Let’s talk about radio
WRMI radio towers (photo from WRMI)
The Continuing Church of God recently renewed a couple of radio contracts.
So, let’s talk about radio.
Jesus said:
14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come. (Matthew 24:14)
Being on mass media, including radio, is something that COG leaders have done since no later than the 1930s to help fulfill that.
Radio was used so much to proclaim the gospel of the kingdom and other biblical messages, that after he left CG7, the late Herbert W. Armstrong initially named his group the Radio Church of God.
Herbert W. Armstrong was first invited as a guest to speak on a local radio station in Oregon. The feedback was so good that the station manager encouraged him to have a regular paid program, which Herbert W. Armstrong then agreed to do. In time, he went on additional stations.
Let’s look at some of what he reported about that in his Autobiography:
In September {1933} … the living Christ began opening doors for the MASS-proclaiming of His Gospel. It was then that someone brought to my attention the fact that the local radio station at Eugene, KORE, then the very smallest minimum-power of 100 watts, had a morning devotional program scheduled, but that they were having difficulty getting local ministers to conduct the program. It was free time, carried by the station as a public service sustaining program of 15 minutes, 7:45 to 8:00 a.m.
Immediately I went to the radio station. A woman secretary told me she felt sure they would be glad to have me take the program for a week. I was to call back later for the exact date.
On my second call I was assigned the week of October 9th.
October 9th was surely a great big day in my life — the day of my very first experience before a microphone, ON THE AIR!I took this opportunity very seriously. It was an opportunity to speak to several HUNDRED people at once! I had never spoken to that many before.
I spent the preceding week preparing rather extensive notes and script. I might never again have such an opportunity, so I decided to strike directly at the very heart of the Gospel of the Kingdom of God. Since the Kingdom of God is based on the promises made to Abraham, I began, on Monday morning’s program with the PROMISES made to Abraham.
Mike-Fright
I had heard a lot about everybody getting mike-fright the very first time on the air. I wondered if I would experience this. It was probably the most exciting adventure of my life.
On Monday morning, I arrived at the radio studio early. The announcer did not come into the studio until ten or fifteen seconds before 7:45.
Mike-fright? Why, I thought to myself, I’m calm and cool as a cucumber!
“Listen!” I said quietly but quickly to the announcer. “I’ve never been on the air before. If you have any instructions, you’d better give them to me in a hurry. We have only 10 seconds!”
He looked at me disdainfully, and a little bored.
“Just stand up there in front of the mike, and start talking as soon as I announce you,” he replied.
About three seconds later he announced me. While he was giving this very brief announcement on the air, I thought, “Well I don’t have any mike-fright. I’m sure glad of that!”
Then, for the first time in my life, I said into the microphone:
“GREETINGS, friends!”But suddenly something had happened! Before those two words were finished, something had hit me like a jolt!
Something had started my heart pounding like a sledge-hammer! I felt myself gasping for breath! During those opening two words, MIKE-FRIGHT had seized me!
I struggled with all my might to control my hard breathing so it would not be audible over the air. It was agony, but I concentrated my mind with all the strength I had on two things — to carefully say the words of my typed script as naturally as I could, and to control my hard breathing so it did not sound.After two or three minutes I was making good progress in gaining control. After some five minutes my breathing had returned to normal, and I was so absorbed in getting this vital message over to the largest audience of my life — even though that audience was invisible — that I forgot all about the mike-fright.
The Surprising Response
The second morning there was no mike-fright. I was beginning to gain assurance, and able to speak a little more naturally.
It must have been about Thursday morning that the announcer told me the station owner, Mr. Frank Hill, wanted to see me in his office later in the morning.
He had received several letters and telephone calls from listeners, requesting copies of my talks. I had offered no literature of any kind. I had invited no mail response.
“This is rather surprising,” said Mr. Hill. “We never had any response of any kind, before, from this morning devotional program. They told me you had not invited any. Yet it has been coming. I listened in on you this morning to see what was causing it. You have an excellent radio voice, and a way of delivering your message that arouses interest and holds an audience.
“Now, Mr. Armstrong,” he continued, “I want to suggest that you work out a regular Sunday morning Church service, condensed into a half hour. I’d like to put that on as a regular sustaining program — free time — but I can’t do that without offering equal time to every church in town. However I will sell you the time at less than bare cost of operation, $2.50 per half hour.”
And THAT suggestion from Mr. Frank Hill is what put the idea of the WORLD TOMORROW program in my mind!
Altogether 14 letters and telephone calls came in to the radio station requesting copies of the messages I had broadcast.
