Crystal Cathedral's Senior Pastor Sheila Coleman 'Temporarily' Leaves Ministry's Board
Senior Pastor Sheila Coleman has temporarily left the board of directors of the Crystal Cathedral Ministries "while the ministry goes through a time of transition," the church announced Wednesday via a public relations firm.
The news emerged after recent speculation by congregants that Coleman had been ousted from the board of directors together with the executive producer of the "Hour of Power," the ministry's legendary televangelical show, Jim Penner.
Coleman, the firstborn child of the ministry's founder, Robert H. Schuller, has been serving as the church's chief executive officer and the board's non-voting interim chairman, according to the LA Times. The positions are now expected to be taken over by a longtime administrative worker at the church, John Charles.
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The ministry's officials reportedly said that the leadership changes to the board of directors are "temporary" and "will be good for the Crystal Cathedral during this time of transition."
While Charles leads the board, Coleman, who is also the senior pastor in her father's prolonged absence, is to focus on the future of the ministry, the statement said.
"I'm very grateful for John's help and support at this time," Coleman was quoted saying. "We're prayerfully considering many options regarding the new location for the church and the ministry and are excited about the future. We're confident we will end up where God needs us most."
The Christian Post was unable to reach the Garden Grove, Calif. based ministry for immediate comment prior to press time.
During the Crystal Cathedral's long-lasting bankruptcy case and its complicated sale process to the Roman Catholic Diocese of Orange, which concluded on Feb. 4, local media were reporting a possible conflict resulting from the fact that Coleman was on board for the ministry as well as the congregation. The congregation has been dissatisfied with the ministry's decision to sell the signature glass building to the Catholic diocese, after 30 years.
Right before the sale was officially finalized, the congregation board made one last attempt at blocking it by claiming a 99-year lease, at which it failed because of lack of necessary documentation.
