Crystal Cathedral files for chapter 11

From here:

Crystal Cathedral Ministries, an Orange County landmark and megachurch founded by television evangelist Robert H. Schuller, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy Monday morning.

The cathedral owes about about $7.5 million to unsecured creditors. The bankruptcy filing seeks court protection from its creditors.

In a statement issued Monday, Senior Pastor Sheila Schuller Coleman said the bankruptcy filing was a necessity because a “small number of creditors chose to file lawsuits and obtained writ of attachment.”

She said the cathedral also had no choice because a committee of creditors decided not to extend a moratorium to allow continued talks about a payment plan.

“For these reasons, the Ministry now finds it necessary to seek the protection of a Chapter 11,” she said.

The Cathedral, which has been a landmark and a tourist attraction with its glistening glass tower, is now faced with $55 million in debt because of the economy and dwindling contributions.

I visited the Crystal Cathedral a few times many years ago when attending conferences in Anaheim. The preaching polluted the Gospel with pop-psychology and I find few things more off-putting than the “Gospel of Positiveness and Success”. Nevertheless, while not surprised that the Success Gospel hasn’t even worked for Robert Schuller, I’m sorry to see it in such straits  .