From TIME Jan 26, 1953 HMS RICHARDS

[Stan]

Twenty-three years ago this month, a youthful-looking Seventh-Day Adventist preacher stood up before his small and struggling congregation in South Los Angeles to appeal for funds. "Now, brethren," he said, "I've been telling you for some time that God wants me on radio . . . I want you to prove that I'm not lying and that I do know what God wants." A collection of rings, watches and old jewelry netted just enough to put the Rev. Harold M. S. Richards on the air the next week. He has been broadcasting steadily ever since.

By now, Evangelist Richards' Voice of Prophecy program has become an international production, broadcast in eleven languages over 845 stations. There is a no-man staff at work in the Voice's Glendale headquarters, and one of Richards' weekly sermons draws an average 14,000 letters from his world audience. After the Lutheran Hour (carried by more than 1,000 stations), the Adventists' program is the most widely heard religious broadcast in the world.

"Man Alive . . ." Broadcaster Richards, 58, is a friendly, hard-working man with a habit of calling everybody "brother." His father was also an Adventist evangelist, and Harold got his start at 17, preaching at Adventist "campaigns," i.e., revival meetings, in the U.S. and Canada. His first parish was a tiny, tar-papered church in Ottawa, where he boosted the congregation from 8 to 120.

Back in the U.S., he took his wife on the road with him, through long preaching campaigns, mostly in California. In 1928, at Fresno, he campaigned for nine months straight. He preached for 45 minutes seven nights a week, for the whole time. ("Man alive, we had a number of big baptisms out of that one.")

Adventist authorities took a dim view of Richards' radio program at first. But by 1937 it was going so well that Pacific Coast officials of the church urged him to put the Voice on a coast network. In 1942, with the whole church behind him, Richards began preaching on a national hookup (Mutual), and the next year began to line up foreign stations.

Noah Was Warned. Through the years, the formula for Voice of Prophecy has changed very little. Evangelist Richards steers clear of specific Adventist dogma,* concentrates instead on basic talks about the Bible, interspersed with oldtime hymns sung by the King's Heralds, a male quartet. He knows his Bible well—he has read it cover to cover 31 times—and his sermons are highly concrete discussions of the Bible's application to daily life. Says he: "We believe that there are things in the Bible that prophesy what is happening today and that tell of the coming of the Kingdom of God . . . God doesn't let the world get caught napping, brother. Look how he warned Noah. He has warned us and it's in the Bible."

To encourage Bible study by his listeners, Richards runs three free correspondence courses in religion, one for children and two for adults. Students take a test at the end of each lesson, which is then sent in for grading.

The Bible course is now printed in 46 languages, and the number of students offers some testimony to the size of Richards' radio audience. Currently, 1,500,000 are enrolled—500,000 more than the Adventists' total world membership. Still, Evangelist Richards and his staff are not content. He and the King's Heralds plan a round-the-world campaign this summer, with the emphasis on Africa. A fortnight ago, the Voice hooked up with seven radio stations in Japan. Says Adventist Richards, who cheerfully runs his $1,000,000 operation on a salary of $65 a week: "Brother, you just wait. We'll keep on growing & growing until we've reached everyone."

* E.g., that Saturday, the Old Testament Sabbath, rather than Sunday, is the proper day of rest and worship, and (as Baptists also hold) that baptism must be by immersion.

http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,817797,00.html

[phkrause]

Very interesting article Stan, thanks for the post.

pk

[Stan]

He is one man that made a significant difference, and his journey was not an easy one.

[Woody]

Quote:

A collection of rings, watches and old jewelry netted just enough to put the Rev. Harold M. S. Richards on the air the next week.

I thought this was particularly interesting.

[phkrause]

Quote:

A collection of rings, watches and old jewelry netted just enough to put the Rev. Harold M. S. Richards on the air the next week.

I thought this was particularly interesting.

I agree Redwood, I had never heard that before either.

pk

[hch]

Adventist authorities took a dim view of Richards' radio program at first. But by 1937 it was going so well that Pacific Coast officials of the church urged him to put the Voice on a coast network. In 1942, with the whole church behind him, Richards began preaching on a national hookup (Mutual), and the next year began to line up foreign stations.

It is interesting that 1888 was only 40-years before 1928 when Pastor Richards moved ahead by faith. And to think that the Church was not as supportive as it could have been. Had it really learned its lesson about discerning the will of God in 1888?

It appears that it took another 9-years for his local conference to get behind him and another 5-years for the whole church to sign on. Is that the wait and see attitude of Noah's day?