I thanked him, and told him I would see what I could do.But, $2.50 every week! WOW! That was almost as much as my entire salary had been! And I had just previously renounced even that small salary!
Today, $2.50 per half-hour broadcast seems incredibly small.
We have to pay far more than that per minute on stations today! But it seemed like an insurmountable barrier then.
Yet I knew this was GOD’S WORK, not mine. I was only an instrument. God had promised to supply every need.
God had OPENED THE DOOR OF MASS EVANGELISM! I knew He wanted us to walk through that door
Here is a photograph that my wife Joyce took in 1994 of a building in Eugene, Oregon that had been used decades before by the old Radio Church of God (I believe it was their headquarters’ building in the 1940s):
One-time Radio Church of God building, Eugene, Oregon
(To see other buildings later used by the old Radio and Worldwide Church of God, check out Joyce’s Pictures of the Pasadena Campus of Ambassador College and the former Headquarters of the old Worldwide Church of God.)
Herbert W. Armstrong also wrote (in what is called volume 2 of his Autobiography):
I had been used to raise up the parent church at Eugene, Oregon with nineteen members in 1933. It grew. God opened radio to me … First priority in the Work is the open door program — in which Christ is opening doors … Every effort is being made to put the programs on more and more radio stations— especially the major 50,000 watt stations …
Notice something published by the old Radio Church of God:
Revelation 3:7-13: “And to the angel of the Church in Philadelphia write these things saith he that is holy, he that is true, he that hath the key of David, he that OPENETH, and no man SHUTTETH; and SHUTTETH and no man openeth.” The great door that God has opened to this work is the facility to go into all the world and preach the gospel; the door of radio, the door of the printing press, plus many other such doors. God has set before us an open door and no MAN can shut it. God can shut it, and He will when the work is finished and the Philadelphia Church goes to a place of safety. “I know thy works: Behold, I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it: for thou hast a little strength, and hast kept my word, and hast not denied my name” (verse 8).
Notice that this Church has works. It has works of ZEAL and of REPENTANCE. This Church has only a little strength. But, by contrast, the Church of Laodicea believes that IT is increased with goods and has a great deal of strength. Philadelphia has little strength to do this great work that God has given it to do. God has opened the door, and yet look how insignificant, how weak, how little strength we as a Church have to do that work. How much we lack in every way, and yet God has opened the door and has given us certain vital, supernatural, spiritual gifts. Very often we lack enough money to pay the radio bills and other expenses. WE ARE FEW IN NUMBER, while many other eras of the Church of God numbered in the hundreds of thousands. We indeed have little strength. And yet, look at the great power that God has placed before us. (Neff L. What Is the LAODICEAN CHURCH? Good News, August 1959)
The ‘open door’ to the Philadelphians does have to do with gospel proclamation. Consider the following scriptures:
12 Furthermore, when I came to Troas to preach Christ’s gospel, and a door was opened to me by the Lord (2 Corinthians 2:12).
8 But I will tarry in Ephesus until Pentecost. 9 For a great and effective door has opened to me (1 Corinthians 16:8-9).
27 Now when they had come and gathered the church together, they reported all that God had done with them, and that He had opened the door of faith to the Gentiles (Acts 14:27).
We in the Continuing Church of God are going through the open doors in radio as well as with the printing press, the internet, travel, and personal contact. This includes to areas like Africa with Gentiles.
Consider also the following from Herbert W. Armstrong’s last letter before he died:
It may be that the Work that God has given me to do is complete, but not the Work of God’s Church, which will be faithfully doing God’s Work till Christ, the True Head of this Church, returns…Remember brethren, this is not the work of Herbert W. Armstrong…The greatest work lies ahead…Never before in the history of the Church has it been possible to reap so great a harvest. It has only been made possible through modern technology, beginning with the printing press, radio, television...Each of you must commit yourself to support God’s Work…God’s work must push ahead as never before. God is opening up new doors in television (Letter, 1/10/86).
Actually, those new doors for television have included the internet, which allows videos as well as online radio.
Another new door has been being a radio guest.
As long-term readers are aware, I, Dr. Bob Thiel a.k.a. COGwriter, have frequently been a radio guest. After being so over 230 times, the time seemed right for the CCOG to sponsor our own programs.
Prior to that, CCOG Overseer Samuel Ofosu from Ghana had already doing that.
Plus, in New Zealand, Shirley Gestro helped handling our Bible News Prophecy online radio channel. Various men in CCOG have been on it. This is another way we reach people.
We also have a Bible News Prophecy International radio platform. This has links to our non-English language online radio station as well as materials in multiple languages. Kristy Gorman oversees this.
