"GARDEN GROVE, Calif. (AP) — A Roman Catholic diocese made a $50 million cash offer to buy Southern California's financially struggling Crystal Cathedral, officials said Friday."
http://www.usatoday.com/news/religion/2011-07-23-Crystal-Cathedral-Catholic_n.htm?csp=34&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Religion-TopStories+%28News+-+Religion+-+Top+Stories%29
Bob Schuler, Sr., reared in a Confessional Reformed context, became a national figure in America with his "Hour of Power" broadcast from the famed "Crystal Cathedral." Bob was ordained in the Reformed Church in America (RCA). He is 84 years old. Bob Sr. has through the years preached a disfigured, non-Reformed and Pelagianized non-Gospel.
Billy Graham, whom President Bush called the nation's Pastor, and Schuler Sr. crowed a few years back in public that everyone trying to live according to the light of nature would be saved, whether they believed in Christ or not. Schuler Sr."enthused" and "crowed" over Billy's statement. Schuler, Sr., was shocked and asked Graham again if he heard him right. Graham reitered his point and Schuler Sr. said: "I'm so glad to hear you say that, `There really is a wideness in God's mercy,'" to which Graham said, "Yes, there is." In this respect, Schuler, Sr., Billy Graham, and Vatican II agree.
Schuler, Sr., also had a catty and snarky exchange with Dr. Mike Horton in a radio interview in which Dr. Horton pressed Schuler about "itching ears" and "false doctrine." Schuler, Sr., was rather intolerant and bumptious re: Dr. Horton's inquiry.
This scribe recalls one "Hour of Power" broadcast years ago. Rev. Schuler, Sr., had his uncle on to speak. The uncle was an old school Churchman and Minister trained in the old school of Princeton Calvinism. This scribe remembers the reference to that. The uncle spoke eloquently and kindly about God's mercies, our sins, Christ's atonement, Christ's justifying mercies alone, and then gave his personal testimony as to how Christ had saved him and that, "day by day," he loved his Saviour and Lord. The pulpit tension between Rev. Schuler and his uncle was palpable. Rev. Schuler was trying to butt into the conversation and end it.
Also, and this goes back to the early 90s in Norfolk, VA, at Christ Reformed Episcopal Church. A longtime member and supporter of Crystal Cathedral had moved to Norfolk. She was considering joining Christ REC. She attended the home Bible study, but could not accept original sin, justification and related doctrines. This scribe remembers her saying, "We never learned this at Crystal Cathedral." She did what unbelievers do by nature, choose freely according to their natures. We never heard from her again.
Also, Schuler Sr. brought his son Robert Schuler, Jr., into the ministry at the Crystal Cathedral. Bob Jr. became the leading speaker on the national program. Bob Jr., a graduate of Fuller Seminary, preached evangelical messages on repentance, justifiying faith, and justification. That was a substantial contrast and conflict with his father. Baptisms went up. The national program featured people expressing their faith, again, shown on national and international television. He also telecasted the Lord's Supper, something never seen through the years on "The Hour of Power." The father pulled junior from the church over "philosophic differences." Bob Jr. pulled out of the Cathedral Church, moved up the street, and founded a RCA church. There must be some interesting discussions in that regional classis (the Dutch term for presbytery).
Then, with Junior gone, Bob Sr. put his 50-somethingish daughter in charge of the pulpit and church. She wasn't much theologically or even in terms of pulpit presence. From this scribe's view, the daughter was quite poor theologically. The numbers were sinking. Then, she, the daughter, decided to switch from traditional music--at which the Cathedral was rather good--to Christian Contemporary-Praise Band-Gospel, but the father was appalled. In response, the daughter, being a board member, had her father ousted from the board.
According to news reports, Mrs. Schuler Sr, the mother, remained on the Board of Directors, but refused and still refuses to attend the Board meetings.
Half the congregation left over the worship changes. Numbers and donations went down. Cyrstal Cathedral entered bankruptcy proceedings. Several offers have been made to purchase the land and property. The leading offer is from the Romanist diocese of Southern Califoria.
Bob Sr.'s positive thinking and upbeat confidence must be in the tank these days. Perhaps he should write a book, "From Positive Thinking to Despairing Thinking." His entire effort of decades has failed. The Reformed Church in America must share blame for the failure to discipline (over the decades) the theological errors, misrepresentations, and defamations of God and the Gospel by the
Rev. Mr. Schuler, Sr..
Rev. Schuler, a reasonable person would infer, might be sunken in disappointment. Again, a reasonable person would infer that there are family issues for Rev. Schuler that are outstanding: a son removed from the ministry, a daughter removing Rev. Schuler Sr. from the board and ministry, the mother refusing to attend Board meetings, bankrupty proceedings and the selling of the Cathedral. Family holidays might have tense moments.
