...open up the door and where's all the people? Junior?
You know, life must be interesting at the Robert Schuller household around the holidays this time of the year.
It’s horrible being unemployed during Christmas, but even worse when your own father is the one who gave you the boot, as posted on the Wall last month.
But buck up Junior Schuller, you’re still a pastor at your old man’s church, aren’t you? Well, aren’t you?
Yeah, about that… if he can’t be TV pastor, he doesn’t want to be pastor at all, so the Junior Schuller handed his curmudgeon father his resignation to make his own ministry, according to the L.A. Times.
And evidently, the “Amway convention” motif (also posted on your friendly neighborhood Wailing Wall) is the cause behind all of this ballyhoo.
Church founder Robert H. Schuller removed his son as the sole preacher on the 39-year-old television show after the younger Schuller, three years into the job, refused to rotate his role with other pastors, the church said. “We know he’s been working diligently on plans. It’s probably a bit premature. We’re giving him plenty of time,” [some dude with the Crystal Cathedral] Mysse said. “It’s just a question of when he wants to announce it. Frankly, that’s his business.”
Sorry, Holmes. See those 10,000 people who call this church “theirs”? It’s their business too. See, if they didn’t tithe, you would be putting your Benz on hawk and settling for a Yugo like the rest of us these days.
Junior Schuller was popular – well, as popular as that boring telecast could be. But because he wouldn’t allow other people speak in his pulpit, the old man got persnickety and gave him a pink slip.Can you blame him? What pastor shares his pulpit on a bi-weekly basis with evangelists?! Once every other month, sure. Bi-weekly, no chance.
And so he’s off to find his own “Hour of Power” – scorned, hurting and free from dear ol’ Dad’s ire.
I’m sure they will be back on speaking terms by next Thanksgiving and Christmas, but I’ll tell you this. When Junior Schuller does strike his own TV deal, don’t be looking for Dad to grace that pulpit anytime soon. I hear Junior just doesn’t roll that way, regardless the coot who wants to speak.
Tags: business, Church, compromise, denominations, evangelism, family, homeless, identity, megachurch, ministry, relationship, Robert Schuller, televangelist, TV
WELL ALL I CAN SAY THE GOSPEL WILL BE PREACHED
I’m a Catholic but I enjoyed the sermons from Robert Schuller Jr when I got the opportunity to listen to them. I was disappointed to see him leave the TV program. I will be looking forward to listening to him again if he gets a TV program of his own. The only way to show Dad Schuller he has made a mistake is by not contributing to his ministry, that’ll do it! The daughter leaves me turning the channel.
Being a preacher’s kid I can tell you that the preacher has very little to do with decisions made behind closed doors. Their is always a board of directors, trustees, deacons and others in a larger church that make these decisions. I don’t believe for a minute that this was the father or son’s decision. There is more than meets the eye here and we may never know truly what decisions were made. Both men are broken hearted and we as chrisitians should not make judgement when we only know part of the story. Who among us is perfect and who will throw the first stone? I pray that things at the Crystal Cathedral will be put into God’s hands and get on track with what the Bible teaches us about love. From what I’ve heard in recent weeks, there has been nothing said by the visiting pastors that can be questioned. They have been biblical, inspiring messages.
Lois Appel- Author-’Tales of the Hen House Preacher’
I think it is a total disgrace the selfish way “Dad Schuller” has treated his son under the name of religion. I think the elderly Schuller should have taken his old hands off and let his son run the ministry the way he should. I would say Robert H. Schuller was jealous of his own son. I am disillusioned with this sort of so-called-religion. Mary E. Warke
I think when this was turned over to the son..he should not of come back and taken it back over. It is much more interesting and fun when Robert Jr, was there in charge. I liked his fresh ideas,and his humor. I have not looked at the show once since he got the ax.