We reach people all around the world from the online radio program.
But that is not the only way we reach people.
We have also been on the radio in Kenya for several years and are still on:
Deacon Grantone Otieno
Radio is one of the “doors” we are using to work to fulfill Matthew 24:14 and Matthew 28:19-20, while also working towards part of the fulfillment of Romans 11:25.
In Romans 11, verse 25, the Apostle Paul wrote the following:
25 For I do not desire, brethren, that you should be ignorant of this mystery, lest you should be wise in your own opinion, that blindness in part has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. (Romans 11:25)
Related to that, Herbert W. Armstrong wrote:
Now I want you to study carefully one of the most wonderful, important chapters in all the Bible — the 11th of Romans. … Verse 23 says those who abide not still in unbelief shall YET receive salvation. … Now study carefully beginning verse 25: “Blindness in part is happened to Israel [HOW LONG? Forever? No — note it], UNTIL the fulness of the Gentiles be come in” — the end of this age during which God is calling a people from among the gentiles to bear His name (Acts 15:14). …
Notice verse 31. These blinded Israelites have not now, in this age, received mercy, that through the mercy of the gentiles saved in this age, they MAY, THEN, obtain mercy and salvation. How? Because these saved gentiles will then be kings and priests, assisting in this wonderful Work! (Armstrong HW. Where Will The MILLENNIUM Be Spent? Tomorrow’s Word magazine, September 1971, p. 5)
(25) For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel [or that part of Israel, meaning the great part, the big part — all but a few, have been blinded. It’s the big part actually] until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in. [Or the number of Gentiles to be converted becomes complete — as other translations have it] (Armstrong HW. Romans 11-13. Bible Study, June 27, 1980)
And we in the CCOG have been greatly reaching Gentiles–around the world, but mainly in Africa, Latin America (in person, but also with online sermons and sermonette videos), and Asia, but also in Europe and elsewhere (see also: What About Romans 11:25 and the Full Number of the Gentiles?)
That said, in July 2022, we entered into an agreement with European Gospel Radio (EGR) to be on AM radio in Europe, as well as to be on its shortwave radio station that targets Europe, North Africa, and parts of the Middle East.
We are on once per week on its AM station, and once per week on its shortwave station. This is on Wednesday each week:
SW 7290/7295 kHz + AM/MW 1323 kHz + streaming on Wednesday at 20:30-20:45 (8:30-8:45 PM) Central European Time-
ii.)
The following is the coverage map for the AM signal for its new 1323 kHz signal location:
The AM broadcast is in the late evening/early night, so it looks like people in several European nations will be able to hear it. EGR claims:
European Gospel Radio (EGR) is a premier Christian station and Christian Broadcasting Network outreaching millions of people not only in Europe, but WorldWide.
The shortwave broadcast with EGR is at the 7295 KHz location from them from late October through late March. And from late March to late October it is 7290 KHz on shortwave. Here is the coverage map that European Gospel Radio provided for the shortwave station:
Although shortwave is not used much in North America, it reportedly has hundreds of millions of listeners around the world. Radio is a proclamation door that we use to reach those we otherwise would not reach. EGR also streams our radio broadcast online.
Being on radio in Europe is part of The Final Phase of the Work. When we see certain prophecies fulfilled and are identifying the upcoming European Beast leader in leading some of those efforts, it is my opinion that being on radio in places like Europe will be key for attention to be drawn to the Continuing Church of God (CCOG).
I believe that being on European radio may be the spark that will set off more public scrutiny of the CCOG and our teachings. That will lead to more people looking at our websites as well as the hundreds of languages that of our The Gospel of the Kingdom of God has been translated into. The coming scrutiny of our teachings will lead not only to support the fulfillment of Matthew 24:14, but also events in Daniel 11:28-35 and other scriptures (see also Who is the King of the North? and/or Persecutions by Church and State).
In late 2022, we also began to go on the radio in the Philippines–and are still on there.
In late 2022, we made a deal with Radio Miami International (WRMI), and began broadcasting over shortwave radio targeting North America and the Far East. WRMI was fairly inexpensive and more cost effective than other options we looked into.
