Megachurch Megabegs for Megabucks
I’m not sure this is going to save the day: Speaking to Crystal Cathedral congregants for the first time Sunday after the megachurch filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, founder Robert H. Schuller sent out an emotional plea for help. Schuller, 84, talked about a tornado that flattened his father’s cornfield and home in Iowa when he was a teenager. He said his father was the only farmer who rebuilt. “I learned from my father that tough times never last,” Schuller bellowed, his voice echoing across the glass house. “Tough people do.” Schuller’s voice choked up with emotion as he told worshippers that his church has faced several challenges over the last 60 years. “I need more help from you,” he said. “If you are a tither, become a double-tither. If you are not a tither, become a tither. This ministry has earned your trust. This ministry has earned your help.” His daughter, Sheila Schuller Coleman, who heads the ministry with her father, explained to congregants why the church is in debt and why they had to file for bankruptcy protection. “Our debt, including our $36-million mortgage, is close to $50 million,” she said. It’s a shame they put so much money and effort into the edifice, which I will always believe Bob Schuller intended as his memorial, much as the Matterhorn
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on October 25, 2010. Filed under