Crystal Cathedral

Garden Grove, CA October 26, 2008

America’s Television Church ― The Church of Tomorrow

By Dr. Robert H. Schuller

It is no secret to any of you that my son, Robert, and I have been struggling as we each have different ideas as to the direction and the vision for this ministry as we move into the future. For this lack of shared vision and the jeopardy in which this is placing this entire ministry, it has become necessary for Robert and me to part ways in the Hour of Power television ministry to each pursue our own unique God-ordained visions.

For over thirty years, my son and I have nearly exclusively served as the face and voice of the Hour of Power, America’s Television Church. But today, I realize that as America’s Television Church, we need to extend the pulpit of the Hour of Power to serve as a platform for the greatest preachers in the world and this is the exciting news we share with you today.

Forty years ago, we founded the trend-setting Institute for Successful Church Leadership. The ministers who attended those institutes went on to build amazing ministries that transcended mine. The pride that I have felt for these men is akin to the pride that a teacher feels when the accomplishments of the students surpass those of the mentor. Their ministries are renowned and they each have built megachurches that are transforming thousands of lives. For some time now, I have been eager to introduce these preachers on our weekly-televised worship service, as well as others who are powerful voices for Jesus Christ:

• Bill Hybels of Willow Creek Community Church in a Chicago suburb (weekly attendance of over 20,000).

• Kirbyjon Caldwell of Windsor Village United Methodist Church in Houston, Texas (14,000 members).

• Walt Kallestad of Community Church of Joy in Glendale, Arizona (12,000 members).

• Juan Carlos Ortiz, one of the world’s premier evangelists who is credited for influencing the revivals sweeping Latin America including Columbia, Argentina, Chile, Peru, and Guatemala, where tens of thousands are accepting Christ each year.

I am so proud of these men and many, many others whose ministries have transcended mine! As a churchman, first and foremost, my goal in life was to build the church of Jesus Christ with our unique positive message and inspire other pastors to build their churches also.

Now, I feel called by God to build bridges between Crystal Cathedral Ministries and these other powerful ministries. “There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism…” (Ephesians 3:4,5).

I want to continue to share these amazing preachers with the world by sharing the powerful televised platform of the Hour of Power with them. I want my faithful followers on the Hour of Power throughout America to get to know them and to not just hear their messages of hope and inspiration once, but throughout the years to come.

No longer will the Hour of Power be the voice and face of just one or two individuals. We are now going to continue to embrace and celebrate the best of the best by inviting them to share our pulpit with us. Watch for more and more of them and others in the upcoming months of 2009!

I will continue to host the weekly service and also preach from time to time. All the services will continue to be broadcast from the world-renowned Crystal Cathedral with our great tradition of the most beautiful church music in the world. And, of course, we will continue to bring amazing inspirational interviews, living testimonies of God’s power every week.

I believe that this is God’s dream. And with this new vision, we can guarantee for years to come that our viewers will always receive the best message of hope and inspiration possible.

Downloadable Document Format

• ATC Dr. Schuller.pdf — America’s Television Church ― The Church of Tomorrow

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