>> THE COMPUTER.
♪
>> I AM A STUART VARNEY AND THIS IS AMERICAN BUILT.
IS AMERICAN BUILT.
♪
>> MANY OF THE GREATEST
ARCHITECTURES HAVE BEEN MADE BY
BUILDERS OF CHURCHES. TAKE THE DOME OVER ST. PETER’S
TAKE THE DOME OVER ST. PETER’S
HAVE TO LOOK TO
MEDIEVAL EUROPE, YOU COULD LOOK
TO MODERN-DAY CALIFORNIA.
♪
>> ORANGE COUNTY 1955.
SURFBOARDS, BIKINIS AND CARS.
WAS THERE ROOM? IN ALL OF THIS
FORGOT?
RAPIDLY EXPANDING PERFORMED
CHURCH OFSU AMERICA SHOOK THOUGH
SO.
>> THERE WERE A LOT OF DUTCHMEN
IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA.
AS A RESULT, THEY WANTED TO
START CHURCHES HERE IN
CALIFORNIA AFTER THE DUTCH
COMMUNITY.
>> PERFORMED CHURCH NEED A
PASTOR WHO KNEW HOW TO BUILD A
MINISTRY WHO TOOK A CHANCE ON A
29-YEAR-OLD PREACHER FROM
NORTHERN ILLINOIS, ROBERT
SCHULLER.
>> WHO GREW THIS TINY LITTLE
CHURCH FROM 35 BICKERING PEOPLE
TO OVER 500 WITHIN A FEW YEARS
TIME.
THE COMBINATION SAW WITHINS HIM
THE POTENTIAL TO PLANT A CHURCH
OUT HERE IN THE WEST COAST.
>> HE CAME HERE AND WAS GIVEN TO
ACRES OF LAND BY THE
DENOMINATION, DIDN’T HAVE ANY
FACILITIES.
>> IT WOULD TAKE TWO YEARS FOR
THE CHURCH TO BE BUILT SO THE
ENERGETIC PASTOR HAD TO THINK
OUTSIDE OF THE BOX. >> HE PUT HIS POSSIBILITY
>> HE PUT HIS POSSIBILITY
THINKING INTO ACTION INFUSED FAT
BACK IN THERE IN THE RESTAURANT
OR WE WERE EATING CANDY STARTED
JOTTING DOWN ALL KINDS OF THINGS
THAT CAME TO HIS MIND.
>> HE STARTED TO PUT TOGETHER A
LIST OF TEN POSSIBILITIES HE
MIGHT BE ABLE TOND HOLD CHURCH
SERVICES.
THAT INCLUDED MORTUARIES,
SCHOOLS.
>> THE LIST WAS FILLED WITH
EVIDENCE.
SECOND TO LAST IDEA ON THE
NAPKIN WAS A DRIVE-IN MOVIE
THEATER IN ORANGE COUNTY.
>> HE WENT TO THE GUY H AND SAID
WHAT YOU THINK?
WOULD YOU LET ME STAND ON TOP OF
THE SNACK BAR ROOF AND PREACH
AND HAVE CARS, SUNDAY THE GUY
WAS TAKEN ABACK.
HE SAID WHAT IS THIS?
IT’S A CRAZY IDEA.
♪
>> THERE WAS NO ROOF, NO AUTHOR,
NO PEWS.
HE JUST JUMPED UP ON A SNACK BAR
AND STARTED PREACHING.
>> MY GRANDPARENTS LIVED NEXT
DOOR TO THE DRIVE-IN THEATER AND
WE USED TO GO WATCH THIS
PREACHER PREACHING FROM THE ROOF WHERE WE BOUGHT POPCORN THE
WHERE WE BOUGHT POPCORN THE
NIGHT BEFORE.
>> IT WAS INSPIRED FOR THE
AMERICAN AUTOMOBILES, ICONIC BEL
AIR FOR INSTANCE CAME OUT THAT
YEAR.
A CULTURAL PHENOMENA.
