Garden Grove -- The Hour of Power becomes a half-hour program, at least on some stations, when it returns to the airwaves this Sunday.
Meanwhile, Robert A. Schuller and Bobby Schuller – the son and grandson of the Crystal Cathedral Ministries' founder – will both be future guest pastors at the glass-paneled church, but "they will not be the voice or the head of the ministry," said John Charles, the ministry's chief executive officer.
Since the recent abrupt departure of Senior Pastor Sheila Schuller Coleman and the firings of her husband, sister and brother-in-law, no member of the Schuller family is in any position of leadership at the Cathedral. Founder Robert H. Schuller and his wife, Arvella, also resigned from the board of directors.
In the ensuing turmoil, the Christian television show went into reruns for a few weeks. On Sunday, a new episode will air, featuring the service taped March 18 with interim cathedral Pastor Lawrence Wilkes giving the sermon.
The move to 30 minutes could lead to an increase in audience of more than 25 percent, Charles said in a news release.
"Most ministries that televise their services use a 30-minute format," he said. "We've been considering this move for years."
Schuller Coleman, who stepped down as senior pastor a few weeks ago, told a Canadian newspaper last month that the ministry was considering going to a half hour in some parts of the world due to a decline in donations.
A downturn in donations was not the only reason behind the move, Charles said in a brief interview Thursday. It is up to the individual ministries worldwide whether they wish to air 30 minutes or the full hour, he said.
The new 30-minute format will begin airing on the Discovery Channel Sunday with the entire sermon and a few minutes of worship through music. The Lifetime Channel will go from 60 to 30 minutes on May 13. The Christian Trinity Broadcasting Network will continue to air the full 60-minute version of the show.
Services at the church have returned to a more traditional format and music, as favored by many long-time congregants. The change has doubled attendance at recent services, Charles said.
A smaller number of congregants left the Cathedral to follow Schuller Coleman, who created a new ministry called Hope Center of OC.
Schuller Coleman was not fired but the Ministry's board of directors told her "we were not going to support her or her new ministry," Charles said in a recent interview. "We're supporting the congregation here."
The ministry is in bankruptcy and the campus was sold to the Catholic Diocese of Orange. The ministry has up to three years to find a new location.
Charles said the board is interviewing pastors and no decision has been made on who will lead the congregation.
"Most of all right now, we need time to heal and come together, and I hope to lead them through that process," Charles said recently.
In another development, the ministry is no longer commissioning or appointing pastors, a practice that became more prevalent under Schuller Coleman and criticized by long-time members who want religious leaders with theology credentials.
"It has been done in churches periodically, but usually under the auspices of the RCA (Reform Church of America) or other churches. These (commissions) were done locally and they were only good here," Charles said in the recent interview. Many congregants "felt it was too much."
In related news, the increasingly popular Hispanic ministry of Dante Gebel moves to the Anaheim Convention Center. This Sunday will mark his last service at the Crystal Cathedral.