WRMI says this about its background:
Radio Miami International was founded in 1989 by Jeff White (currently General Manager) and Kiko Espinosa (chief engineer, who passed away in 2005). RMI began broadcasting in 1989 …
In December of 2013, Radio Miami International purchased the former Family Radio shortwave station in Okeechobee, Florida, and we moved all of our transmissions to the new, much larger facility in Okeechobee. Our transmitter site in Hialeah (Miami) was closed, although we maintain an office and a studio in Miami. The Okeechobee site is the largest privately-owned shortwave station in the Western Hemisphere, with 14 transmitters (most of them 100,000 watts) and 23 antennas beamed in 11 different directions around the globe. We now have a studio and administrative offices in Okeechobee in the 16,000-square-foot transmitter building about 20 miles north of Lake Okeechobee. The antennas and transmitters are located on a 660-acre site (that’s one square mile of land) …
WRMI broadcasts some of its own programming, mainly the program “Viva Miami” (in both English and Spanish editions) with travel features, letters from listeners, music, interviews with studio guests etc. We also co-produce the weekly DX program “Wavescan” with Adventist World Radio. But most of our airtime is sold to outside organizations. including political, religious, commercial and cultural organizations, overseas relays and more. Most of our programming is in English or Spanish, but some programs are in Creole, Portuguese and other languages.
WRMI is a member of the National Association of Shortwave Broadcasters (NASB), and WRMI General Manager Jeff White is currently Secretary-Treasurer of the NASB.
Family Radio was formerly affiliated with the late Harold Camping, who I repeatedly denounced (see Harold Camping’s Teachings About the End of the World Do Not Agree with the Bible). That said, Family Radio did have a broad reach and we will see how this new station will work out for us. But it truly gives us an opportunity to reach people in ways that we have not in the past.
Anyway, here is a map showing part of the reach of the frequency 5850 kHz we are now on:
The station owner, Jeff White, added:
Unfortunately the map doesn’t go much further than Alaska, but if you follow the beam on across the Pacific, the center of the 315-degree beam is close to many places in Asia, such as Korea, Japan, Beijing and Shanghai in China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, the Philippines and the Russian Far East including Vladivostok and Kamchatka.
Here are some details and times:
5850 kHz: 0130 UTC Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday
Which would be received in North America on Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday at 9:30 pm Eastern Daylight Time and 8:30 pm Eastern Standard Time, 5850 kHz.
In Asia, this program would begin at 10:30 am Japan/Korea Standard Time and 09:30 China Standard Time on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday.
With WRMI, we now have coverage in much of North America and parts of Asia. We had also hoped to truly reach India, but there were no available options from WRMI at this time.
With European Gospel Radio (which is out of Milan, Italy) we are covering Europe, parts of the Middle East, and parts of North Africa.
We are also on radio stations located in Kenya, Ghana, and the Philippines.
That said, after our first broadcast on WRMI, we received an email contact from someone who listened to our The Bible and Halloween Facts episode in Spain. This would have been at Monday at 0230 am in Spain. What is interesting about that is Spain (or any part of Europe) was NOT one of the areas that WRMI indicated that its 5850 kHz signal would properly cover.
However, we knew shortwave was received around the world. Being on two different shortwave frequencies will help us reach people we otherwise would not have reached (cf. Matthew 24:14).
Here is what WRMI’s website has up about our program:
Bible News Prophecy
The Bible News Prophecy program broadcasts news and information in the light of the Bible and its prophecies. This includes proclaiming the good news of Jesus Christ and the gospel of the coming Kingdom of God to the world as a witness (Matthew 24:14), teaching all things that Jesus commanded (Matthew 28:19-20), providing prophetic warnings of God’s impending judgments, contending for the faith once for all delivered to the saints (Jude 3), assisting in the calling of the full number of those to be reached before Jesus returns (Romans 11:25-26), explaining mysteries of God’s merciful (James 2:13) and loving plan (e.g. Romans 16:25-27), helping people better understand the Bible (Acts 8:30-31, Romans 10:14-15), explaining God’s loving plan of salvation (Psalm 68:30, John 3:16-17, Luke 3:6, Romans 11), encouraging people to live the way of Philadelphian (Hebrews 13:1) and agape love (1 Corinthians 13), and calling for personal (Acts 2:38) and national repentance (2 Chronicles 7:13-15).
The Bible News Prophecy program teaches the fact of God’s existence, the fact of Jesus being Savior, and the certainty of biblical truths. The program discusses what the future holds for humanity in the light of Bible prophecy. The Bible News Prophecy program analyzes news and world events by the light of the word of God and also explains matters that will happen in the future, based on Bible prophecy.
The Bible News Prophecy program is sponsored by the Continuing Church of God. We trace our unbroken history to the start of the New Testament church in the Book of Acts. We are a pacifist church that teaches original Christianity as taught and practiced by Jesus Christ, the original Apostles, their early faithful followers, and others faithful to original Christianity throughout history. We have supporters and congregations around the world. We have literature online in over 400 languages at ccog.org.
