Robert A. Schuller
Encyclopedia
Robert Anthony Schuller (born October 7, 1954, in Blue Island, Illinois
) is an American televangelist, author, and television executive. He was formerly a minister on the Hour of Power weekly television program broadcast from the Crystal Cathedral
in Orange County, California
, where he was named senior pastor in 2006. An ordained minister, he is the only son of Crystal Cathedral founder Robert H. Schuller
and Arvella Schuller. He is the best-selling author of Possibility Living and Walking in Your Own Shoes. In Sept. 2008, he was removed from the Hour of Power television broadcasts while retaining his position as senior pastor of the Crystal Cathedral. According to the Hour of Power website, he resigned as senior pastor on November 29, 2008. Schuller is now chairman of Comstar Media Fund, a media investment company.
, where he attended Santa Ana High School
. He then graduated in 1976 from Hope College
in Holland, Michigan
, with a bachelor's degree in liberal arts
. He was also employed at Crystal Cathedral
, leading worship services every Sunday evening, working under a 24-hour prayer group and organizing small group fellowships and appearing on the Hour of Power reading scripture and occasionally preaching. In 1980, Schuller became an ordained minister in the Reformed Church in America
, after receiving a Master of Divinity degree from Fuller Theological Seminary
in Pasadena
, California
. He received an honorary doctorate degree from National Hispanic University in San Jose, California in 1996. He received another honorary doctorate from the California Graduate School of Theology in 2008.
Schuller has four grown children and one granddaughter. He lives in Laguna Beach, California
. His oldest son, Robert Vernon ("Bobby"), is a graduate of Oral Roberts University
, as well as having a Master of Divinity
(M.Div.) degree from Fuller Theological Seminary
. Bobby Schuller is pastor of The Gathering, a nondenominational reformed church in Orange, California. His youngest daughter, Christina, graduated from the University of Southern California as a theater major in 2008. She is an actress, a high school tutor, and a fitness instructor. She was a cast member during the first season of Laguna Beach: The Real Orange County
. Another daughter, Angie, is also a graduate of Oral Roberts University
. She holds a graduate degree in counseling. His youngest son, Anthony is a senior at Vanguard University of Southern California and he plans on going into international mission work after his graduation. Schuller's first marriage ended in divorce in 1983 and he married his current wife, Donna, on November 10, 1984.
, California
, where he served as senior pastor for over 20 years. He also founded the Rancho Capistrano Conference Center in 1981. In 1992, he established the Rancho Capistrano School, offering pre-school, elementary school and middle school.
In 1987, he raised $250,000 to rebuild La Carbonera, Mexico
, which was heavily damaged by Hurricane Gilbert
. He has taken more than 3,000 people on pilgrimages to the Holy Land
. He continues to partner with several non-profit/charitable organizations which help people worldwide.
From 1995 to 2000, Schuller also hosted a one-hour live coast to coast radio show, which gained popularity. The program revolved around health and wellness and featured a number of guest stars, including Larry King
, Robert Atkins
, and Elizabeth Dole
.
From 1976 to 2008 he was seen regularly on the Hour of Power. Following his father's retirement as senior pastor in 2006, the consistory of the Crystal Cathedral voted to approve him as the new senior pastor (his father continued to serve on the board of the Hour of Power). From 2006 through 2008 the Hour of Power had over 25 million viewers worldwide making it the number one watched religious show and making him the most listened to orator in the world.
On October 25, 2008, his father announced that Schuller had been removed from the Hour of Power television program, citing "a lack of shared vision". In a prepared statement, founder Robert H. Schuller stated that "different ideas as to the direction and the vision for this ministry" with his son "made it necessary ... to part ways in the Hour of Power television ministry". It was subsequently announced on November 29, 2008, that Schuller had resigned from his position as Senior Pastor of the Crystal Cathedral.