One take-away, the glitz, glamour, notoriety, fame, and visibility can disappear with speed--the Final Assize will publish or republish the judgment already apparent on this ministry. Bob Sr. had left the Sovereign God of his fathers and forefathers decades ago. He turned his back on the covenanted mercies and grace conveyed and promised to him in his baptism, confirmed to him in his confirmation, and reiterated repeatedly in his subsequent readings and studies in Reformed Theology, notably, through John Calvin. (Rev. Schuler, Sr., did a Master's thesis on John Calvin.) "The decrees of God are his eternal purposes, whereby, for His own glory, he foreordains whatsover comes to pass" (Westminster Shorter Catechism).
http://www.usatoday.com/news/religion/2011-07-23-Crystal-Cathedral-Catholic_n.htm?csp=34&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Religion-TopStories+%28News+-+Religion+-+Top+Stories%29
Bob Schuler, Sr., reared in a Confessional Reformed context, became a national figure in America with his "Hour of Power" broadcast from the famed "Crystal Cathedral." Bob was ordained in the Reformed Church in America (RCA). He is 84 years old. Bob Sr. has through the years preached a disfigured, non-Reformed and Pelagianized non-Gospel.
Billy Graham, whom President Bush called the nation's Pastor, and Schuler Sr. crowed a few years back in public that everyone trying to live according to the light of nature would be saved, whether they believed in Christ or not. Schuler Sr."enthused" and "crowed" over Billy's statement. Schuler, Sr., was shocked and asked Graham again if he heard him right. Graham reitered his point and Schuler Sr. said: "I'm so glad to hear you say that, `There really is a wideness in God's mercy,'" to which Graham said, "Yes, there is." In this respect, Schuler, Sr., Billy Graham, and Vatican II agree.
Schuler, Sr., also had a catty and snarky exchange with Dr. Mike Horton in a radio interview in which Dr. Horton pressed Schuler about "itching ears" and "false doctrine." Schuler, Sr., was rather intolerant and bumptious re: Dr. Horton's inquiry.
This scribe recalls one "Hour of Power" broadcast years ago. Rev. Schuler, Sr., had his uncle on to speak. The uncle was an old school Churchman and Minister trained in the old school of Princeton Calvinism. This scribe remembers the reference to that. The uncle spoke eloquently and kindly about God's mercies, our sins, Christ's atonement, Christ's justifying mercies alone, and then gave his personal testimony as to how Christ had saved him and that, "day by day," he loved his Saviour and Lord. The pulpit tension between Rev. Schuler and his uncle was palpable. Rev. Schuler was trying to butt into the conversation and end it.
Also, and this goes back to the early 90s in Norfolk, VA, at Christ Reformed Episcopal Church. A longtime member and supporter of Crystal Cathedral had moved to Norfolk. She was considering joining Christ REC. She attended the home Bible study, but could not accept original sin, justification and related doctrines. This scribe remembers her saying, "We never learned this at Crystal Cathedral." She did what unbelievers do by nature, choose freely according to their natures. We never heard from her again.
Also, Schuler Sr. brought his son Robert Schuler, Jr., into the ministry at the Crystal Cathedral. Bob Jr. became the leading speaker on the national program. Bob Jr., a graduate of Fuller Seminary, preached evangelical messages on repentance, justifiying faith, and justification. That was a substantial contrast and conflict with his father. Baptisms went up. The national program featured people expressing their faith, again, shown on national and international television. He also telecasted the Lord's Supper, something never seen through the years on "The Hour of Power." The father pulled junior from the church over "philosophic differences." Bob Jr. pulled out of the Cathedral Church, moved up the street, and founded a RCA church. There must be some interesting discussions in that regional classis (the Dutch term for presbytery).
Then, with Junior gone, Bob Sr. put his 50-somethingish daughter in charge of the pulpit and church. She wasn't much theologically or even in terms of pulpit presence. From this scribe's view, the daughter was quite poor theologically. The numbers were sinking. Then, she, the daughter, decided to switch from traditional music--at which the Cathedral was rather good--to Christian Contemporary-Praise Band-Gospel, but the father was appalled. In response, the daughter, being a board member, had her father ousted from the board.
According to news reports, Mrs. Schuler Sr, the mother, remained on the Board of Directors, but refused and still refuses to attend the Board meetings.
Half the congregation left over the worship changes. Numbers and donations went down. Cyrstal Cathedral entered bankruptcy proceedings. Several offers have been made to purchase the land and property. The leading offer is from the Romanist diocese of Southern Califoria.
Bob Sr.'s positive thinking and upbeat confidence must be in the tank these days. Perhaps he should write a book, "From Positive Thinking to Despairing Thinking." His entire effort of decades has failed. The Reformed Church in America must share blame for the failure to discipline (over the decades) the theological errors, misrepresentations, and defamations of God and the Gospel by the
Rev. Mr. Schuler, Sr..
Rev. Schuler, a reasonable person would infer, might be sunken in disappointment. Again, a reasonable person would infer that there are family issues for Rev. Schuler that are outstanding: a son removed from the ministry, a daughter removing Rev. Schuler Sr. from the board and ministry, the mother refusing to attend Board meetings, bankrupty proceedings and the selling of the Cathedral. Family holidays might have tense moments.
One take-away, the glitz, glamour, notoriety, fame, and visibility can disappear with speed--the Final Assize will publish or republish the judgment already apparent on this ministry. Bob Sr. had left the Sovereign God of his fathers and forefathers decades ago. He turned his back on the covenanted mercies and grace conveyed and promised to him in his baptism, confirmed to him in his confirmation, and reiterated repeatedly in his subsequent readings and studies in Reformed Theology, notably, through John Calvin. (Rev. Schuler, Sr., did a Master's thesis on John Calvin.) "The decrees of God are his eternal purposes, whereby, for His own glory, he foreordains whatsover comes to pass" (Westminster Shorter Catechism).
