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Hour of Power is a weekly American Evangelist television program broadcast from Shepherd's Grove Presbyterian Church in Irvine, California, near Los Angeles. It was formerly one of the most watched religious broadcasts in the world, seen by approximately two million viewers at its peak. It was formerly broadcast from the Crystal Cathedral in Garden Grove, California.
| Hour of Power | |
|---|---|
| Also known as | Hour of Power |
| Genre | Protestant television |
| Presented by |
|
| Opening theme | The Hymn of Joy |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language | English |
| No. of seasons | 51 |
| No. of episodes | 2,662 |
| Production | |
| Production locations | Irvine, California |
| Running time | 60 minutes |
| Original release | |
| Network | First-run syndication |
| Release | February 8, 1970 – present |
The program was founded and first hosted by Robert H. Schuller.[1] It is currently hosted by Bobby Schuller,[2] who is Robert H. Schuller's grandson.
The program is normally one hour long, but some networks broadcast an edited 30-minute program.
History
editThe Garden Grove Community Church of the Reformed Church in America aired its first televised worship under the Hour of Power name on February 8th, 1970. By the 1980s, it was the most-watched weekly religious program in the United States.[3] Originally hosted by the Robert H. Schuller, his son and frequent co-host Robert A. Schuller hosted it from 2006 to 2008.
On October 26, 2008, it was announced that the elder Schuller had removed his son as the program’s host and Crystal Cathedral Ministries’ teaching pastor, but allowed him to remain as the church’s senior pastor. Robert H. Schuller said that he wanted to take the ministry in a different direction and for the foreseeable future would use guest speakers for the weekly services rather than his son.[4] Well-known speakers who were used in the early stages of the new format included Lee Strobel, John C. Maxwell, and Bill Hybels.[citation needed] On November 29, 2008, the church announced that the younger Schuller had resigned.[5]
On March 10, 2012, it was announced that Robert H. Schuller and his wife, Arvella, would be leaving the church. The following day their elder daughter, Sheila Schuller Coleman, announced at the morning service that she would also be leaving the church, therefore cutting all family ties with the Crystal Cathedral and Hour of Power. That week's broadcast would also be the program's final broadcast "[6] The ministry's successor, the Rev. Bill Bennett, said that the ministry would continue but using a more traditional service.[6]
In June 2012, the Rev. Bobby Schuller, the son of Robert A. Schuller, started preaching on a voluntary basis. In February 2013, Bobby Schuller was named as pastor for the Hour of Power.[citation needed]
Crystal Cathedral Ministries held its final service at its namesake on June 30, 2013,[7] after which it was renamed Shepherd's Grove and moved to the former St. Callistus Church on July 7, 2013.[8] The congregation merged with the Irvine Presbyterian Church in April 2018 after the land was sold to real estate developers.[9]
Broadcasts
editThe program airs in the United States mainly using paid programming time on Freeform, TBN, and recently Daystar. along with about 100 stations through individual contracts. The program also airs over the American Forces Network.
In Canada it is carried on VisionTV.
In Europe it is broadcast on VOX in Austria, Germany and Switzerland, on RTL in the Netherlands and was formerly broadcast on Sky One in Ireland and the United Kingdom.
In the Middle East it is carried on METV in Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, and Syria.
In Australia, it is seen on the Australian Christian Channel and Network Ten. It is also broadcast weekly on radio.
It is broadcast in New Zealand on the Prime network and Shine TV.
It is broadcast in Hong Kong on NOW TV Channel 564, TVB Pearl, and Hong Kong Open TV.
The Hour of Power telecast, filmed in the Crystal Cathedral's main sanctuary, at one point attracted 1.3 million viewers from 156 countries.[10] Under current Pastor Bobby Schuller, the program attracted 2.2 million viewers worldwide each week.
Finances
editBeginning in the late 1990s, the ministry struggled financially after it borrowed money to build a visitors' center.
The 2008 revenues for the program were nearly $5 million lower than revenues for 2007. As of early 2009, the church planned to sell more than $65 million worth of its Orange County property to pay off debt:[5] 150 acres (0.61 km2) in San Juan Capistrano, California, and an office building in Garden Grove, California.[11] Due to their financial situation, the Roman Catholic Diocese of Orange purchased the Garden Grove campus.
References
edit- ^ "Robert Schuller Dies: 'Hour Of Power' Televangelist Founded Crystal Cathedral". Deadline Hollywood. Penske Media Corporation. April 2, 2015. Retrieved March 28, 2016.
- ^ Kopetman, Roxana (August 21, 2016). "Bobby Schuller is new 'Hour of Power' pastor". Orange County Register. Freedom Communications. Retrieved March 28, 2016.
- ^ "Crystal Cathedral, the original evangelical megachurch, has a conversion to Catholicism". Los Angeles Times. July 21, 2019.
- ^ Sam Quinones (October 26, 2008). "Schuller ousts son from show; He cites a 'lack of shared vision' on the future of the ministry, which he had handed over less than three years ago". Los Angeles Times.
- ^ a b "Family spat divides televangelism empire; 'Hour of Power' church struggling due to recession, change in leadership". Associated Press. January 31, 2009.
- ^ a b "Crystal Cathedral divided as Schullers leave, changes planned". Los Angeles Times. March 12, 2012.
- ^ Rokhy, Ron (June 30, 2013). "Crystal Cathedral Holds Last Service Before Relocating". NBC Los Angeles. NBCUnviersal Media, LLC. Retrieved May 15, 2014.
- ^ Baharath, Deepa (May 19, 2017). "Diocese picks contractor for Christ Cathedral's $72 million reconstruction project". Orange County Register. Retrieved 1 June 2017.
- ^ "Church led by Schuller grandson joins with Presbyterian church in Southern California". Presbyterian Mission Agency. 2019-03-01. Retrieved 2024-04-16.
- ^ "Hour of Power pastor Robert Schuller retiring". The Star. Toronto. July 11, 2010.
- ^ Deepa Bharath (January 25, 2009). "Crystal Cathedral to move on without a Schuller". The Orange County Register.
Further reading
edit- Ron Rokhy (30 June 2013). "Crystal Cathedral holds last service before relocating". NBC Southern California. NBCUniversal Media, LLC. Retrieved 2013-07-06.
The Crystal Cathedral, which sold its campus to the Roman Catholic Diocese of Orange in 2011 due to financial troubles, held its final service on Sunday before swapping facilities with a nearby Catholic sanctuary.