White House Guest Schuller Spends the Night in Lincoln Bedroom

WASHINGTON —  Robert K. Schuller, televangelist and pastor of Garden Grove’s Crystal Cathedral, spent Monday evening visiting with President Bill Clinton in the White House before spending the night in the historic Lincoln bedroom, according to a Schuller assistant.

“It’s not political, it’s pastoral,” said Michael Nason, a Schuller spokesman.

Nason said the visit grew out of a Christmas Eve telephone conversation between the two men, who had never met, during which the President expressed interest in meeting the evangelist the next time he was in Washington.

This week, Nason said, Schuller was on the East Coast for meetings with a few donors to “Hour of Power,” the internationally broadcast television program he produces from Garden Grove.

About 4:30 p.m. Monday, Nason said, a car sent by the President picked up Schuller from Washington’s Ritz Carlton Hotel and took him to the White House.

“I sincerely believe that the Clintons have a deep spiritual feeling in their lives,” Nason said. “I trust that the evening was a time of Christian fellowship; I think there was some spiritual content to (the reverend’s) visit.”

A White House spokesman declined to discuss the meeting.

Nason said Schuller planned to spend part of Tuesday visiting with Sen. Bob Dole, a personal friend, and paying a courtesy call on California Sen. Dianne Feinstein.