A Divine Calling Now on Auto-Dial

Crystal Cathedral founder Robert H. Schuller initially courted the secular world in 1955 by starting his church in a drive-in movie theater. Now, the reverend’s spreading the word through a less beloved American tradition: telemarketing.

Over the last few months, the recorded voice of Schuller has been heard in hundreds of thousands of Southern California homes. The 30-second, upbeat messages invite listeners to watch his “Hour of Power” television show or come to his Garden Grove church “and bring a friend.”

The auto-dial evangelism--which has reached more than 400,000 homes in a single week--has boosted the “Hour of Power” television ratings and Sunday attendance, church officials said. But the campaign also has generated complaints from people offended that a church would adopt marketing tactics associated with political campaigns, mortgage lenders and insurance agents.

“Dr. Schuller has always been innovative in his efforts and desires to reach people who aren’t going to church,” said Larry Sonnenburg, the cathedral’s chief operating officer. “Overall, we’re happy with the campaign. It appears viewership and level of attendance show a bump” after the recorded calls.

The second half of a recent two-week telemarketing blitz in Orange, Los Angeles and San Bernardino counties brought about 50 complaints out of 80,000 calls to the church headquarters, officials said.

Polly Stanbridge, a Corona del Mar resident, recently received two recorded calls from Schuller, though she didn’t complain to the church.

“What an incredible intrusion,” Stanbridge said. “I get so incensed. I’m not so sure why it’s so offensive--it’s just way too gimmicky for me.

“I want to respect Rev. Schuller so I’m not going to hang up on him. But then when I find out it’s an advertisement, I feel used.”

Some churches did try telemarketing a few years ago only to drop it because of complaints, according to Mike Regele, president of Percept, a company that provides market information to churches nationwide.

“I’ve heard some pretty negative feedback,” Regele said. “The primary reason is that religious faith is such a personal thing. People want some contact with a human being. I’m surprised anyone’s still using telemarketing.”

Sonnenburg said the church hadn’t received any complaints until it sent out two messages last month, just a week apart, to the same homes. One Newport Beach man called the church after he received six calls from Schuller on the three phone lines in his home.

“It was little bit much,” Sonnenburg said. “We probably won’t do that again.”

Carol Dobyns, who has attended the church for 40 years, said a recorded call from Schuller was a godsend, coming on the same day her doctor said she might have had a recurrence of cancer.

“It was so assuring and uplifting to hear my pastor’s voice, even though it was recorded,” said the Laguna Woods resident, who was later determined to be cancer-free. “He’s been a very progressive pastor without losing that Christ-centeredness.”

Over the last five years, “Hour of Power” television ratings have been relatively flat at 1.3 million viewers and so has attendance at the Crystal Cathedral, which averages about 8,000 each Sunday.

After a nationwide telemarketing effort in April, the “Hour of Power” weekly ratings jumped 5%. And after the local auto-dial effort, one Sunday’s attendance increased 12%.

“We really believe in the product,” Sonnenburg said. “A certain segment of the market might take offense, but Dr. Schuller is not afraid to market the church. I’m not sure the approach is new. It’s just a new technology.”

A recent telephone pitch began: “Hi, I’m Dr. Robert Schuller from the Crystal Cathedral.”

It continued: “And this Sunday . . . my guest will be Big Canyon resident Barbara Bowie. . . . You’ll be amazed at her story. Through prayer and exercise, she overcame multiple sclerosis, pulled herself out of her wheelchair and onto the dance floor. . . . Come and bring a friend.”

Schuller also has messages recorded by some of his high-profile Sunday guests, including country music star Randy Travis.

Crystal Cathedral officials were introduced to the auto-dial technology by a married couple at the church who run a telemarketing firm. Church officials were intrigued by the inexpensive way to get Schuller’s voice to unchurched people. Sonnenburg declined to name the church’s telemarketing firm.

It costs 6 cents to 10 cents for each auto-dialed call, industry experts say, though the price could be reduced by 50% if the church owned the equipment.

Church marketer Regele said he doesn’t doubt that telemarketing campaigns can increase church attendance.

“But I have a hard time with things like this,” he said. “We’re co-opting the methods of selling Fords to sell Jesus. I’m not judging the motivation. But I’m not certain it’s the best way” to reach out to the community.

“The question is,” he added, “Can you communicate something that’s authentic in an inauthentic way?”

Professor Eddie Gibbs, who studies church growth at Fuller Theological Seminary, said church telemarketing is “quite unusual.”

“But Schuller is a wise person and will do it with integrity,” Gibbs said. “Whether you agree with him or not, he’s a class act. I’d be less worried about him than some others.”

Sonnenburg said Schuller is doing nothing different than he did 45 years ago when he walked neighborhoods, knocked on doors and invited people to his church. The only difference is that his method of getting into homes now is the telephone, not shoe leather.

“It’s his way of extending his hand to the community,” Sonnenburg said. “That’s why we’re trying this new project.”