Crystal Cathedral megachurch files for bankruptcy

[ilovepaydays]

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/39728662...ife/?gt1=43001

Whoa. I have briefly seen this church's services on TV and I have cringed at how ornate the church looked. I have wondered if 1)the church was going to go broke, and/or 2)there are some fraud going on.

Churches are free to have whatever kind of building they wish, but I have personally felt that while a congregation should want as nice of a building that they can afford, they should be at least a little bit humble. Especially if the church wants to do outreach to the community.

I did a thread on the PI forum awhile ago about how I felt about megachurches. One of my concerns was that a lot of them tend to be overly extravagent looking. I always wondered if they grew too quickly what would happen in economic hard times. Now, we know.

[Norlite]

I thought they went bankrupt a few years ago.

Anyway, I've seen this church a couple times on TV and thought nothing more than it's beautiful, in it's own way.

Of course, I grew up Roman Catholic, in an Arch-diocese going to a huge old Cathedral with all the marble, soaring stained glass windows and solid gold that implies.

[Wyliefan]

If I were Prancer, this is where I would say that we only know what happened to one of them.

Also, I don't know if the Crystal Cathedral is considered a conventional megachurch. It came along much earlier than most of them, and it's bigger than most of them.

[ChelleC]

I remember reading a few years ago they were having money problems, and had scaled back. I think they've stopped having a TV program here, I remember seeing it occasionally a few years ago. I found the following especially interesting:

The church's budget woes have forced it to downsize its staff, cancel programming in certain markets, and even send home choir and orchestra members.

I've said in previous threads that I'm a member of a megachurch, our choir and orchestra are volunteer. My church has approximately 80 paid staff members. Everything else is done by volunteers.

[LilJen]

Good heavens, it *does* sound like they were rather over-the-top. Look at the list of their creditors. Includes an animal supplier, a props manager, and a wardrobe supervisor, in addition to a few management companies. Several creditors are owed more than $300K each. Who waits that long to get paid before saying "the buck stops here"?

[overedge]

Good heavens, it *does* sound like they were rather over-the-top. Look at the list of their creditors. Includes an animal supplier, a props manager, and a wardrobe supervisor, in addition to a few management companies. Several creditors are owed more than $300K each. Who waits that long to get paid before saying "the buck stops here"?

Well, it does say that the animal supplier, props manager and wardrobe supervisor were for the Christmas pageant. It doesn't sound like these people were on staff all year round.
But I've always enjoyed the choir on the Hour of Power (the TV show from the Schullers, filmed at the Crystal Cathedral) - kind of sad to hear that's being downsized or disbanded.

There was some drama among Robert Schuller's kids a few years ago, and his daughter (who IIRC was considered the less charismatic preacher) took over the church while his son went elsewhere. I wonder if that had anything to do with the church's slide into bankruptcy?
http://www.usatoday.com/news/religio...athedral_N.htm

[Prancer]

If I were Prancer, this is where I would say that we only know what happened to one of them.

Conveniently scapegoated yet again .

[Wyliefan]

We love you, Prancer.

[Prancer]

We love you, Prancer.

Oh, I feel the love.