Voice of Prophecy

Last updated
Voice of Prophecy
TypeReligious/Non-Profit
FoundedOctober 19, 1929 (1929-10-19)
Founder H. M. S. Richards
Headquarters Loveland, Colorado, United States
Area served
North America, Guam, Micronesia, Puerto Rico
Key people
Shawn Boonstra (Speaker/Director) Jean Boonstra (Associate Speaker)
Website www.vop.com

The Voice of Prophecy, founded in 1929 by H. M. S. Richards, is a Seventh-day Adventist religious radio ministry headquartered in Loveland, Colorado. [1]

Contents

Initially airing in 1929 on a single radio station in Los Angeles, the Voice of Prophecy has since grown to numerous stations throughout the United States and Canada. It was one of the first religious programs in the United States to broadcast nationally. Under the leadership of Shawn and Jean Boonstra, the ministry has now expanded into additional forms of media, including the weekly Authentic broadcast [2] and Discovery Mountain radio adventure series for kids. Additional projects include humanitarian efforts in countries such as India [3] and Myanmar.

History

H.M.S. Richards, Sr. began a regular radio program on October 19, 1929, on KNX (AM) in Los Angeles. [4] [5] [6] [7]

Richards earliest studio was his South Gate Tabernacle near Long Beach, where he was presenting nightly evangelistic meetings. His office was a renovated chicken coop in Walnut Park, California. Seventh-day Adventist Church members donated their old eyeglasses and gave teeth with gold fillings and jewelry and watches to help buy the first radio time on Long Beach station KGER. [8]

Later Richards presented daily live broadcasts of The Tabernacle of the Air over KGER in Long Beach, California, and live weekly remote broadcasts from his tabernacle to KMPC (AM) in Beverly Hills. [4] [9]

In January 1937 the broadcast footprint expanded over a network of several stations of the Don Lee Broadcasting System, and the name of the broadcast was changed to the Voice of Prophecy. [7] The first Voice of Prophecy coast-to-coast broadcast was over 89 stations of the Mutual Broadcasting System on Sunday, January 4, 1942. [4] [5] [7] It was one of the first religious programs to broadcast nationally. [10]

Up until the early 1950s broadcasts were produced live. Mispronounced names and singer mistakes went out unedited to the listeners. By 1980, Richards had a $6 million budget. The Voice of Prophecy broadcast each Sunday to 700 stations around the world. [9]

Throughout the years Voice of Prophecy broadcasts were marked by an opening theme song of "Lift Up the Trumpet" performed by the King's Heralds quartet and closed with Richard's poem "Have Faith in God" each week having a new verse written.

Speakers

Richards, Sr. was speaker from 1929 to 1969. In 1969, Richards' son, Richards, Jr., succeeded him and was speaker from 1969 to 1992. Later speakers included Pastor Lonnie Melashenko, Fred Kinsey, and Shawn Boonstra.

Preceded by
founder
Founder/Speaker/Director
H.M.S. Richards, Sr.

October 19, 1929 - 1969
Succeeded by
H.M.S. Richards, uJr.
Preceded by
H.M.S. Richards, Sr.
Speaker/Director
H.M.S. Richards, Jr.

1969 - 1992
Succeeded by
E. Lonnie Melashenko
Preceded by
H.M.S. Richards, Jr.
Speaker/Director
E. Lonnie Melashenko

January 1993 - July 2008
Succeeded by
Fred Kinsey
Preceded by
E. Lonnie Melashanko
Speaker/Director
Fred Kinsey

September 2008 - April 2012
Succeeded by
Shawn Boonstra
Preceded by
Fred Kinsey
Speaker/Director
Shawn Boonstra

2012
Succeeded by

Musicians

Various musicians perform on the broadcast. Female vocalist Del Delker began as a regular on the program since 1947. The male quartet King's Heralds also performed weekly on the program from 1936 until 1982. Wayne Hooper served as musical director until his retirement in 1980. [11]

Discover Bible School

A key program of Voice of Prophecy is the Discover Bible School. Introduced on February 1, 1942, as The Bible School of the Air, it was one of the first correspondence Bible schools in North America. [12]

Later known as the Discover Bible School it offers free Bible guides by mail [13] or online [14] and has affiliate schools in over 120 countries with lessons in over 80 languages and dialects. [15]

In 2010, the Bible School celebrated its one millionth graduate. [16]

Evangelists

Jim Reinking became a Voice of Prophecy evangelist in 1998 and served the ministry for 13 years.

