Crystal Cathedral Choir Members Asked to Sign "Anti-Gay" Covenant

Not that there's anything wrong with that, though I'd prefer to refer to it as a pro-Biblical covenant rather than an anti-gay covenant:

Choir members at the financially troubled Crystal Cathedral say they are upset by a covenant they have been asked to sign that places a strong emphasis on them being heterosexual and Christian.

The "Crystal Cathedral Worship Choir and Worship Team Covenant," recently handed out to members, states that members should commit to being Christians by following the Bible in every way.

Former and current choir members say they are particularly offended by a statement in the document that refers to homosexuality. Long-time church members say this is the first time they have seen the cathedral take a firm stand against homosexuality and are disturbed by it.

The covenant states: "I understand that in an era where images of family relationship and personal sexuality are often confused, Crystal Cathedral Ministries believes that it is important to teach and model the biblical view. I understand that Crystal Cathedral Ministries teaches that sexual intimacy is intended by God to only be within the bonds of marriage, between one man and one woman." ...

Sheila Schuller Coleman, daughter of the founder and senior pastor of the Crystal Cathedral, issued a statement Tuesday saying the document is intended to "clarify expectations placed on them as ministry leaders."

"It is true that our new choir covenant includes a definition of marriage and that may have contributed to the hurt," she stated. "The definition is the one that our denomination, The Reformed Church in America, and the Crystal Cathedral adheres to, based on its understanding of the scriptures."

There's nothing terribly unusual about a church asking its worship team to abide by the teachings of the church's denomination, but that hasn't been the case before at the big glass church. Even founder Robert Schuller doesn't think it's a good idea:

Robert H. Schuller, founder of the Crystal Cathedral, said Wednesday that he strongly disapproves of an anti-gay covenant his own church administrators asked choir members to sign, stating that it goes against the principles of tolerance, acceptance and positive thinking on which he built his 50-year-old ministry.

Schuller contacted the Register to say he did not know about the existence of such a covenant and would have personally never approved it.

"I have a reputation worldwide of being tolerant of all people and their views," he said. "I'm too well-educated to criticize a certain religion or group of people for what they believe in. It's called freedom."

"Too well educated?"  They may be free to worship as they please, but if they're badly wrong, shouldn't some criticism be in order? Especially from a high profile minister who's supposed to stand for...well, something?

This church is very quickly destroying itself from within. If you click on the Crystal Cathedral label below you'll find a host of previous stories of the chaos in that church.