Wife of Rev. Schuller Undergoes 2nd Surgery

The wife of televangelist and Crystal Cathedral founder Robert Schuller is recovering after her second operation Saturday.

Arvella Schuller, the 68-year-old executive producer of the “Hour of Power” TV program, underwent corrective surgery at UCI Medical Center in Orange on Saturday morning after a Friday heart bypass operation, a church spokesman said.

“There was some bleeding, and the doctors went in and found the source of it. The prognosis is good. She’s on the road to recovery now,” spokesman Larry Sonnenburg said.

The Rev. Robert Schuller, 71, did not appear for the cathedral’s Good Friday service because he spent the day at his wife’s side in the hospital. But Schuller is expected to preside over the eight Easter services scheduled for today, Sonnenburg said.

“He hasn’t missed an Easter since he started preaching,” he said.

Arvella Schuller first experienced symptoms of her heart problem, with pain in her left arm, about a month ago during a tour the couple took to Italy for her husband’s lecture on church growth, Sonnenburg said.

She was hospitalized on her return and underwent a series of tests. At that point, surgery was scheduled. The reverend himself had heart surgery in December after a mild heart attack.

Arvella Schuller has been a mainstay of her husband’s ministry from the beginning. Their television show reaches about 30 million viewers worldwide and is the most widely watched religious program in America. The Schullers will celebrate their 48th wedding anniversary in June.