains Identified As Missing Va. Tech Student
Coast Guard flies 2 turtles from Oregon to Calif.
Obama proposes his first arms sales to Taiwan
New Toyota recall sees global tally near eight million
'Avatar' no substitute for Chekhov: Medvedev
China auto makers must merge before adding plants: report
Japan's auto output shrinks 30 percent in 2009: body
Japan's Toshiba sees loss narrow in third quarter
Financial crisis fuelled power shift to east, Davos hears
India's Tata Motors swings into third quarter profit
Tata Motors profits surge, but input costs a worry
Honda recall deals fresh blow to Japanese makers
Toyota to recall 'up to 1.8m' cars in Europe
Travolta says faith helped him get through son's death
|
Polanski won't be at Berlin despite featured film
|
US-ENTERTAINMENT Summary
Son of Escobar pleas for peace in Sundance film
|
Son of Escobar pleas for peace in Sundance film
Report: Indonesian military runs illegal logging
'Avatar' no substitute for Chekhov: Medvedev
World celebrates Russia's immortal Chekhov at 150
|
Sweden's second city plans road toll to cut traffic
Spain moves to raise retirement age to 67
Beyonce heads to Grammy's with 10 nominations
Stephanopoulos learns of genetic link to a Clinton
Travolta says faith helped him through son's death
Singer Etta James hospitalized with infection
Blair says no regrets for removing Saddam
US Holocaust survivors slam Mussolini iPhone app
U.S. suspends medical evacuations from Haiti
|
US angers China with Taiwan arms package
NATO troops clash with Afghan army
|
Hamas: Israel kills top operative in Dubai
Cyber crooks cashing in on iPad frenzy
US-TECH Summary
Argentina's central bank chief resigns amid debt row
Redesigned IBM exhibit opens at Disney World
Iran, IAEA say nuclear proposal still on table
|
Disease spreads in quake-hit Haiti
Blair says no regrets for removing Saddam
WikiLeaks shuts due to lack of funds, hopes to be back soon
Turkey offers to resume Israel-Syria mediation
|
Climate: The long and winding road after Copenhagen
Google boss worries about teen reading
SKorea confirms 6th outbreak of foot-and-mouth
Malaysia's Anwar doesn't expect sodomy conviction
Redesigned IBM exhibit opens at Disney World
|
Indonesian gambling convicts escape before caning
Report: Detained American seeks asylum in NKorea
Weather forecast for the Asia-Pacific region
2 US soldiers, 1 civilian killed in Afghanistan
Taiwan tourism growth tops Asia on China boom: report
Malaysian blogger charged with insulting royalty
Southeastern US gets ready for icy, snowy weekend
SKorea leader says he's ready to meet NKorea's Kim
State to probe birth defects spike in Calif. town
Four killed in Hong Kong building collapse
Hawaii nixes same-sex civil unions bill
Police: Utah teacher fatally shot in parking lot
Marshall Islands in TB health emergency
White House eyes retreat from NY 9/11 trial
Ga. firefighters sacked over deadly fire response
Backlash may move 9/11 terror trial from Manhattan
Pakistani c.bank buys 87.7 bln rupees of govt paper
Roy Orbison gets Hollywood Walk of Fame star
Toyota chief apologises for massive vehicle recall
Rejected or not, Super Bowl ads generate buzz
|
Mixtapes land deals for new generation of rappers
|
Music industry prepares for post-merger landscape
|
Townshend happy to carry boomer flag at Super Bowl
|
Docu celebrates 40th anniversary of Soul Train
|
Son of Escobar pleas for peace in Sundance film
|
R&B singer Etta James hospitalized with infection
|
Tops chefs ditch molecules and embrace producers
Music industry prepares for post-merger landscape
Docu celebrates 40th anniversary of "Soul Train"
Townshend happy to carry boomer flag at Super Bowl
Music world readies for its big event
Roy Orbison gets Hollywood Walk of Fame star
NJ woman fined for 'Real Housewives' hair pull
Designer Anand Jon faces new sex charges in NYC
Idaho ski resort owned by Bruce Willis reopens
Obama's Export Goal Met With Skepticism
Al-Qaida group claims crime lab bombing in Baghdad
Iran puts 16 anti-government protesters on trial
Two held after aircraft toilet fire in China's Xinjiang
|
Taliban deny meeting UN envoy for Afghan peace talks
'New ideas' raised on Iran nuclear fuel: Iran FM
Taliban deny meeting UN envoy to talk peace in Afghanistan
2 US soldiers, 1 civilian killed in Afghanistan: NATO
The nation's weather
Pentagon starts clock on lifting gay ban
Critics raise specter of foreign campaign spending
China to suspend military exchanges with U.S.