On April 8, 2009, it was reported that Schuller would be launching his own television and internet business. Schuller will also be a pastor emeritus at The Gathering, the church started by his son, Robert V. "Bobby" Schuller. Schuller will also be involved in Bobby Schuller's "St. Patrick Project", a community outreach ministry.
In 2009, Schuller became chairman of Comstar Media Fund, a media investment company. Comstar owns several media companies including cable television networks FamilyNet
and American Life TV.
over holiness
.
However, where his father's preaching tends to be heavier on psychological reference and lighter on scriptural reference, Schuller's messages rely considerably on scriptural reference, hermeneutics, and apologetics
, making the role of "positivism" secondary and more in line with mainstream evangelicalism.
Blue Island, Illinois
Blue Island is a city in Cook County, Illinois. The population was 22,556 at the 2010 census. Blue Island was established in the 1830s as a way station for settlers traveling on the Vincennes Trace, and the settlement prospered because it was conveniently situated a day's journey outside of Chicago...
) is an American televangelist, author, and television executive. He was formerly a minister on the Hour of Power weekly television program broadcast from the Crystal Cathedral
Crystal Cathedral
The Crystal Cathedral is a Protestant Christian church building 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...
in Orange County, California
Orange County, California
Orange County is a county in the U.S. state of California. Its county seat is Santa Ana. As of the 2010 census, its population was 3,010,232, up from 2,846,293 at the 2000 census, making it the third most populous county in California, behind Los Angeles County and San Diego County...
, where he was named senior pastor in 2006. An ordained minister, he is the only son of Crystal Cathedral founder Robert H. Schuller
Robert H. Schuller
Robert Harold Schuller is an American televangelist, pastor, speaker, motivator and author. He is principally known for the weekly Hour of Power television program which he began in 1970. He is also the founder of the Crystal Cathedral in Garden Grove, California, where the Hour of Power program...
and Arvella Schuller. He is the best-selling author of Possibility Living and Walking in Your Own Shoes. In Sept. 2008, he was removed from the Hour of Power television broadcasts while retaining his position as senior pastor of the Crystal Cathedral. According to the Hour of Power website, he resigned as senior pastor on November 29, 2008. Schuller is now chairman of Comstar Media Fund, a media investment company.
Personal information
Schuller was raised in Garden Grove, CaliforniaGarden Grove, California
Garden Grove is a city located in northern Orange County, California. The population was 170,883 at the 2010 census. State Route 22, also known as the Garden Grove Freeway, passes through the city running east-west. The city is known outside the Southern California area for being the home of Robert H...
, where he attended Santa Ana High School
Santa Ana High School
Santa Ana High School is the oldest and largest high school in Orange County, California, United States. The school was established in 1889.-Notable alumni:*Beverly Bivens, singer with the 1960s band We Five*Gerald P...
. He then graduated in 1976 from Hope College
Hope College
Hope College is a medium-sized , private, residential liberal arts college located in downtown Holland, Michigan, a few miles from Lake Michigan. It was opened in 1851 as the Pioneer School by Dutch immigrants four years after the community was first settled...
in Holland, Michigan
Holland, Michigan
Holland is a city in the western region of the Lower Peninsula of the U.S. state of Michigan. It is situated near the eastern shore of Lake Michigan on Lake Macatawa, which is fed by the Macatawa River ....
, with a bachelor's degree in liberal arts
Liberal arts
The term liberal arts refers to those subjects which in classical antiquity were considered essential for a free citizen to study. Grammar, Rhetoric and Logic were the core liberal arts. In medieval times these subjects were extended to include mathematics, geometry, music and astronomy...
. He was also employed at Crystal Cathedral
Crystal Cathedral
The Crystal Cathedral is a Protestant Christian church building 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...
, leading worship services every Sunday evening, working under a 24-hour prayer group and organizing small group fellowships and appearing on the Hour of Power reading scripture and occasionally preaching. In 1980, Schuller became an ordained minister in the Reformed Church in America
Reformed Church in America
The Reformed Church in America is a mainline Reformed Protestant denomination in Canada and the United States. It has about 170,000 members, with the total declining in recent decades. From its beginning in 1628 until 1819, it was the North American branch of the Dutch Reformed Church. In 1819, it...
