Plan to sell Crystal Cathedral in CA moves forward

[September 15, 2011]  SANTA ANA, Calif. (AP) -- A federal judge will move ahead with a bankruptcy reorganization plan that includes the sale of the Crystal Cathedral megachurch in Southern California.

The Orange County Register (http://bit.ly/nLTEx3) says the court on Wednesday set a timeline for creditors to approve the plan and pick a buyer for the financially distressed church.

Its leaders have said the Crystal Cathedral was not for sale and that they would raise the $50 million to save it.

There are several pending offers for the 40-acre Orange County campus, including the Roman Catholic Diocese of Orange and Chapman University.

The soaring Crystal Cathedral is a Southern California landmark designed by the acclaimed architect Philip Johnson.

The well-known "Hour of Power" televangelist program is broadcast from its glass-paned sanctuary.

Declining donations and a tumultuous leadership transition have devastated its finances.

[Associated Press]

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