
Robert A. Schuller, who took over for his father for two years as the leader of the Crystal Cathedral, said during a leadership conference about pastoral succession this week that had his father simply let go of his responsibilities seven years ago, the church would still be in the hands of its own ministry.
"The Crystal Cathedral Ministries, the assets and the buildings, would still be in the hands of the ministries if my father would have simply walked away," said Schuller during the webcast hosted by Leadership Network on Tuesday. "When I accepted the role as the next senior pastor he had agreed to be an ambassador-at-large and raise funds for the endowment fund. He didn't do that. He became a sounding board for my sisters and other people that didn't particularly care for the new direction for whatever reason.
"There's no question in my mind whatsoever," he added, talking about the founding pastor of the church, his 86-year-old father, Robert H. Schuller, "had I been given the proper authority and all of the responsibility I had, and had my father simply turned to those that came to them and said, 'I don't have anything to do with that anymore' that it would have been a very, very successful transition because we did lots of things very right." more >>

While The History Channel's miniseries "The Bible" continues to garner millions of viewers every week, one comedian has opted to poke fun at the program.
Comedy Central satirist Stephen Colbert, known for his faux conservative program "The Colbert Report," had a segment Monday evening about the miniseries and its production team.
"The Word of God, the story of all creation, doesn't really have the legs to sustain an entire series; unlike The History Channel's Big Shrimpin,'" quipped Colbert. more >>
Editor's Note: In this two-part series The Christian Post takes a closer look at the success of "The Bible," a History Channel docudrama series produced by Mark Burnett and his wife, Roma Downey. CP interviews two Christians in the entertainment industry who have been quite impactful and part of a growing movement to see more quality faith-based movies coming out of Hollywood. In part one, CP interviewed Mark Joseph, founder of MJM Entertainment Group. In part two, below, Phil Cooke of Cooke Pictures is interviewed.
The Hollywood entertainment industry is getting the message – it's good business to respect Christians in America. Thanks to the incredible number of viewers tuning in each Sunday to The History Channel's "The Bible" miniseries, many leaders in the movie and TV business "totally get that," says author and TV producer Phil Cooke.
"There's no question that decision makers in Hollywood and the media business are getting the message … It's simply good business to respect that audience, and I think the vast majority of media leaders I encounter totally get that," said Cooke. more >>
Editor's Note: In this two-part series The Christian Post takes a closer look at the success of "The Bible," a History Channel docudrama series produced by Mark Burnett and his wife, Roma Downey. Two Christians in the entertainment industry have been quite impactful and part of a growing movement toward more quality faith-based movies coming out of Hollywood. Below is an interview with Mark Joseph, founder of MJM Entertainment Group. Part two is a discussion with Phil Cooke of Cooke Pictures.
The fact that the History Channel's "The Bible" series has reached more than 68 million viewers in just three episodes is not a fluke despite what a large majority of the Hollywood entertainment industry may be thinking, says a film developer and marketer who should know.
"If these types of numbers are true and repeatable, then the entire entertainment industry would have to be rethought, reprioritized and reorganized," producer Mark Joseph told The Christian Post. "So it will attempt to be written off as a fluke. But it's not a fluke if done properly. The audience is there." more >>
NEW YORK – Mark Burnett and Roma Downey, the producers behind the hit miniseries "The Bible" on The History Channel, gave an exclusive interview to The Christian Post on Tuesday evening at the opening night gala of "The Bible Experience" in New York, a unique exhibit combining props from the series with the world's largest private collection of biblical texts and artifacts.
Burnett, who is the creator of popular TV shows such as "Celebrity Apprentice," "Shark Tank," "Survivor" and "The Voice," has seen "The Bible" shoot to the top of TV ratings in America, beating out stiff competition for the number one spot on Sunday nights. He reveals to CP that he has other Bible-related projects coming up.
Downey, who is best known for her 10-year role on "Touched By An Angel," is not only the co-producer of "The Bible," but she also stars as Mary, mother of Jesus, in the last two episodes of the miniseries. more >>
NEW YORK – The Christian Post had the opportunity to interview Diogo Morgado and Darwin Shaw, the actors behind Jesus and Peter, in the hit "The Bible" miniseries on The History Channel, at the Tuesday evening opening night gala of "The Bible Experience" in New York, a unique exhibit combining props from the miniseries with the world's largest private collection of biblical texts and artifacts.
Morgado, the 33-year-old Portuguese actor, made his first appearance as Jesus in last Sunday night's episode. He has been receiving positive reviews for his portrayal of the most famous figure in history, and spoke with CP about the role at Tuesday's event. Meanwhile, Shaw, the British stage actor who landed the role of Peter, told CP that he developed a unique brotherhood with Morgado, which he hopes will come alive on screen.
"The Bible Experience" in New York runs from March 20-27 and can be viewed for free at 450 W. 14th St. in Manhattan, while "The Bible" continues for two more episodes on The History Channel before the grand finale on Easter Sunday. more >>