Dr. Robert H. Schuller Has Esophageal Cancer

By Marion Algier – AskMarion

Dr. Sheila Schuller Coleman, eldest child and daughter of Dr. Robert H. and Arvella Schuller, announced that her father had esophageal cancer during her sermon on 8/25/13 at the Shepherd’s Grove church made up of what is left of Dr. Schuller’s Crystal Cathedral Congregation. You can listen to the info at HopeCenter.org – http://hopecenteroc.org/sunday20130825.htm starting around 1:18:30

Sheila said her father has esophageal cancer. It is about 3 inches long and has spread to some lymph nodes. He will go through chemo and radiation and the prognosis is between 3-months and up to 2-years, obviously the lesser time without treatment.  He will be (has been) undergoing treatment.  It was reported that the elder Schuller decided to pursue radiation and chemo after praying with his wife, Arvella, and other family members.

Schuller daughter, Carol Schuller Milner, told the associated press that the oncologists say her father’s tumor is either at or near stage 4, but it has yet to reach his vital organs and he has been strong enough for treatment.

Milner said her father “doesn’t have a lot of energy” but has been “very reflective, very peaceful and truly beautiful.”

“He’s closer to Heaven than he is to this tangible world,” Milner said.

Let us all keep RHS is our prayers.

Robert Marvin, a commenter on the Pens-Open Blog said:

I am a 17-year survivor of this same cancer. However, I am now 70 and was only 53 when diagnosed. The chemo and radiation put me the hospital for 45 days with a very bad pneumonia from which my team of doctors thought I would not recover. I fooled them along with a lot of prayers and positive thoughts. I subsequently had surgery to remove my esophagus in 1998 when the cancer started to reappear. This is a very deadly cancer. Mostly because it is not discovered in its early stages. From my experience, it sounds like a stage two or three diagnosis. I know many survivors of this disease at this stage and at this age. That being said, however, it must be noted that response to treatment is a very individual thing.

But keep up the prayers for Dr. Schuller, Sr.  There is always hope and prayer is powerful.  Just yesterday we heard that actress Valerie Harper is close to remission from brain cancer. Valerie was diagnosed with terminal brain cancer earlier this year and given only a short time to live. But she fought back and is winning the battle, her cancer is close to remission; so much so that it was announced that she will be participating in season 17 of Dancing with the Stars.

We have several friends who have beaten the odds through prayer, positive thinking, combining alternative with traditional treatments and shear determination.  Miracles happen every day!!

Dr. Schuller says he has had a wonderful life.  He did what God called him to do and he has no regrets.  It really has been quite the life:

Dr. Schuller began preaching in 1955 from the top of a drive-in movie theater concession stand in Orange County with wife Arvella playing the organ and by 1970 they had launched their TV ministry with the “Hour of Power.” The landmark cathedral was built in 1980 and with it were born the long-running Glory of Christmas and Easter pageants and their one season Glory of Creation counterpart.

At its peak, the Hour of Power broadcast attracted a viewership of 20 million around the world.  “But in recent years, Schuller’s ministry was hamstrung by a disastrous leadership transition and then a decline in viewership and donations. The once-popular televangelist resigned from the church’s board in 2012; about two years after that the ministry filed for bankruptcy”, said Carol Milner.

The Roman Catholic Diocese of Orange bought the cathedral in bankruptcy proceedings and renamed the building Christ Cathedral and their southern campus which included a school, retreat center and small church was purchased by Hobby Lobby who leases it to Saddleback, another OC mega-church.

Four generations of Robert Schullers  – photo by Donna Schuller

Related:

Schuller Ousted from Crystal Cathedral board

Rev. Schuller Retires as Lead Pastor, Takes New Crystal Cathedral Post

Pianist Roger Williams: Schuller Kids Spoiled Crystal Cathedral

Rifts, debt tear at Crystal Cathedral

TEARFUL SCHULLER PLEADS FOR DOLLARS FOR CRYSTAL CATHEDRAL

Crystal Cathedral Put Up for Sale to End Debt Woes

Crystal Cathedral Sale to the Catholic Diocese of Orange Closed Escrow on Friday…

Landmark Crystal Cathedral Gets a New Name — Christ Cathedral… and Slips Into History

The End of an Era: Who Bought the Crystal Cathedral… And What of It’s Parishioners?

Famed Pianist Roger Williams Dead at 87

Faithful Voices: A ‘commencement service’ for the Crystal Cathedral

Valerie Harper in Remission… Valerie, Snooki, Leah Remini and 9 more join ‘Dancing With the Stars’ Cast for Season 17

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