Contact: Ron Keener, Church Executive Magazine, 800-541-2670 ext. 204

MEDIA ADVISORY, Jan. 22 /Christian Newswire/ -- Executive pastor Jim Poit of the Crystal Cathedral, Garden Grove, CA, and his wife Linda, who was director of children's ministries there, have been let go by the church, following by four months the resignation of senior pastor Robert A. Schuller, to whom Poit served as executive pastor of the megachurch.

Deb Yurk, who had been brought on board by Poit as pastor of congregational life, was also released from her job. Church Executive magazine published an article in August of last year profiling Poit and his work in bringing more modern methods to the ministry.

A church spokesman first said they were "layed off" but went on to say that Poit, his wife, and Yurk "didn't fit the vision, I guess, of the new leadership."

Changes were made last July whereby founder Robert Harold Schuller retained the chairman of the board post, and named two sons-in-law and a third person to an "Office of the President."

The February 2009 issue of Church Executive, now in the mail to readers, contains an editorial by Ron Keener about the church's leadership issues over the last half year. The church's weekly program, Hour of Power, replaced the son, Robert Anthony, who three years ago was installed as senior pastor, after the son fell out of favor with his father and two sons-in-law who now head the international weekly broadcast.

While the son's departure was couched in terms of a difference of vision for the ministry, others familiar with the ministry have said that "the son didn't apply himself to the management of the church, even as the father gave him full freedom to establish himself and his team," Keener writes in his editorial.

The spokesman confirmed that evaluation in noting that "there will never be another Robert Schuller [the father]. It's unfair to expect the son to meet all those expectations that they had for him. It put too much pressure on him and I don't think he had the fire in his belly to make that commitment."

Regarding the worldwide ministry, the spokesman said "that's a lot of pressure on a young man to try to become something that there's no possible way he can ever be." Schuller, the son, has not yet announced his ministry plans. The grandson, Robert Vincent (Bobby) Schuller, pastors an emergent ministry called The Gathering, which is said to be leaving the Cathedral campus in coming months. Keener also expresses the opinion that the Hour of Power, "is a flawed strategy, working from a dated format, struggling financially for more than two years, stymied in progress by other family members, and likely to lose its grip as 'America's longest running television ministry.'"

Yet, Keener notes in the February issue, "Whatever the hopes of the father, and the faults of the son, the Hour of Power and the Crystal Cathedral are still a beacon of hope, even as that future is uncertain."

Last May the ministry put up for sale its 170-acre property in Rancho Capistrano that served as a retreat center, and earlier this month the four-story office building, known as the Robert H. Schuller Family Life Center, that houses a school and production offices, was put up for sale for $34 million. The church is looking for a lease-back arrangement. The church in the past has denied that the church is headed for bankruptcy.

Poit had been spoken of as being on the speaking team at the Cathedral, often on Sunday evenings, after Robert A. Schuller was forced from the pulpit in October. Poit was not available for comment on his vocational plans. He was executive pastor for Third Reformed Church in Kalamazoo, MI, before taking the Cathedral position a couple years ago.

Church Executive is a business magazine for larger and megachurches and focuses on management and leadership issues for pastors, executive pastors, and business administrators.