| Crystal Cathedral | |
| Country | United States |
|---|---|
| Denomination | Reformed Church in America |
| Website | www.crystalcathedral.org |
| History | |
| Founded | 1955 |
| Founder(s) | Robert H. Schuller |
| Dedicated | 1980 |
| Architecture | |
| Architect(s) | Philip Johnson |
| Style | Modern architecture |
| Clergy | |
| Senior pastor(s) | Sheila Schuller Coleman |
The Crystal Cathedral is a Protestant Christian church building[1] in the city of Garden Grove, in Orange County, California, United States. It is the headquarters and principal place of worship for Crystal Cathedral Ministries, a church founded in 1955 by Robert H. Schuller and affiliated with the Reformed Church in America. The church, designed by architect Philip Johnson, was completed in 1981 and seats 2,736 people.[2]
Schuller established the Garden Grove Community Church in 1955, and held worship services in a drive-in theater in Orange. In 1961 the church moved into a new purpose-built building in Garden Grove. In 1977 Schuller commissioned Philip Johnson to design a new building for the rapidly growing church. The building was constructed using over 10,000 rectangular panes of glass. The church changed its name to Crystal Cathedral when it moved into the building in 1981. The name "Crystal Cathedral" is merely an alliterative construct; the building is not made of crystal and it is not a true cathedral in that it does not house a bishop's official seat.
On October 18, 2010, the board of Crystal Cathedral Ministries filed for bankruptcy.[3][4] The church received offers for the building from a real estate investment group,[5] from Chapman University,[6] and the Roman Catholic Diocese of Orange, all with the provision of the building being leased back to the church for a period of time. On November 17, 2011, the bankruptcy court ruled that the church building could be sold to the Diocese of Orange. The diocese plans to lease the facility to Crystal Cathedral Ministries for three years, after which Crystal Cathedral Ministries may move to a nearby Catholic church facility. The diocese intends to then begin remodeling the interior of the building for use as its diocesan cathedral.[7]
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Affiliated with the Reformed Church in America, the Garden Grove Community Church was founded in 1955 by Robert H. Schuller and his wife Arvella.[8] The first church services were held in space rented from the Orange Drive-In Theatre.
In 1961, the congregation moved to a new sanctuary designed by architect Richard Neutra.[8] In 1968, The Tower of Hope was completed, providing office and classroom space.[8] Continued growth led to the need for a new facility.[8] Schuller envisioned a unique facility with walls made of glass and commissioned architect Philip Johnson.[8][9] Construction on the Crystal Cathedral began in 1977 and was completed in 1980, built at a cost of $18 million.[8][9] The signature rectangular panes of glass comprising the building are not bolted to the structure; they are glued to it using a silicone-based glue. This and other measures are intended to allow the building to withstand an earthquake of magnitude 8.0.[2]
Upon moving from the old Neutra sanctuary to the new Johnson sanctuary, the congregation changed its name to the Crystal Cathedral. In 1990 the Prayer Spire was completed.[10]
The church's 273 rank, five manual pipe organ is one of the largest in the world.[11] Constructed by Fratelli Ruffatti and based on specifications by Virgil Fox and expanded by Frederick Swann, the instrument incorporates the large Aeolian-Skinner pipe organ built in 1962 for New York's Philharmonic Hall (now called Avery Fisher Hall), and the Ruffatti organ which had been installed in the church's previous sanctuary. Swann was organist at the Crystal Cathedral between 1982–1998.
Beginning in 2010, creditors filed lawsuits to collect money due to them for providing goods, services and broadcasting The Hour of Power weekly TV show. A board member said that the total debt was $55 million.[12][13] The church's board filed for bankruptcy on October 18, 2010, citing $43 million in debt including a $36 million mortgage and $7.5 million in other debt. Church officials said that they had been trying to negotiate payments but after several suits were filed and writs of attachment were granted the church had to declare bankruptcy.[14] The church received offers for the building from an unidentified real estate investment group[5] and from Chapman University,[6] both with the provision of the building being leased back to the church.
On July 3, 2011, local newspapers and other outlets reported that Robert H. Schuller had been voted off the church's board of trustees by the other board members.[15][16]
On July 7, 2011, the Roman Catholic Diocese of Orange announced that it was “potentially interested” in buying the church building for future use as its diocesan cathedral.[17] The diocese had long been seeking to build a new and larger cathedral in or around Santa Ana; when it was established in 1976 it converted the existing Holy Family Church in Orange into its cathedral. Two weeks later, the diocese followed up with a cash offer of $53.6 million which included a lease-back provision at below market rates for a period of time.[18][19]
On November 17, 2011, a federal judge approved selling the Crystal Cathedral to the Roman Catholic Diocese of Orange for $57.5 million.[20] The diocese plans to lease the facility to Crystal Cathedral Ministries for three years, after which Crystal Cathedral Ministries may relocate to a smaller facility nearby that currently houses a Catholic church. Tod Brown, Bishop of Orange, stated that the diocese intends to hire an architect to renovate the facility "so it will be suitable for a Catholic place of worship", but has "no intention to change the exterior of the building."[7][21]
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