Schuller Tapes Sermon for Soviet TV

A ministerial visage and voice familiar on American television will soon be seen in a guest appearance on “Thoughts of the Eternal,” the first ever Soviet religious program that is now about two months old.

Back from a brief trip last weekend to Moscow, Pastor Robert H. Schuller of Garden Grove said that he taped a sermon for the 15-minute weekly program but that he also harbors hopes that his regular “Hour of Power” services televised from the Crystal Cathedral will be welcomed someday on Soviet television.

In the Dec. 3 televised service at the Orange County church, Schuller and wealthy industrialist Armand Hammer discussed the significance of the Malta Summit of President Bush and Soviet President Mikhail S. Gorbachev. Hammer, long known for his friendship with top Soviet officials, had planned the pulpit dialogue in the hope of showing it to Soviet TV officials.

Invited to Moscow by Valentin Lazutkin, deputy chief of the Gostelradio agency, Hammer, Schuller and the pastor’s wife, Arvella, took the videotape of the Dec. 3 service with them as a gift for possible use on Soviet television.

Lazutkin said he had no authority to do that, but he instead asked to tape Schuller giving a short sermon for the “Thoughts of the Eternal” program, which is normally an interview program with Soviet religious leaders. Schuller said he spoke on hope, using Jeremiah 29:11 as a text. The program might be shown Dec. 24, Schuller said.

“Hammer asked about broadcasting our Christmas Eve services live to the Soviet Union, but I don’t think that is likely,” Schuller said in an interview, citing technical difficulties and problems with providing simultaneous translation.

“But we were received with such tremendous affection,” he added. “Whether the ‘Hour of Power’ is aired or not, I have no doubt that there is a wide open door to go back to Russia.”