In 1955 The Reformed Church of American gave Rev. Robert H. Schuller and his wife Arvella $500 to start a ministry here in California.While en route to California Schuller listed on a napkin 10 possible venues in which to hold services. The first nine locations were already in use so he embraced the tenth possibility - the Orange Drive-in Theater. From atop the snack bar's roof he would lead weekly services, with Arvella providing music from a trailer-mounted electronic organ. He encouraged all to "come as you are in the family car."
A chapel was soon built three miles from the drive-in, with the intention that the drive-in services would cease. But the husband of one woman in rapidly declining health - Rosie Gray - told Schuller that the drive-in services were the only way that Gray could attend. Schuller promised to continue the drive-in services until Gray passed away; astoundingly, Gray's health would improve in the next few years.
Aware of Schuller's thriving congregation the Rev. Billy Graham suggested to Schuller that he take his popular Sunday Services to the Television airwaves. "Call it an 'Hour of Power'" Graham said. Schuller launched the weekly "Hour of Power" in February 1970 on Los Angeles KTLA-5.
By the mid '70s the "Hour of Power" was reaching all 50 U.S. states and the local church was busting at the seams. Schuller approached famed architect Philip Johnson to design a larger structure to accommodate the growing congregation and instructed him to make it entirely of glass. He accomplished this great task, the first ever in an earthquake zone.
I found how he raised the money to build this cathedral interesting. Of course it would take millions of dollars to build. He went around to everyone with the capability of helping him make this dream come true and came up short.
Finally John & Donna Krem, owners of Fleetwood Mobile Home Manufacturing, gave him a check for $1 million dollars to start. But he still couldn't raise the other 9 million it was estimated to cost. He tried to give the Krem's back their money but they said "start digging the hole and the money will come". Well it did. People paid $500 per glass pane to have their name etched in it. There are 12,000 panes of glass in the cathedral. That was the beginning.
Made entirely of glass the star shaped "cathedral" is over 400 feet long and 200 feet across, rising some 12 stories above the ground, with an angular, mirror-like exterior, its transparent, sun-lit interior features a giant television screen, and an alter of rich marble. It also has an electric fountain/stream that runs down the middle of the central aisle.
It seats 2,800 and its marble chancel accommodates up to 1,000 musicians. The cathedral employs no air-conditioning, relying instead upon natural air currents which come via staggered rows of louvered windows, controlled thermostatically. Also part of this cooling system are two dramatic 90-foot-tall doors which open at the right of the chancel. He even kept the drive-in aspect of the original church.
Would you believe they even have cripts there. I was very surprised to see them here on the grounds.
There are 17 different beautiful sculptures distributed throughout the area that depict different events or stages of the life of Christ. World recognized organ virtuoso Virgil Fox was asked to find/build an organ for the Cathedral. That was just the beginning. It was expanded by Frederick Swann incorporating the large Aeloian-Skinner pe organ built in 1962. It now has 273 rank, five manual pipe organ is the 4th largest in the world. It has 16,000 pipes.
PERSONAL NOTE: It was indeed very, very beautiful building and grounds. But I have to say that it just seemed like a great and spacious building and NONE of the people we were with felt any kind of reverence to the Lord while there. It seemed more like a monument to Dr. Schuller and his followers who seemed to be "paying their way to heaven". There were hundreds of marble stones in the path surrounding the grounds that people paid $1000 to have their name and favorite bible verse embedded in. Even the seats had the names of donors.
The "Glory of Christmas" is one of two major pageants that the cathedral puts on. The spectacles blend religion and show-biz; they feature a cast of 200, some paid actors, in biblical period costumes, a choir, flying "angels", live animals from lambs to camels, and music from a 70 piece orchestra. The angles even fly overhead on wires. It lasted about an hour and a half and it was very well choreographed and directed.
I think I caught 4 of the 5 "angels" that were on wires that went from one end of the cathedral to the other. They went right over our heads! and they went fast - WOW!
It was an amazing performance and I would highly recommend it to anyone in the area as a must see.
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