Showing posts with label Crystal Cathedral bankruptcy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Crystal Cathedral bankruptcy. Show all posts

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