Westboro Baptist Church To Protest Schuller Memorial Service

GARDEN GROVE (CBSLA.com) — A memorial service scheduled to be held later this month for Crystal Cathedral founder Rev. Robert Schuller will likely have some uninvited guests.

Westboro Baptist Church announced Tuesday the controversial congregation will stage a protest outside the April 20 service at the newly-renamed Christ Cathedral in Garden Grove.

According to the church's Twitter account, Westboro Baptist members will be on hand to "faithfully protest the public worship of the dead body" of Schuller, who died earlier this month at the age of 88.

In a statement, the church - which is most widely known for protesting the funerals of U.S. servicemembers and for its "God Hates F---" campaign - alleges Schuller is a "liar" and that Schuller presided over a "false ministry".

"He called himself a Bible teacher; he should've been hated of the world, not loved, and he should have preached about hell," the statement read. "It will redound to his eternal shame that his daughter now claims to be senior preacher of that house of destruction and lies."

Schuller's daughter, Sheila, was named senior pastor in 2010 before the church was sold to the Roman Catholic Archdiocese.