Our primary English speaking radio presenters for the Bible News Prophecy program on Radio Miami International (WRMI) as well as on European Gospel Radio are Steve Dupuie and Dr. Bob Thiel in North America and Aleksandar Veljic in Europe. The Bible News Prophecy program is also available online at biblenewsprophecy.net.
We also have native language broadcasters in Kenya, Ghana, and the Philippines on stations in those lands. More on our global outreach and various forms of media can be found at ccog.org/multimedia.
Bible News Prophecy is heard on WRMI on 5850 kHz at 0130 UTC Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday.
In 2023, we made the move to be on AM and FM stations in the USA. This is through the Wilkins Radio Network. However, that Protestant-run network decided to violate and cancel our contract because we hold to the original Christian view of the Godhead.
So, we found another network.
Legacy Broadcasting, Inc. currently has four radio stations and is building a fifth, with the intention of ultimately having scores of stations–we have made arrangements for being on up to nine stations with them.
Here are the Legacy stations the Bible News Prophecy radio program is on:
WCDG 88.7 FM, Dahlonega, Georgia
WUCG 93.1 FM Blairsville, Georgia
KYMS 89.9 FM, Rathdrum, Idaho
KHKM 98.7 FM, Missoula, Montana
Additionally, we are on WEMM out of West Virginia (which is not affiliated with Legacy).
WEMM FM 107.9 is 50,000 watt station. We are on WEMM at 3:00 pm on Saturdays.
In 2024, we also made a deal with a podcast channel:
This is over their Faith Network:
The time is scheduled to be 1:30pm to 1:45PM CST on Saturday, then it is to be repeated 1:46pm to 2pm Sunday.
Video: https://bbsradio.com/bbsradiotv/bbs-radio-tv-2.html
Audio: https://bbsradio.com/html5_player/html5_player2.htm
So, we are on multiple radio stations, including commercial ones, online ones, a podcast one, and shortwave ones.
Because of our high percentage of Gentile brethren in poorer regions of the world, we have much lower income than groups with as many congregants as we have.
Yet, we still seem to have a greater radio presence than any other x-WCG group at this time.
Does that make sense to you?
If you are a Philadelphian Christian, it should.
The prophet Habakkuk was inspired to write:
5 Look among the nations and watch —
Be utterly astounded!
For I will work a work in your days
Which you would not believe, though it were told you. (Habakkuk 1:5)
This was also quoted in the New Testament:
40 Beware therefore, lest what has been spoken in the prophets come upon you: 41 ‘Behold, you despisers, Marvel and perish! For I work a work in your days, A work which you will by no means believe, Though one were to declare it to you.’” (Acts 13:40-41)
Consider that most, even in the Church of God, will not believe the message of the work, even though they were told and could see the truth if they were willing.
Now, we are continuing to lay the foundation for the short work of Romans 9:28 (see also Preparing for the ‘Short Work’ and The Famine of the Word) and I believe that having a radio presence around the world, and particularly in Europe, will be a factor in it.
That said, more on radio stations and other media we are using can be found at the following link: Continuing Church of God Multimedia page.
More information on our radio and other outreaches, check out the CCOG Multimedia page.
Radio is one of the forms of mass media that we in the Continuing Church of God use to teach people about Jesus’ Gospel of the Kingdom of God (Matthew 24:14) and other teachings (Matthew 28:19-20).
Some items of possibly related interest may include:
Preparing for the ‘Short Work’ and The Famine of the Word What is the ‘short work’ of Romans 9:28? Who is preparing for it? Here is a link to a related video sermon titled: The Short Work.
What About Romans 11:25 and the Full Number of the Gentiles? Some in the West discount God’s calling of Gentiles, but the Apostle Paul wrote about the need for them to come to the truth before Jesus returns. Two somewhat related videos are available: Gentiles and When Will Jesus Return? and Puerto Rico, Trials, and Triumphs.
What is the Ezekiel Warning? Should the end-time descendants of Israel and Joseph be warned? What should the watchman warn about? Regarding a watchman, you can watch the following video: Go, Set a Watchman.
Joyce’s Pictures of the Pasadena Campus of Ambassador College and the former Headquarters of the old Worldwide Church of God Here is some pictures of the old campus taken in 2016 for those interested in what it did look like and what remains.
The Final Phase of the Work What is the final phase of the work? Who will lead it? Do you have the courage to support it? Here is a related YouTube video titled The Final Phase of the Work. The written article has been translated into Spanish La Fase Final de la Obra.
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