>> HIS CHURCH WAS A GENIUS
BECAUSE IT WAS PART OF THE
CULTURE.
HERE IN SOCAL, PEOPLE
PRACTICALLY LIVE IN THE CARS.
>> REVEREND BROADCAST HIS
MESSAGE DIRECTLY INTO THE FRONT
SEATS TO THE DRIVE-IN SPEAKERS.
>> THERE’S A POST AT EACH PLACE
OUR CAR WAS AND YOU COULD TAKE
THE SPEAKER OUT HANG IT ON YOUR
CAR WINDOW.
>> JUST SMILE AT ME THROUGH THE
WINDSHIELD.
>> I COULD HEAR HIS VOICE
CLEARLY ECHOING THROUGHOUT FOR
THEATER SPACE.
>> TWO YEARS LATER, HIS REAL
CHURCH, A SMALL 250 SEAT CHAPEL
WAS FINALLY READY.
IT WAS TIME TO LEAVE THE DRIVING
DRIVING.
OR MAYBE NOT.
♪
>> THERE WAS A LADY WHO CAME TO
THE DRIVING WHOSE NAME IS ROSIE
AND THIS WAS THE ONLY CHURCH SHE
COULD GO TO.
>> ROSIE GRAY WAS A PARAPLEGIC.
HER DEVOTION MADE A BIG
IMPRESSION ON THE YOUNG PREACHER
PREACHER.
>> IN THE 50s, THERE IS NO
SUCH THING AS ACCESSIBILITY.
NO RAMPS, IT JUST DIDN’T EXIST.
>> SHE DECIDED TO KEEP THE
DRIVE-IN ALIVE BUT AFTER YEARS
OF BOUNCING BETWEEN TWO CHURCHES, SHE WAS EXHAUSTED.
CHURCHES, SHE WAS EXHAUSTED.
>> MY DAD WAS 6 MILES AWAY FROM
THE WALKING CHURCH HAULING THE
ORGAN TO THE DRIVING CHURCH
CLIMBING ON TOP OF THE ROOFTOP.
>> HE SAID I DIDN’T COME TO
PLANT TWO CHURCHES.
[LAUGHTER]
WE HAVE TOHU SOMEHOW BRING THESE
TWO CHURCHES TOGETHER AS ONE SO
HE REALLY MOLD ABOUT IT AND HE
FINALLY GOT THIS BRAINSTORM,
LET’S DO A WALK-IN DRIVING
CHURCH.
>> HE BROUGHT TEN ACRES IN
BARTLETT 22000 SQUARE-FOOT
PAVILION GLASS WALLS.
>> THERE IS LAST ON TWO SIDES
THAT ALLOWED YOU TO BE
INSIDE
THE CONGREGATIONAL AREA AND ALSO
LOOK OUTSIDE. >> THE ORIGINALND CHURCH WAS BUI
>> THE ORIGINALND CHURCH WAS BUI
TO MIMIC DRIVING ON THE OUTSIDE.
RAMPS AND
SPEAKERS.
>> BETWEEN THE CARS AND PEWS, HE
BUILT A 20-FOOT TALL BIDEN GLASS
DOOR.
>> IT WAS A BIGF PART OF THE
SERVICE FOR THE DOORS TO OPEN
BECAUSE IT WAS AWAY OF SAME TO
THE CONGREGATIONS WE ARE ONE.
>> THE CHURCH KNOWN AS THE
ARBORETUM WAS A HIT.
>> ONCE IT WAS COMPLETED, THEY
WERE ABLE TO MERGE BUT TO
CONGREGATIONS.
WHEN THAT HAPPENED, THE CHURCH
EXPLODED.
>> THE POPULARITY CAUGHT THE
ATTENTION OF EVANGELIST BILLY
GRAHAM. >> BILLY SAW WHAT HE WAS DOING
>> BILLY SAW WHAT HE WAS DOING
AND HE WAS SO IMPRESSED HE SAID
YOU SHOULD PUT YOUR CHURCH
SERVICE ON TELEVISION.