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Seventh-day Adventist Church</span> Protestant Christian denomination

The Seventh-day Adventist Church (SDA) is an Adventist Protestant Christian denomination which is distinguished by its observance of Saturday, the seventh day of the week in the Christian (Gregorian) and the Hebrew calendar, as the Sabbath, its emphasis on the imminent Second Coming (advent) of Jesus Christ, and its annihilationist soteriology. The denomination grew out of the Millerite movement in the United States during the mid-19th century and it was formally established in 1863. Among its co-founders was Ellen G. White, whose extensive writings are still held in high regard by the church.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Washington Adventist University</span> University in Takoma Park, Maryland, US

Washington Adventist University is a private Seventh-day Adventist university in Takoma Park, Maryland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Southern Adventist University</span> Private Seventh-day Adventist college in Collegedale, Tennessee

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Amazing Facts</span> Seventh-day Adventist evangelistic ministry

Amazing Facts is a non-profit Seventh-day Adventist evangelistic ministry based in Granite Bay, California, which broadcasts daily television programming worldwide. It is based on the teachings of Scripture, and especially focuses on the Three Angels' Messages of Revelation 14. Beginning as a radio program dedicated to Christian evangelism, it later expanded into television and online Bible study ministries.

It Is Written is an internationally broadcast Seventh-day Adventist Christian television program founded in 1956 by George Vandeman. Its title comes from the Gospel of Matthew: "It is written, 'Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.'" The programs are produced by the Adventist Media Center in California.

The Seventh-day Adventist Church has a number of supporting, parachurch, independent, self-supporting and other such organizations that work adjunct or in association with the official church.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Victor Houteff</span> Founder of the Davidian Seventh-day Adventists (1885–1955)

Victor Tasho Houteff was a Bulgarian religious leader who was the founder of the Davidian Seventh-day Adventist organization, known as The Shepherd's Rod.

Loma Linda Broadcasting Network (LLBN) is a non-profit, community and variety television, Christian broadcasting network in Loma Linda, California founded in 1996. Broadcast can be received via GloryStar Satellite Systems - Galaxy 19, Internet video streaming on each website, IPTV services such as Roku and Roku devices, Joozoor TV and many more, and Verizon FiOS and cable/low and high power TV stations in select areas. LLBN English broadcasts on Glorystar channel 105, along with LLBN Arabic on Glorystar channel 405 and LLBN Latino on Glorystar channel 505. It is located in Loma Linda which is known as one of only five blue zones worldwide from the surrounding Seventh-day Adventist community from which it draws for its programs, with values and lifestyle centered on the Seventh-day Adventist Church and from the Loma Linda University and Hospital nearby.

Ardella V. Delker was an American contralto sacred music female vocalist who sang on the Voice of Prophecy radio ministry beginning in 1947.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Seventh-day Adventist eschatology</span> Religious belief

The Seventh-day Adventist Church holds a unique system of eschatological beliefs. Adventist eschatology, which is based on a historicist interpretation of prophecy, is characterised principally by the premillennial Second Coming of Christ. Traditionally, the church has taught that the Second Coming will be preceded by a global crisis with the Sabbath as a central issue. At Jesus' return, the righteous will be taken to heaven for one thousand years. After the millennium the unsaved cease to exist as they will be punished by annihilation while the saved will live on a recreated Earth for eternity.

Most Seventh-day Adventists believe church co-founder Ellen G. White (1827–1915) was inspired by God as a prophet, today understood as a manifestation of the New Testament "gift of prophecy," as described in the official beliefs of the church. Her works are officially considered to hold a secondary role to the Bible, but in practice there is wide variation among Adventists as to exactly how much authority should be attributed to her writings. With understanding she claimed was received in visions, White made administrative decisions and gave personal messages of encouragement or rebuke to church members. Seventh-day Adventists believe that only the Bible is sufficient for forming doctrines and beliefs, a position Ellen White supported by statements inclusive of, "the Bible, and the Bible alone, is our rule of faith".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">H. M. S. Richards</span> Seventh-day Adventist evangelist and author

Harold Marshall Sylvester Richards Sr., commonly known as H. M. S. Richards, was a well-known Seventh-day Adventist evangelist and author.

