Throwback Theater Schuller's Drive-in Service
"Church is meant to bring people together — not isolate."
Sunday, April 19, 2020.
Throwback Theater Schuller Style
April 24, 2020
As a preschooler, Robert A. Schuller spent Sunday mornings camped out on a wooden picnic table bringing biblical heroes to life. He remembers coloring images of Jesus, Daniel in the lion’s den and the feats of Samson while, nearby, his famous father, Rev. Robert H. Schuller, preached from the roof of the concession stand at the Orange Drive-In. The theater’s sound system, rattling to a movie soundtrack the previous night, piped the morning sermon to hundreds of people who gathered in their cars.
The church that officially launched at that same site in March 1955 was known as Garden Grove Community Church, which ultimately became the Crystal Cathedral, an international ministry and megachurch that once served Orange County.
Fifty-five years later — to the very Sunday, as he later discovered — the younger Schuller stood in an office complex balcony in Santa Ana preaching his first drive-in sermon to about 50 cars.
“It was unbeknownst to me,” he said, marveling at the timing.
Inside, dozens of people eager to connect after being shut out of their home churches due to Coronavirus restrictions, listened through their radios by way of a low-frequency FM transmitter.
“I have all these memories growing up,” the pastor and founder of Robert Schuller Ministries said about the decision to come full circle with a drive-in church.
He’s not alone.
As pastors nationwide look for creative ways to feed the flock, drive-in churches are popping up across the country. Several have made national headlines after government officials in some counties have tried to stop the gatherings.
As Church United shared in previous updates, officials in Riverside County blocked at least one church from using the drive-in concept. Fortunately, U.S. Attorney General William Barr vows to protect churches if “any state or local government, in their response to COVID-19, singles out, targets, or discriminates against any house of worship for special restrictions." Read Barr's statement here.
Pastor Robert said Orange County, a more conservative jurisdiction, hasn’t created any obstacles.
“There was never any question as far as whether or not to continue to meet,” he said, citing the Barr’s opinion. “At this point, I think that the path has been cleared. I don’t think any city or state or county is going to try and stop drive-in churches.”
For Pastor Robert, the transition has come naturally. For the past few years, he and his wife, Donna, have used Facebook Live to conduct Sunday services, whether at home in Southern California or ministering in Uganda, Mongolia or Mexico.
“We are a church with no walls, so we just set up church wherever we can, everywhere in the world,” he said.
The switch to the drive-in format was fairly simple, requiring just a bluetooth transmitter that can broadcast into cars. Each transmitter costs about $150 and has a range of up to a quarter mile! You can purchase a similar one on eBay here.
Transmitter plug-ins host wireless mics for the sermon and cell phones use music apps or YouTube. For Easter Sunday, the Schullers added live music while ushers, wearing protective gear, directed people to park, handed out song sheets and prayer cards and collected the offering.
“We didn't even know if we'd be able to pull it off, but we did,” Pastor Robert said. “By the grace of God, we were able to get that thing working. It ended up being a really beautiful experience.”
The Schullers have committed to conducting the services at 10:00 a.m. every Sunday until churches are allowed to resume their regular worship gatherings. The East Fourth Street parking lot used by the Schullers accommodates about 200 cars. About 150 were parked on Easter Sunday.
The ministry leader said he wants to encourage other Church United pastors to implement the concept as a way to help their congregants and serve those who are struggling because of the shut down.
“We're creating a safe place for people to go,” Pastor Schuller said, adding that he’s grateful to Church United for helping to network other congregations. “I think it's a wonderful institution and I encourage people to move in that direction."
“Just stand in the back of a pickup and — depending on what you have at your disposal — gather your congregation in cars,” he said. “They can roll the windows down. They can talk to one another and look at one another. They can wave to each other and they can feel some community. I highly recommend that because it’s what we're doing and people are absolutely loving it.”
For more information on how to start a drive-in church, contact Pastor Robert Schuller.
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