Crystal Cathedral Founder Rev. Robert Schuller Dies

Crystal Cathedral founder and televangelist Robert H. Schuller has died after a battle with terminal cancer. He was 88.

His daughter, Carol Schuller Milner, made the announcement Thursday morning. 
 
Schuller was best known for his message of "possibility thinking." He started preaching in 1955 at a rented drive-in theater. By 1970 he had a TV ministry called, "Hour of Power," which at it's peak the program reached 20 million viewers.

“I am saddened by the passing of my dear friend, Robert Schuller, the Founding Pastor of Crystal Cathedral in Garden Grove, California.  Robert Schuller set the dimensions for Twentieth Century Christian positive thinking and optimistic action.  He is now with the Lord in Heaven, but his legacy on earth will long remain," Dr. M. G. “Pat” Robertson, Founder/Chairman of The Christian Broadcasting Network, Inc. said in a statement.

Schuller had been suffering from cancer of the esophagus and in the past week, his condition took a downturn.

The landmark glass-paned Crystal Cathedral in Southern California was the hallmark of Schuller's ministry. The church was sold to the Roman Catholic Diocese of Orange in 2011.

In a Facebook post before his passing, leaders from Shepherd's Grove, the ministry's new home, asked for prayer for the family.

"Please join us in prayer for him and the entire Schuller family during this difficult time May our most precious Lord and Savior grant them peace and comfort as they gather at his side.

Schuller was born in Alton, Iowa, in 1926, and was ordained by the Reformed Church in America in 1950. He was pastor of Ivanhoe Reformed Church in Chicago from 1950 to 1955 before moving to California.
 
Besides his son, Schuller and his wife, Arvella, had four daughters, Sheila, Jeanne, Carol and Gretchen. His wife died Feb. 11, 2014, after a brief illness.