SANTA ANA, Calif. (AP) — The Rev. Robert H. Schuller, the Southern California televangelist who founded the world-famous Crystal Cathedral megachurch, is ailing and could be in his final days, his daughter said Wednesday.

Schuller, 88, had been enjoying life despite suffering from terminal esophageal cancer, but his health began declining earlier this year, Carol Schuller Milner said.

He grew weaker last week and is surrounded by family and listening to hymns while receiving care at a nursing facility, she said.

"His eyes still twinkle," she said. "We're just trying to keep him comfortable and keep him company."

Schuller started preaching in 1955 at a drive-in theater in Orange County. In 1970, he began a TV ministry called the "Hour of Power" that broadcast to millions, and a decade later built a glass cathedral to house his growing ministry.

After a disastrous leadership transition that led to a decline in membership, the church filed for bankruptcy in 2010. Schuller resigned from the board in 2012.