Norman Tuck, who worked at the Crystal Cathedral in Garden Grove, Calif., displays his souvenirs from the cathedral Tuesday at his Slippery Rock apartment. Tuck sold most everything he owned in 1973 so he could move to California and join the Crystal Cathedral. He spent 20 years working there before retiring and returning to Pennsylvania.

SLIPPERY ROCK — More than 10,000 panels of glass make up the Crystal Cathedral in Garden Grove, Calif. Window No. 2707 belongs to Norman R. Tuck.

“My window, I know where it's at, and it's 13 up, but under each window is a tag with your name that you're one of the founders of the Crystal Cathedral,” said Tuck of Slippery Rock.

Tuck worked for the Crystal Cathedral as the volunteer coordinator, New Hope director and cast coordinator for 20 years before retiring and returning home to Pennsylvania in February 1994.

“I don't have a bad memory about the service, the Glories, the picnic,” Tuck said. “It was the most rewarding and I still miss it, and it's the thing that keeps me vital and alive every day.”The cathedral, which once had 10,000 members throughout the United States, was sold in November for $57.5 million to the Roman Catholic Diocese of Orange due to bankruptcy.“Our goal is to preserve an already cherished religious landmark and to enhance its worship use for Orange County Catholics and all people of faith who may be inspired by this wonderful, now Catholic, cathedral,” said Bishop Tod Brown.The diocese is allowing the congregation three more years in the building built by its founder the Rev. Robert Schuller, but due to disagreements between the board, Schuller and his family, the church is dividing and members are leaving early.“It's sad to think that things happen like this, but they do, and we don't know why God is involved and causes these types of things, but I know that there must be thousands of people throughout the world that must just feel exactly the way that I do,” Tuck said.Tuck was flipping through the television channels one day when he saw Schuller preaching to a congregation in a drive-in movie theater.“He's preaching on possibility thinking, not positive thinking, but possibility thinking,” Tuck said.“The Power of Positive Thinking” by Norman Vincent Peale had already influenced Tuck's life and religion. He was stunned to see another preacher speaking about a similar topic.“So every Sunday I began to tune in to him, and I bought his book ‘Possibility Thinking' and I became a student of (Schuller).”He continued to watch the Hour of Power broadcast every Sunday as he moved from Pennsylvania to Florida.In 1973, Tuck got the idea to sell everything, move to California and join the Crystal Cathedral.“I sold the house, I sold every stick of furniture and all I took with me to California was what I could fit in my car,” Tuck said.Tuck got a job after just three days in California working for an insurance company.Once he was settled, he went to visit his window in the Cathedral.While there, he went on a tour of the grounds. Tuck has a passion for reading and had learned a lot about the Cathedral before deciding to move.At the end the tour, the guide asked, “Who are you?”“She said, ‘I'm a member of this church and you know more about it than I do... you ought to be a tour guide here.'”Taking her advice, Tuck became a tour guide for the Cathedral. He also became a volunteer for New Hope, a 24-hour phone counseling center located in the church.After working as a volunteer, Tuck was asked to become the assistant director and then director of New Hope.He was able to quit his insurance job and work for the Crystal Cathedral full time.Schuller's son-in-law, Paul Dunn, learned of Tuck's acting background. He had studied one year at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts.The Crystal Cathedral broadcast the “Glory of Easter” and the “Glory of Christmas” with actors from Hollywood and 100 church volunteers.Tuck was asked to help select, coordinate and direct the volunteers for the production.“I would go to work at 7 a.m. and come home at 11 p.m. six days a week,” Tuck said.Day-to-day the church had about 2,000 volunteers.“One day (Schuller) said to me ‘You know, we never had anybody in charge of the volunteers. Would you also become to director of the volunteers?' and I said ‘Oh fine.'”Tuck first made a master list of all the volunteers and their team leaders, something he said the Crystal Cathedral never had.He also wrote a Crystal Cathedral volunteer manual; complete with 10 commandments for a volunteer and the Be Happy Attitudes of a Lay Minster.One of Tuck's biggest accomplishments was organizing the first Crystal Cathedral all-church picnic.Tuck retired after working at the Crystal Cathedral and part time at Disney Land for fun.He has since joined the Slippery Rock Presbyterian Church and given sermons throughout the community.“I'm not afraid to say Dr. Schuller is one of my heroes,” Tuck said.“He has without a doubt taught me more about Jesus Christ in a way that is so personal that if Jesus Christ was to walk in my door today, I would feel perfectly comfortable saying ‘Sit down and let's talk.'”