, after receiving a Master of Divinity degree from Fuller Theological Seminary
Fuller Theological Seminary
Fuller Theological Seminary is an accredited Christian educational institute with its main campus in Pasadena, California and several satellite campuses in the western United States...
in Pasadena
Pasadena, California
Pasadena is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. Although famous for hosting the annual Rose Bowl football game and Tournament of Roses Parade, Pasadena is the home to many scientific and cultural institutions, including the California Institute of Technology , the Jet...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. He received an honorary doctorate degree from National Hispanic University in San Jose, California in 1996. He received another honorary doctorate from the California Graduate School of Theology in 2008.
Schuller has four grown children and one granddaughter. He lives in Laguna Beach, California
Laguna Beach, California
Laguna Beach is a seaside resort city and artist community located in southern Orange County, California, United States, approximately southwest of the county seat of Santa Ana...
. His oldest son, Robert Vernon ("Bobby"), is a graduate of Oral Roberts University
Oral Roberts University
Oral Roberts University , based in Tulsa, Oklahoma, in the United States, is an interdenominational, Charismatic Christian, comprehensive university with an enrollment of about 3,790 students from 49 U.S. states along with a significant number of international students from 70 countries...
, as well as having a Master of Divinity
Master of Divinity
In the academic study of theology, the Master of Divinity is the first professional degree of the pastoral profession in North America...
(M.Div.) degree from Fuller Theological Seminary
Fuller Theological Seminary
Fuller Theological Seminary is an accredited Christian educational institute with its main campus in Pasadena, California and several satellite campuses in the western United States...
. Bobby Schuller is pastor of The Gathering, a nondenominational reformed church in Orange, California. His youngest daughter, Christina, graduated from the University of Southern California as a theater major in 2008. She is an actress, a high school tutor, and a fitness instructor. She was a cast member during the first season of Laguna Beach: The Real Orange County
Laguna Beach: The Real Orange County
Laguna Beach: The Real Orange County, often referred to simply as Laguna Beach, is a reality television series which originally aired on MTV from September 28, 2004 until November 16, 2006. It documents the lives of several teenagers living in Laguna Beach, an affluent seaside community located in...
. Another daughter, Angie, is also a graduate of Oral Roberts University
Oral Roberts University
Oral Roberts University , based in Tulsa, Oklahoma, in the United States, is an interdenominational, Charismatic Christian, comprehensive university with an enrollment of about 3,790 students from 49 U.S. states along with a significant number of international students from 70 countries...
. She holds a graduate degree in counseling. His youngest son, Anthony is a senior at Vanguard University of Southern California and he plans on going into international mission work after his graduation. Schuller's first marriage ended in divorce in 1983 and he married his current wife, Donna, on November 10, 1984.
Ministry
In 1981, Schuller founded Rancho Capistrano Community Church in San Juan CapistranoSan Juan Capistrano, California
San Juan Capistrano is a city in southern Orange County, California, located approximately southeast of Downtown Santa Ana. The current OMB metropolitan designation for San Juan Capistrano and the Orange County Area is “Santa Ana-Anaheim-Irvine, CA.” The population was 34,593 at the 2010 census,...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, where he served as senior pastor for over 20 years. He also founded the Rancho Capistrano Conference Center in 1981. In 1992, he established the Rancho Capistrano School, offering pre-school, elementary school and middle school.
In 1987, he raised $250,000 to rebuild La Carbonera, Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
, which was heavily damaged by Hurricane Gilbert
Hurricane Gilbert
Hurricane Gilbert was an extremely powerful Cape Verde-type hurricane that formed during the 1988 Atlantic hurricane season and created widespread destruction in the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico. It is the second most intense hurricane ever observed in the Atlantic basin behind only...
