About
"You can always know what a preacher's weakness is by what he's preaching about all the time. I am preaching to people who need to be encouraged. I'm preaching to me."
In his two-hour interview, Dr. Robert Schuller (1926-2015) describes his early years growing up poor on a farm in Iowa. He talks about his calling to religion and his eventual move to California. He discusses the formation of the Garden Grove Community Church, where he preached to his congregants gathered at a drive-in movie theater. He describes the growth of the church, and his eventual foray into television on Hour of Power. He discusses the format of the program, his messages, and how the show eventually garnered worldwide distribution. He also speaks of the impact that the PTL scandals had on his ministry and on religious broadcasting as a whole. Karen Herman conducted the interview on November 14, 2003 at the Crystal Cathedral Gardens in Garden Grove, CA.
Highlights
Robert Schuller on his early Hour of Power telecasts and his wife's involvement in the show
Robert Schuller on Billy Graham's influence on him to get into television
Robert Schuller on his drive-in church
Robert Schuller on how the 1987 Jim Bakker scandal impacted his Hour of Power ministry
Robert Schuller on why it was important for him to get into television
Full Interview
Chapter 1
On his early life and influences; on his interests growing up; on hearing "his calling" to the ministry and studying psychology in college
On learning how to communicate with the masses; on deciding to establish his ministry in California and his drive-in church; on getting the finances for the first telecasts of his services which would become his Hour of Power series
Chapter 2
On Billy Graham's influence on him to get into television and why television was important to him; on his early televised church services and his television audience; on the correspondence he received from his audience over the years
On his early Hour of Power telecasts and his wife's involvement in the show; on the format of Hour of Power; on preparing for Hour of Power and talking about world events and politics on the show
Chapter 3
On how television has changed society; on expanding his Hour of Power television ministry nationally and internationally; on the Hour of Power expanding into Russia and meeting Mikhail Gorbachev
On how the 1987 Jim Bakker scandal impacted his Hour of Power ministry; on the Crystal Cathedral from which is Hour of Power then-emanated; on the then-future of Hour of Power
Chapter 4
Full Chapter Four
Shows
Hour of Power
Robert Schuller on getting the idea to televise his services which would become his Hour of Power series
Robert Schuller on getting the finances for the first telecasts of his services which would become his Hour of Power series
Robert Schuller on his early Hour of Power telecasts and his wife's involvement in the show
Robert Schuller on the format of Hour of Power
Robert Schuller on preparing for Hour of Power and talking about world events and politics on the show
Robert Schuller on dealing with Civil Rights and racism on Hour of Power
Robert Schuller on expanding his Hour of Power television ministry nationally and internationally
Robert Schuller on Hour of Power expanding into Russia and meeting Mikhail Gorbachev
Robert Schuller on how the 1987 Jim Bakker scandal impacted his Hour of Power ministry
Robert Schuller on the Crystal Cathedral from which is Hour of Power then-emanated
Robert Schuller on the then-future of Hour of Power
Topics
Civil Rights Movement
Robert Schuller on dealing with Civil Rights and racism on Hour of Power
Cold War
Robert Schuller on Hour of Power expanding into Russia and meeting Mikhail Gorbachev
Creative Influences and Inspiration
Robert Schuller on Billy Graham's influence on him to get into television
Robert Schuller on Billy Graham's influence on him to get into television
Criticism of TV
Robert Schuller on how television has changed society
Historic Events and Social Change
Robert Schuller on dealing with Civil Rights and racism on Hour of Power
Robert Schuller on Hour of Power expanding into Russia and meeting Mikhail Gorbachev
Pivotal Career Moments
Robert Schuller on hearing "his calling" to the ministry
Robert Schuller on Billy Graham's influence on him to get into television
Representation on Television
Robert Schuller on dealing with Civil Rights and racism on Hour of Power
Television Industry
Robert Schuller on how television has changed society
Underrepresented Voices
Robert Schuller on dealing with Civil Rights and racism on Hour of Power
War
Robert Schuller on Hour of Power expanding into Russia and meeting Mikhail Gorbachev
Genres
Religious Programming
Robert Schuller on his Hour of Power television ministry (Part 1)
Robert Schuller on his Hour of Power television ministry (Part 2)
Robert Schuller on his Hour of Power television ministry (Part 3)
People
Jim Bakker
Robert Schuller on how the 1987 Jim Bakker scandal impacted his Hour of Power ministry
Billy Graham
Robert Schuller on Billy Graham's influence on him to get into television