Haven Today is a national broadcast Christian radio program.[1] The radio program was founded in 1934 as The Haven of Rest by Paul Myers, who became a radio personality known for Christian ministry.[2] The program has had four hosts: Myers,[3] Paul Evans, Raymond C. Ortlund Sr.,[4] and Charles Morris. The daily broadcast is currently on over 600 stations in North America and overseas.[1][5]
Prior to founding his ministry, Paul Myers was a Los Angeles radio personality and station manager. He credited the founding of Haven to hitting rock bottom: kicked out by his wife and passed out on a beach during a drunken bender, he was awakened by a ship's bell; back at his hotel, he opened a Gideon Bible and felt called to ministry.[4] After returning to his wife and family, he was back on Los Angeles airwaves on KHJ (AM), and in 1934 started the radio broadcast The Haven of Rest on KMPC.[4] Myers gave the show a nautical theme, hosting under the name "First Mate Bob" and starting each show with a ships’ air horn, Eight Bells, and an in-house quartet singing 1890 hymn “The Haven of Rest."[4]
Myers retired in 1971 and turned the program over to Pastor Paul Evans, who hosted the show until 1981.[citation needed] In 1981, Evans was replaced by Dr. Raymond C. Ortlund Sr., the former long-time Senior Pastor at Lake Avenue Congregational Church in Pasadena, California, where he had broadcast services over KRLA.[6] By 1988, the Haven of Rest was on 275 stations. Ortlund hosted the Haven of Rest radio broadcast from 1981 to 2000.[7] Ortlund also served as a teaching pastor at Mariner's Church in Newport Beach, California in the 1980s.[citation needed] In 2008, Ortlund was inducted into the National Religious Broadcasters Hall of Fame for his years of hosting the Haven of Rest.[8][citation needed] In 2000, the program was taken over by Charles Morris, a former news reporter and editor for United Press International who also worked as press secretary for two former U.S. Senators.[citation needed] Morris changed the program's name to Haven Today[citation needed] and replaced the live in-house quartet with contemporary Christian music in 2001.[citation needed] Morris has co-authored several books with Janet Morris, his wife, including Saving a Life, Jesus in the Midst of Success, and Missing Jesus.[1][5][9]
David Wollen is the host of Haven Today. The thirty-minute program is a mix of Christian music, biblical teachings, interviews and a discussion of current events.[citation needed] The program airs 5 days a week on over 600 stations in North America. In addition to the radio program, Haven Today continues to publish a devotional guide called The Anchor Daily, founded by former host Pastor Paul Evans in the 1970s.[5][14]
Haven Quartet
The Haven of Rest Quartet was started in 1934,[citation needed] the same year that the radio program began. Referred to on air as the "Crew of the Good Ship Grace," the group performed traditional hymns and gospel songs a cappella or with organ accompaniment. From 1934 until the 1950, all songs were performed live on air.[citation needed] With the addition of their own ship-like recording studio and modern tape recorders in the 1950s, the quartet started to record their songs in advance for playback on the show.[citation needed]
In the 1980s, the group began to incorporate a more contemporary sound, but it still lagged behind the most popular trends in contemporary Christian and worship music.[15] A name change to The Haven Quartet in 1989 failed to increase the group's recognition beyond its established audience.[15][16] By 2003, the quartet was no longer consistently included on the radio broadcast.[15]
Members of the quartet and accompanists since its inception included:
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