>> MY FATHER STARTED LOOKING AT
THIS, IF THIS IS WHAT GOD WANTS
ME TO DO, I’LL DO IT.
>> WELCOME TO AN HOUR (.
>> TELEVANGELIST MINISTRY HIT
THE AIRWAVES IN 1970.
ONCE AGAIN, HE TAPPED INTO A
CULTURAL PHENOMENA.
>> SUNDAY MORNINGS WERE BUSY AROUND HERE.
AROUND HERE.
>> WHEN HE STARTED TELEVISING
HIS SERVICES, THAT’S WHEN TV
STARTED TO TAKE OFF AS WELL.
>> THE HOUR OF POWER BECAME THE
MOST WATCHED WEEKLY RELIGIOUS
PROGRAM ON TV.
>> LIFE CAN BE DIFFERENT.
LIFE CAN BE BETTER.
LIFE CAN BE WONDERFUL.
♪
>> BY THE LATE 70s, THE
TELEVISION MINISTRY HAD OUTGROWN
ITS MODEST HOME IN THE
ARBORETUM.
♪
>> WE HAVE PROBLEMS HERE IN OUR
MINISTRY, THE PROBLEMS, YOU CAN
SEE HERE PEOPLE STANDING, MANY
PEOPLE CAME TO THIS CHURCH THIS
MORNING AND THEY LEFT.
>> YOU WERE STANDING IN THENY
AISLES, THE DRIVE-IN IS FULL AND
WITH THAT, I’VE GOT TO BUILD
ANOTHER SPECIFIC.
>> BY NOW, REVEREND HAD RICH
TASTE AND AMBITIOUS GOALS TO
DESIGN HIS CATHEDRAL, HE HIRED
ONE OF THEHE HOTTEST ARCHITECTS
THE DAY.
PHILIP JOHNSON.
>> IS INTERESTED IN GRASS IN THE
SPIRIT OF TIME, CUTTING IT AND
REFLECTIVITY AS YOU GET OFF THE
DARK AND LIGHT.
>> HE WAS MOST FAMOUS FOR HIS
CONNECTICUT HOME, THE GLASSHOUSE
WHICH HE SEEMS TO BRING DOORS
INSIDE.
HE CHALLENGED HIM TO DO THAT ON
A GRANDND SCALE.
JOHNSON CAME BACK WITH A DESIGN
FOR CHURCH WITH A SLOPING GLASS
ROOF.
>> I DID AN EARLY DESIGN, IT
WASN’T GOOD.
HE WAS SO DISAPPOINTED HE
COULDN’T SAY A WORD.
>> ALL OF THE SIDE WALLS WERE
SOLID JUST THE ROOF WAS GRASS.
MY FATHER LOOKED AT IT AND GOES
WELL, IS THERE ANY WAY WE CAN DO
THE WHOLE THING IN GRASS?
♪
>> JOHNSON WENT BACK TO THE
DRAWING BOARD AND RETURNED WITH
A REVOLUTIONARY DESIGN.
>> A WEEK LATER, I DON’T KNOW
WHERE IT CAME FROM.
THE DESIGN OCCURRED TO ME IN THE
SHORT TIME, I COULD HARDLY
BELIEVE IT BUT THIS WAS THE BEST
DESIGN I’VE EVER DONE IN MY
LIFE.
>> THE CENTRAL SANCTUARY WOULD
BE A HEXAGON WITH TIME ON ONE
SIDE OF THE ALTAR ELECTRONIC ON
THE OTHER SIDE, TV PRODUCTION
AND ADDITIONAL SEATING.
THE ROOF AND WALLS WERE COVID IN
10000 PAINS OF GRASS MAKING IT
THE LARGEST LAST BUILDING ON
EARTH BUT COULD IT BE BUILT?
HE PRAYED ON IT.
>> IT WAS AS IF GOD WAS SPEAKING