Wayne Hillard Hooper was widely known as a gospel music composer, arranger and as a singer in the King's Heralds quartet for the Voice of Prophecy radio program.

Hans Karl LaRondelle was a respected Seventh-day Adventist theologian; a strong proponent of the gospel and salvation by faith alone. In a 1985 questionnaire of North American Adventist Theology lecturers, LaRondelle tied for fourth place among the Adventist authors who had most influenced them, and was number one amongst the under 39 age group. He died March 7, 2011.

George Edward Vandeman was a Seventh-day Adventist evangelist who founded the It Is Written television ministry.

Morris L. Venden was a prominent Seventh-day Adventist preacher, teacher, and author, who was also a member of the Voice of Prophecy team as an associate speaker.

Seventh-day Adventists believe that Ellen G. White, one of the church's co-founders, was a prophetess, understood today as an expression of the New Testament spiritual gift of prophecy.

Henry Feyerabend was a Canadian Seventh-day Adventist evangelist, singer, and author, who is best known in Canada for his work with It Is Written, and in Brazil as a singer with the Arautos do Rei.

The Seventh-day Adventist Church pioneers were members of Seventh-day Adventist Church, part of the group of Millerites, who came together after the Great Disappointment across the United States and formed the Seventh-day Adventist Church. In 1860, the pioneers of the fledgling movement settled on the name, Seventh-day Adventist, representative of the church's distinguishing beliefs. Three years later, on May 21, 1863, the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists was formed and the movement became an official organization.

References

  1. "Voice of Prophecy Dedicates New Headquarters in Loveland". Voice of Prophecy. Retrieved 2 June 2016.
  2. "Authentic". Voice of Prophecy.
  3. "India Project". Voice of Prophecy.
  4. 1 2 3 "HMS Richards (Founder)". The Voice of Prophecy. Archived from the original on 2008-08-08. Retrieved 2008-08-09.
  5. 1 2 "Through the Decades..." (PDF). The Voice of Prophecy. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2008-05-17. Retrieved 2008-08-09.
  6. "Record, November 23, 2002" (PDF). South Pacific Division of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 24, 2011. Retrieved 2008-08-09.
  7. 1 2 3 Land, Gary (2005). Historical Dictionary of Seventh-day Adventists. Lanham MD: Scarecrow Press. p. 313. ISBN   0-8108-5345-0.
  8. "'Voice of Prophecy' founder dies". The Telegraph-Herald. Dubuque, Iowa: United Press International: 10. April 25, 1985. Retrieved 2012-10-15.
  9. 1 2 Keys, Laurinda (June 7, 1980). "85-Year-Old Voice of Radio Program Claims He's No Prophet". The St. Petersburg Evening Independent. St. Petersburg, FL: Associated Press: 4. Retrieved 2012-10-15.
  10. Knight, George R. (1999). A Brief History of Seventh-Day Adventists. Adventist Heritage Series (2nd ed.). Review and Herald Publishing Association. p. 134. ISBN   978-0-8280-1430-4.
  11. "Voice Of Prophecy press release regarding Wayne Hooper". The Voice of Prophecy. Archived from the original on 2008-06-25. Retrieved 2008-10-28.
  12. "Voice of Prophecy Bible School About Us". The Voice of Prophecy. Retrieved 2008-10-28.
  13. "Discover Bible Guides by mail". The Voice of Prophecy. Retrieved 2016-06-02.
  14. "Discover Online Bible Guides". The Voice of Prophecy. Retrieved 2008-10-28.
  15. "Discover Online Languages". The Voice of Prophecy. Retrieved 2016-06-02.
  16. Johnson, Kurt. "College Student Is One Millionth Graduate" (PDF). The Voice of Prophecy News. Retrieved 2016-05-11.