. He has taken more than 3,000 people on pilgrimages to the Holy Land
Holy Land
The Holy Land is a term which in Judaism refers to the Kingdom of Israel as defined in the Tanakh. For Jews, the Land's identifiction of being Holy is defined in Judaism by its differentiation from other lands by virtue of the practice of Judaism often possible only in the Land of Israel...
. He continues to partner with several non-profit/charitable organizations which help people worldwide.
From 1995 to 2000, Schuller also hosted a one-hour live coast to coast radio show, which gained popularity. The program revolved around health and wellness and featured a number of guest stars, including Larry King
Larry King
Lawrence Harvey "Larry" King is an American television and radio host whose work has been recognized with awards including two Peabodys and ten Cable ACE Awards....
, Robert Atkins
Robert Atkins (nutritionist)
Robert Coleman Atkins, MD was an American physician and cardiologist, best known for the Atkins Nutritional Approach , a popular but controversial way of dieting that entails close control of carbohydrate consumption, emphasizing protein and fat intake, including saturated fat in addition to...
, and Elizabeth Dole
Elizabeth Dole
Mary Elizabeth Alexander Hanford "Liddy" Dole is an American politician who served in both the Ronald Reagan and George H. W. Bush presidential administrations, as well as a United States Senator....
.
From 1976 to 2008 he was seen regularly on the Hour of Power. Following his father's retirement as senior pastor in 2006, the consistory of the Crystal Cathedral voted to approve him as the new senior pastor (his father continued to serve on the board of the Hour of Power). From 2006 through 2008 the Hour of Power had over 25 million viewers worldwide making it the number one watched religious show and making him the most listened to orator in the world.
On October 25, 2008, his father announced that Schuller had been removed from the Hour of Power television program, citing "a lack of shared vision". In a prepared statement, founder Robert H. Schuller stated that "different ideas as to the direction and the vision for this ministry" with his son "made it necessary ... to part ways in the Hour of Power television ministry". It was subsequently announced on November 29, 2008, that Schuller had resigned from his position as Senior Pastor of the Crystal Cathedral.
On April 8, 2009, it was reported that Schuller would be launching his own television and internet business. Schuller will also be a pastor emeritus at The Gathering, the church started by his son, Robert V. "Bobby" Schuller. Schuller will also be involved in Bobby Schuller's "St. Patrick Project", a community outreach ministry.
In 2009, Schuller became chairman of Comstar Media Fund, a media investment company. Comstar owns several media companies including cable television networks FamilyNet
FamilyNet
FamilyNet is a broadcast television network owned by ComStar Media Fund and based in Atlanta, Georgia. The network was founded in 1979 as the National Christian Network, and took the name FamilyNet in 1988 under the ownership of Jerry Falwell. The channel was acquired by InTouch Ministries in...
and American Life TV.
Preaching style
Like his father, Schuller emphasizes the teaching of "positive Christianity", sometimes called "positive gospel" (not to be confused with the Prosperity Gospel). It is argued in some schools of theological thought that doing so overemphasizes graceDivine grace
In Christian theology, grace is God’s gift of God’s self to humankind. It is understood by Christians to be a spontaneous gift from God to man - "generous, free and totally unexpected and undeserved" - that takes the form of divine favour, love and clemency. It is an attribute of God that is most...
over holiness
Sacred
Holiness, or sanctity, is in general the state of being holy or sacred...
.
However, where his father's preaching tends to be heavier on psychological reference and lighter on scriptural reference, Schuller's messages rely considerably on scriptural reference, hermeneutics, and apologetics
Apologetics
Apologetics is the discipline of defending a position through the systematic use of reason. Early Christian writers Apologetics (from Greek ἀπολογία, "speaking in defense") is the discipline of defending a position (often religious) through the systematic use of reason. Early Christian writers...
, making the role of "positivism" secondary and more in line with mainstream evangelicalism.
External links
- http://www.comstarmedia.com
- http://www.robertaschuller.blogspot.com
- http://www.donnaschuller.com
- http://www.ocgathering.com