The Voice of Prophecy Aims at New Audience
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SOUTHWESTERN UNION OCTOBER B. 1966 The Voice of Prophecy Aims at New Audience . • Vol. 65 October 8, 1966 No. 10C SOUTHWESTERN UNION ,A`CCOG.3 Postal Address: Box 377, Keene, Texas 76059 • Postmasters and subscribers: Please send all changes of address to: The RECORD, P.O. Box 377, Keene, Texas 76059. 30,00400 EDITOR._ J N. Morgan Make-up Editor Leroy Hughes • CONFERENCE EDITORS Arkansas-Louisiana....W. H. Elder, Jr. Oklahoma Robert Rider Southwest .. C. Jones Texas ''Don R. Christman Texico H. W. Pritchard Official organ of the Southwestern Union Conference of Seventh-day Ad- ventists. Published by the College Press, Keene, Texas. Communications or copy not origi- nating in a local conference of the Southwestern Union should be ad- dressed to the Southwestern Union Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, P.O. Box 400, Richardson, Texas 75080. ALL COPY, SUBSCRIPTIONS, AD- With headlights boring into the after-midnight dark- VERTISEMENTS AND CORRESPON- DENCE from church members in the ness on a freeway, a large transport truck flashes by on Southwestern Union should be ad- a tight schedule. ,The driver reaches for the dash and dressed to the LOCAL CONFERENCE OFFICE. punches a button on his radio to tune in to a favorite Published twice monthly (24 issues a program . year) by the College Press, Keene, Texas, for the Southwestern Union Conference of Seventh-day Adventists. Laying his wrenches down for a moment, a mainte- Price, two dollars a year. Entered as second-class matter October 24, 1902, nance man moves his transistor radio closer to his work at the Post Office, Keene, Texas, un- der Act of Congress of March 3, 1879. and goes on with repairs in a large industrial plant so everything will be ready for the day shift . CONFERENCE DIRECTORY SOUTHWESTERN UNION CONFERENCE A light flicks on in a modest suburban home. Sleep 600 South Central Expressway, (P.O. BOX 400) hasn't come to one lady, and the clock-radio by her bed- RICHARDSON, TEXAS 75080 side is her nighttime companion . President .B. E. Leach Secretary-Treasurer K. C. Beem Association Secretary_H. D. Burbank Auditor L. Cook Education R• A. Nesmith These are typical scenes across America every night H. H. E. S W. E. Speyer Home Missionary, Sabbath of the year. Thousands of "nite owls" tune in their School, and Radio-TV G. M. Schram Pub. Rela., Medical, Religious radios between midnight and 6:00 a.m. Liberty J. N. Morgan To be more specific, the carefully estimated total Publishing Secretary. J. T. Welch Y. P. M. V., of after-midnight radio listeners is 30,000,000. And Temperance H. E. Haas A. S. I K. C. Beem how many Seventh-day-Adventist-sponsored radio programs do these listeners find on by MORTEN JUBERG, LOCAL CONFERENCE DIRECTORY their radios after midnight? Not one! ARKANSAS-LOUISIANA — E. Frank Radio-Television Secretary, Sherrill, President; P. I. Nosworthy, Here is a mission field in North America Secretary-Treasurer; (P.O. Box 5548) Columbia Union Conference. 333 Southfield Rd., Shreveport, Lou- that has a larger population than the entire isiana 71105. Southwestern Union Conference. And what OKLAHOMA — W. A. Dessain, Presi- dent; R. R. Rouse, Secretary-Treas- is being done for them with nighttime Seventh-day urer; (P.O. Box 528) 525 N. W. 13th Adventist radio? Nothing! St., Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73101. SOUTHWEST REGION — V. L. Rob- Many of these "nite owls" are day sleepers and day- erts, President; L. D. Henderson, time radio doesn't reach them. Why neglect these Secretary-Treasurer; (P.O. Box 6289) 1900 S. Boulevard, Dallas, Texas millions of potential listeners to the Voice of Prophecy 75215. daily radio program? TEXAS — G. Charles Dart, President; W. B. Robinson, Secretary-Treas- That's why "nite-owl" radio is the project of the urer; (P.O. Box 11620) 2838 Hemp- Voice of Prophecy for the offering to be received hill, Fort Worth, Texas 76110. TEXICO — G. H. Rustad, President; October 8. One who feels strongly about it is Elder H. W. Pritchard, Secretary-Treas- H. M. S. Richards, the speaker on the radio program. urer; (P.O. Box 1399) 1522 Van Buren St., Amarillo, Texas 79105. "I think late-night radio is the most important thing Those desiring should make wills, we need to consider right now. We need to lay plans trust agreements, and annuities in favor of the legal association rather to cover America by radio after midnight," comments than the conference. Write your con- Elder Richards. ference secretary-treasurer for further information. At midnight there are only about 300 of the nation's 4,500 