30 Years of Ministry!

The closing sections of 1st Thessalonians 5 features two verses about God's faithfulness to do His work in our lives, according to His will:
23Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.24He who calls you is faithful, who also will do it.

It is so important to entrust our lives into the care of our Heavenly Father - He is the One who will keep us, who will preserve us, who will be absolutely faithful to us.   We can completely trust Him with our lives.   And, when we get discouraged, we can continue to rely on His Word, which tells us of His faithfulness and His power.  He is a faithful God and He is at work, even when we don't necessarily see or sense it. Continue to rely on the hand of the Lord.

In Matthew chapter 13, Jesus is sharing illustrations about the kingdom of heaven and the relationship we can have with Himself.   He says:
45"Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking beautiful pearls,46who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had and bought it.

Faith Radio has reached another milestone, and we want to celebrate God's faithfulness!

Today marks the 30th anniversary of the ministry of Faith Radio.   Traditionally, the 30th anniversary is known as the "Pearl" anniversary.  When I realized that, I was reminded of that Scripture referring to the "pearl of great price", which I believe refers to the relationship we can have with God through Jesus Christ.   We trust that you can discover more of God's truth and experience more of His presence in your life through your interaction with the ministry of Faith Radio.

It was April 4, 1984, when the fledgling ministry signed on the air to cover Montgomery and a portion of Central Alabama as WLBF-FM.  

But, the story began a few years before, when a local broadcast engineer and his employer heard a Christian station in another city and discussed how this area needed that type of programming.   A non-profit corporation was formed and the leadership began to travel that path of diligence, including prayer and the application process.  After overcoming numerous obstacles on the path to approval by the Federal Communications Commission, God worked a miracle and WLBF received a non-commercial radio license, and the call letters were chosen, standing for "We Live By Faith".

It has been an incredible journey for this broadcast ministry, from its humble beginnings in trailer space behind a local church with a donated automation system, to our move in 1988 to a free-standing ministry headquarters that was completely paid for before the ribbon was cut.

In 1994, on our 10th anniversary, we gave birth to our first additional facility - a translator in Andalusia, which came as the result of the prayers of a small group of people that desired Christian radio for that area.   Two years later, we expanded our coverage with WSTF - "We're Saved Through Faith".   Just 3 years ago, we added more broadcast coverage with additional power there.

Also, in 1996, we added translators in Dothan and Eufaula.   Our Wiregrass story continued in 2002, Faith Radio signed on in Dothan with WDYF - "We Deepen Your Faith", and 5 years later, we added translators in the Thorsby/Jemison area, Sylacauga, and Alexander City.

In addition to our devoted commitment to quality Biblical teaching and worshipful music, one of the cornerstones of the ministry of Faith Radio is our dedication to being involved in communities we serve. When we say, "at home in your community", that is more than a catchy slogan - we believe that God is at work throughout our coverage area, and we desire to spotlight His activity and how the body of Christ is being used in His work.   So, for instance, Billy Irvin and Russell Dean are in Dothan for "An Evening with C.S. Lewis" tonight.   We will be on hand for National Day of Prayer events throughout our area next month. We partner with the Biscuits to present a special family-friendly and faith-oriented night each year, including a Christian musical artist for a pre-game concert.   And, throughout the year, Faith Radio team members travel to locales in our broadcast area to be a part of special events.

One way that Faith Radio has been involved in serving our listening audience is by providing locally-produced programs with hosts from right here in our area.   In 1991, Faith Radio launched Morning Praise, and I was pleased to host that show for 13 years, and Jeremy Smith is doing an excellent job in hosting that program.   In 2004, The Meeting House became part of our lineup, with a commitment to having quality guests addressing a variety of different topics from a Christian perspective.  In the years to follow, we launched a hosted FaithSongs midday program, now hosted by Mary Kirkland and Evening Praise, featuring our General Manager Russell Dean.

And, our commitment to community service has been raised to a new level this week, with the addition of two new members to the Faith Radio team and the expansion of the existing local programs.   This past Monday morning at midnight, veteran Christian broadcaster Ken Senes took the helm of our all-new Praise Thru the Night program from 12 until 6 every weekday.   And, tomorrow afternoon at 2, Faith Radio will have Shine, a new program of worship music with longtime WSFA anchor Kim Hendrix.

Also, this weekend, you'll hear Morning Praise on Saturday and Sunday mornings.   A special weekend edition of Evening Praise will air Saturday nights from 8-10, followed by Worship with Andy Chrisman, hosted by the former 4HIM member and worship leader.   On Sundays, we present 2 new church services and 2 new Bible teaching programs:  No Falling Word with Liam Goligher at 9am, Bridge for Life With Bryan Loritts at 9:30, a worship service from Bellevue Baptist Church in Memphis at 10am, and a service with Thomas Road Baptist  in Lynchburg, VA at 7pm.  And, I will feature recent interview highlights on the weekend edition of The Meeting House Sunday nights at 8:00.

So, as we seek to grow in your knowledge of God and discover that "pearl of great price" through your relationship with Jesus, we trust that Faith Radio will be a faithful companion to provide the tools that you need in your spiritual journey.   Thank you for listening, for your prayers, and your faithful support throughout the years.   And, be reminded in your own spiritual walk - when God gives you a vision, hold fast in prayer, hold forth hope, and hold faithfully to His call, so that you can see Him do mighty things in your life.