Prominent televangelist Frederick Price will officially step aside as pastor of the Crenshaw Christian Center in Los Angeles this weekend. The 77 year-old Word of Faith preacher is passing the health and wealth mantle to his son, Frederick Price, Jr., who will be installed as head pastor on this his 30th birthday. The elder Price described this weekend’s installation as, “The formal succession of my son will take place on his 30th birthday, the same day Jesus began his ministry.”
Wow! No pressure here, huh?
But sarcasm aside, the younger Price does have immense challenges before him. His father has bequeathed an aging congregation with dwindling membership and financial contributions. In fact, many have interpreted Price Jr.’s ascension to leadership, along with his recent attempts at a “Hip Hop Sunday,” as a creative (if not cynical) attempt to introduce the ministry to younger generations. Though Fred Price, Sr. is rightly considered a forerunner among both the world of black televangelism in general and the Word of Faith Movement in particular, his status has declined with the rise of younger voices like those of Creflo Dollar in Atlanta or Keith Butler in Detroit. And his public split with prominent white Word of Faith leaders in the mid-90s over racist comments made by Kenneth Hagin, Jr (son of the movement’s founding father) also served to place the elder Price on the margins of power over the previous decade.
It appears, then, that the son must bear the double burden of rebuilding Crenshaw’s mega-ministry while attempting to become a televangelist A-lister in his own right.
To be clear, these goals are directly related. The world of megachurches and televangelism are predicated on charismatic and captivating personalities. A successful national broadcast leads to increased financial contributions and new members on the local level. Just as there can be damaging consequences for a ministry if viewers have trouble connecting with the new face of the broadcast. Persons are committed to personalities not programs. And in this world, flamboyance and extravagance are virtues.
Two examples: Joel Osteen at the Lakewood Church in Houston and Robert A. Schuller of the Crystal Cathedral in Orange, California. Since the former took over the Lakewood Church after the death of his father John Osteen, he has grown the church from 6,000 to near 30,000 in a decade. Dropping both the Word of Faith designation and overt financial emphasis of his father, Joel Osteen attracted a cross-section of new viewers with his folksy charm and simplistic yet upbeat theology. His message that God wants to “supersize” your life is architecturally encoded in their current place of worship which once served as home of the Houston Rockets basketball team. And his series of 7-step self-help books have kept him atop the New York Times Best Sellers list, while keeping his wallet proverbially fat.
In contrast, the famed “Hour of Power” broadcast was reduced to a “Few Minutes of Impotence” under Robert A. Schuller. Some viewers accused the son of being too professorial as sermons that displayed a relative comfort with theological debates and biblical exegesis were in stark contrast to his father’s positivist pop-psychology. Further, family turmoil that centered on the son’s desire to bring greater financial transparency and accountability to the Crystal Cathedral eventually led to the resignation of Robert A. Schuller as the father reassumed control. Currently the church plans to sell $65 million worth of property to pay off escalating debts, even as some wonder if the younger Schuller may have just been too naïve, and possibly ethical, to continue his father’s televangelist dynasty.
This is the world of media and megachurches that awaits Frederick K. C. Price, Jr.; it is one of Lakewood potential or Crystal Cathedral demise. I would argue that it is almost enough to make a son turn prodigal. But, wait, I forget….being “prodigal” is what this world is all about!