Makes me wonder why the Church is so slow to discern the will of God and get with the program? Shouldn't the body of Christ that is His representative on earth be on the forefront of getting the gospel to the world and not on the sidelines waiting to see if this is of God? Or worse yet, standing in the way?

Stan your post was a great history lesson. But alas, the lessons of history that are not well learned are doomed to be repeated.

loudcry.2007@gmail.com

[GreatLakesGramma]

It is because of H.M.S. Richards that I am an Adventist. It was the Voice of Prophecy that brought me into the church.

[Woody]

hch ... It may take time for our church. It does move slowly but it eventually gets it right. Just look at the example of 3ABN. They started off on their own and then the church followed with the technology with the Hope Channel. But, in a short amount of time ... they have caught up and passed them in my humble opinion.

[hch]

hch ... It may take time for our church. It does move slowly but it eventually gets it right. Just look at the example of 3ABN. They started off on their own and then the church followed with the technology with the Hope Channel. But, in a short amount of time ... they have caught up and passed them in my humble opinion.

Unfortunately, the Church of our day does not have the luxury to be so slow. If Christ should come soon and very soon, there will be allot of things undone that should be done.

Slothfulness was once considered to be one of the seven deadly sins.

loudcry.2007@gmail.com

[LifeHiscost]

If Christ should come soon and very soon, there will be allot of things undone that should be done.

loudcry.2007@gmail.com

There are none guaranteed their next moment of life. For each of us, today, this moment, may be the last moment we have.

We have a wonderful promise that is being fulfilled now.

"...for what, if certain were faithless? shall their faithlessness the faithfulness of god make useless?"Romans 3:3 YLT

Where we are when we wake up at the Lord's coming, will reveal where we are at present. No one will be frightened into the kingdom. Those who are ready to meet the Lord in the air will be using their time now to encourage others to claim God's power and love, to deliver them from this adulterous generation.

"If we are faithless, He remains faithful; He cannot deny Himself." 2 Timothy 2:13 NKJV

"The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance."2 Peter 3:9 NKJV

JOY!!!

[LifeHiscost]

http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,817797,00.html

This article must be somewhat old, judging from some of the figures. Not remembering exactly what the figure referred to, I remember 1,500,000, I think was alluding to membership. Is that referring to just the NAD? My understanding is that we are now at 25-27,000,000 members globally.

"....praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved."Acts 2:47 NKJV

JOY!!

[Woody]

Originally Posted By: Redwood

hch ... It may take time for our church. It does move slowly but it eventually gets it right. Just look at the example of 3ABN. They started off on their own and then the church followed with the technology with the Hope Channel. But, in a short amount of time ... they have caught up and passed them in my humble opinion.

Unfortunately, the Church of our day does not have the luxury to be so slow. If Christ should come soon and very soon, there will be allot of things undone that should be done.

Slothfulness was once considered to be one of the seven deadly sins.

loudcry.2007@gmail.com

God's timing is always right. :)

[phkrause]

God's timing is always right.

Good post Redwood. I do believe I heard once from a pastor or maybe EGW that if we're not ready he will finish it. If we are not ready that's our problem. And like LHC said each day could be that day for each and everyone of us.

pk

[Woody]

Might I add ... God is always just.

[phkrause]

Might I add ... God is always just.

Yes he is Redwood, yes he is.

pk

[hch]

Originally Posted By: hch

If Christ should come soon and very soon, there will be allot of things undone that should be done.

loudcry.2007@gmail.com

There are none guaranteed their next moment of life. For each of us, today, this moment, may be the last moment we have.

We have a wonderful promise that is being fulfilled now.

"...for what, if certain were faithless? shall their faithlessness the faithfulness of god make useless?"Romans 3:3 YLT

Where we are when we wake up at the Lord's coming, will reveal where we are at present. No one will be frightened into the kingdom. Those who are ready to meet the Lord in the air will be using their time now to encourage others to claim God's power and love, to deliver them from this adulterous generation.

"If we are faithless, He remains faithful; He cannot deny Himself." 2 Timothy 2:13 NKJV

"The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance."2 Peter 3:9 NKJV

JOY!!!

Sounds like a wake up call!

loudcry.2007@gmail.com

[LifeHiscost]

Might I add ... God is always just.

As well as merciful. OTOH the day of the Lord's wrath does take considerable thought since I believe it says somewhere His wrath will be without mercy.

"For judgment is without mercy to the one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment."

James 2:13 NKJV

Joy!!

[Woody]

Thank you for adding that ...