Garden Grove’s eye-catching glass church has had a chequered history, but there’s no doubting its iconic status.
It’s not made of crystal – and neither is it a cathedral! It is, however, one of the most recognisable and unmissable buildings in Garden Grove. Its jagged spire towers over the city skyline, its angular glass walls reflect glittering shards of light, and its luminous interior houses one of the largest organs in the world.The church was designed by the celebrated American architect Philip Johnson as the headquarters of the Garden Grove Community Church, founded by the world-famous televangelist Robert H. Schuller. Schuller changed its name to Crystal Cathedral Ministries when the building was completed in 1981 and under his charismatic leadership it became one of America’s first so-called “mega-churches”. At the height of his fame in the 1990s, Schuller’s weekly Hour of Power sermons broadcast from the cathedral pulled in capacity congregations of more than 2,700 worshippers and were watched by millions more worldwide.The church is constructed from thousands of rectangular glass panes glued to a steel frame, an innovative building method designed to withstand earthquakes. The adjacent Prayer Spire, completed in 1990, rises to 72 metres and the site also includes a 300-seat auditorium and a café in the campus’s visitor centre, the Welcoming Center. Visitors can wander through the gardens and courtyard of the cathedral precincts past religious statues and water features, or take a guided tour of the interior to gaze in awe at the vast pipe organ that dominates the marble chancel. Tours are usually offered after the regular Sunday morning service, while self-guided maps are available in the Welcoming Center. Concerts are also held from time to time, so check to see if your visit coincides with a musical event or special service.Financial problems within Crystal Cathedral Ministries led to the building being sold to the Roman Catholic Diocese of Orange in 2012. The diocese plans to renovate the interior and eventually will change its name to Christ Cathedral, so it’s worth checking current arrangements with the local tourist office before setting out to visit this architectural jewel. Garden Grove is a few kilometres drive south of Disneyland®, and there is plenty of free parking close by.
