Wednesday, January 26, 2011

Crystal Cathedral files for bankruptcy



Two things I love in this post: architecture and mega-churches going under.

Crystal Cathedral, its glimmering 'prayer spire,' and the handy "International Center for Possibility Thinking" (whatever the fuck that means) constitute an almost-buffet of modern-master church architecture. With a collaborative work between Philip Johnson and Richard Neutra, and a later addition by Richard Meier, it's the sort of trove that an enterprising pastor might like to polish regularly with a soft, lint-free cloth, getting the in-between parts with a Q-tip and mild cleanser.

But the mega-church ministry behind the nice architecture has filed for bankruptcy, citing unrest among creditors and a 30% drop in revenue, largely a result of the weakening donation stream from the church's televangelist show "Hour of Power."

Reports of the news when it first broke in October depict a convoluted scene:

Huffington Post

Wall Street Journal

NPR

2 comments:

BF said...

i like wikipedia's comment: the building is neither a cathedral nor made of crystal.

GOD, LLC said...

yeah, it looks more like a stadium venue than anything. talked with someone recently who use to go there! she said it seemed like more of a social club than a church. hmm... might have to follow up with her...