Swift murder conviction in abortion doctor's death
Former San Jose swim coach sentenced
Japan urged to resolve child custody disputes
4 Afghan troops killed by possible friendly fire
Two held after aircraft toilet fire in China's Xinjiang
S.Korea watches N.Korea for further 'provocations'
Officials: 2 Afghan troops killed in firing
Officials: US missiles kill 9 Taliban in Pakistan
Malaysian Hindus celebrate festival amid tensions
240,000 short of water in southern China drought
12 dead, 20 missing as boat capsizes in India
Apple takes a bruising over iPad name
A fifth of Indonesian politicians avoid taxes
Iranian taekwondo star in spotlight at Sundance
`Jersey Shore' to return for 2nd season
Mixtapes land deals for new generation of rappers
Iran puts 16 protesters on trial
Got a decision to make? Have some sugar, study says
State debt to become 'biggest problem': IMF chief
China Halts Military Exchanges With U.S., To Sanction Firms Selling Arms To Taiwan
Interpreter kills 2 U.S. soldiers in Afghanistan
|
Sheik threatens voter boycott over ballot purge
Obama Reiterates Spending Freeze, Cut Deficit, Create Jobs
Libya, Russia agree $1.8 billion arms deal: Putin
|
Obama Plan Would Give Small Businesses Tax Credit For Adding Jobs
Yemen rebels offer truce with government: report
|
Indian hero Gandhi's ashes scattered off South Africa coast
|
Italian magistrates walk out, say PM is aggressive
|
Iran warns protesters as post-vote trial starts
|
Northern Irish power-sharing talks set for sixth day
|
Pakistan: 21 dead in suicide bomb, US missile hit
China suspends military exchanges with US
9 die in suicide bombing in northwest Pakistan
China freezes US military ties, sanctions arms firms
Bomb blast in NW Pakistan kills 14
Obama, George H.W. Bush to meet at White House
Nine dead in blast in NW Pakistan
Report: Military airlift of quake victims halted
US announces $6.4 billion in arms sales to Taiwan
Report: China suspends military exchanges with US
Crystal Cathedral makes deep cuts
Russian border guards fire at Japanese fishing boats
Malaysian Hindus celebrate colourful Thaipusam festival
Vietnamese dissidents 'appeal jail terms'
India 3G auction may be delayed again: reports
Pakistani rupee falls to new low of 85.08 to dollar
Greece at new risk of being pushed off euro
Bodies of missing Tenn. mom, Jo Ann Bain, and daughter found
Female Breasts Are Bigger Than Ever
AMD Trinity Accelerated Processing Units Now in Volume Production
The Avengers (2012 film), made the second biggest opening- and single-day gross of all-time
AMD to Start Production of piledriver
Ivy Bridge Quad-Core, Four-Thread Desktop CPUs
Islamists Protest Lady Gaga's Concert in Indonesia
Japan Successfully Broadcasts an 8K Signal Over the Air
ECB boosts loans to 1 trillion Euro to stop credit crunch
Egypt : Mohammed Morsi won with 52 percent
What do you call 100,000 Frenchmen with their hands up
AMD Launches AMD Embedded R-Series APU Platform
Fed Should not Ignore Emerging Market Crisis
Fed casts shadow over India, emerging markets
Why are Chinese tourists so rude? A few insights