stations left on the air. But many of these remain- Cover design by Clyde Provonsha. Color reproductions by College Press, Keene, ing stations are powerhouses that cover vast areas. Texas. And time can be purchased on them. 2 SOUTHWESTERN UNION RECORD "Mite Owls" the Target This article was produced for publication in these union periodicals: Atlantic Union "Gleaner," Columbia Union "Visitor," Lake Union "Herald," Northern Union "Outlook," "Southern Tidings," and Southwestern Union "Record." The budget for the regular programming of the may find costume jewelry, watches, rings, cameras, Voice of Prophecy is approximately $250,000. Funds stamps, and coins. He has even received buffalo horns over this amount that come in during the special offer- and spears from Sumatra. All of these items are grate- ing will be devoted to "nite-owl" radio. fully accepted and sold. What kind of reception does this new plan receive Mail at the Voice of Prophecy is the life blood of the from the 150-member staff of the Voice of Prophecy? organization and it flows in at the rate of nearly 10,000 The answer is not hard to find—they are enthusiastic letters a week. One would expect the unusual on occasion, about it. and it comes. It would be hard to find a more dedicated group than A recent letter is a good example. It came from a the corps of workers at the Glendale headquarters of man on the Island of Kythera in Greece. Writing in the "VOP" as it is affectionately known. Not only do his halting English, he had this to say: "I found the these men and women believe in and pray for the enclosed card in a bottle on the shore of my native is- success of the radio work, but they give tangible evi- land of Kythera and I send you according your in- dences of it in their giving. struction duly completed." He is now enrolled in the Last year, in a spontaneous demonstration, the staff Voice of Prophecy correspondence school and who knows, of workers gave $3,000 for the annual offering. Their he may be a member of the remnant church in the enthusiasm was contagious. The supplier of envelopes future. for the headquarters, not a church member, gave $350 He would be joining the thousands whose lives have for the offering. "You should plan to raise $500,000 in been blessed through the ministry of the Voice of this offering," was his enthusiastic comment. Prophecy. This spring, a Cincinnati physician, Dr. About four years ago the staff at headquarters raised Darrel D. Gant, found the program a strong incentive money to buy time on four Japanese stations. Money in bringing him to Christ. came in from Christmas sales and other projects and For years, ever since his childhood in Morgan County, amounted to $6,000 during the first year. Ohio, he had listened to the program. He had enrolled With the program on the air on the Japanese stations in several of the Bible courses and the conviction of and well established, other projects were tackled. There his heart was clear, "This was the truth." But some- was a chance to purchase time on a chain of 15 stations how, he was not quite ready to take the final step of in Argentina. About $2,000 was sent to the South surrender. American country. There was a need in Vietnam and two On the radio he heard the announcement of meetings Ampex recorders were purchased for their use. being held in Cincinnati by Elder Robert Boothby. According to David N. Hartman, treasurer of the There was an announcement the next week and the Voice of Prophecy, about $500 a month is raised by the next. Then there was only one more weekend of ser- staff for special projects. And you can be sure the vices. group will be giving for "nite-owl" radio on October 8. Finally he called the local pastor, Elder C. R. Jepson, Heading the operations at the Voice of Prophecy as and asked, "Can I come over and talk with you." That manager is Ithiel E. Gillis. While he wouldn't qualify very morning he had a long visit with the pastor and as a "nite owl," he could certainly be called an early the evangelist. The surrender was complete. riser. Each morning he catches the 6:05 bus and 15 He attended the remaining meetings and two weeks minutes later is at his desk. later was baptized. Such experiences are commonplace The reason for this early activity is simple: letters. at the Voice of Prophecy. But they can be multiplied in Every day he has 50 to 75 letters that demand an a great manner by the addition of the 30 million "nite- answer, and he has found the early morning hours a owl" listening audience. good time to do his heavy dictation. A needy, untouched mission field is at your door and Along with the letters to Elder Gillis comes an in- mine.