Over the years, radio listeners were blessed by the ministry of Amazing Facts and the messages of the late Joe Crews. Ten years ago, a church family from the Eau Claire (Wisconsin) Adventist Church was impressed they should sponsor the broadcast for the cities in West Central Wisconsin. Soon, the fifteen-minute radio programs could be heard weekly.
The radio messages were appreciated not only by many area residents, but also by radio station management who broadcast the programs. Recently, when station ownership changed hands, employees at the station were concerned the broadcasts would be discontinued.
Fifteen members of the Menomonie and Eau Claire Adventist churches organized themselves as Friends of Amazing Facts to provide funds to continue the radio ministry. They funded three one-hour broadcasts each Sunday morning, which includes the Amazing Facts Bible Answers Live with Doug Batchelor on stations WWIS 99.7 FM and WWIS 1260 AM in Black River Falls, and WMEQ 880 AM in Menomonie.
Radio station personnel and the stations' management were pleased to learn the Amazing Facts broadcasts would continue. Steve Potter, director of sales for seven different radio stations, including WMEQ, believes the Bible Answers Live program is "an excellent program" and "very interesting."
Bob Gabrielson, WWIS station manager, broadcasts church services and a talk show, but says, "Bible Answers Live does something that the others don't. It provides an open forum for our listeners to inquire or hear answers that they've wanted to ask for years. And the best part is they get their questions answered along with a detailed explanation."
One WWIS listener admits he sometimes takes a break from work when Bible Answers Live is on. "He doesn't want to miss out on the answers to the questions... questions he has wondered about himself," said Gabrielson.
Friends of Amazing Facts meets once a month to share testimonies and explore new ways to alert the public about the broadcasts. Providentially, they learned the broadcasts are also a real blessing to inmates at the Jackson Correctional Institution in Black River Falls, Wis. Literature evangelists operating a booth at the Eau Claire Trade Show met a prison guard who informed them that the weekly radio programs were aired for prison inmates. Although the guard is a member of another denomination, he signed a card requesting Adventist literature and requested an appointment to study with someone about the Bible Sabbath in connection with end-time events.
Since that encounter, literature and books are made available to inmates through the prison chapel library. Friends of Amazing Facts were granted permission from the chaplain to donate books and Bibles provided by church members. Three inmates have signed up for Bible studies.
This is an another example of how honest listeners are hearing God’s truths in locations where neither ministers nor laymen can enter. We praise Him for these radio messages, which are setting prisoners free through Christ’s Word, and bringing them everlasting life.
David Guerrero is pastor of the Durand and Menomonie, Wisconsin, churches, and Bruce Babienco is a volunteer correspondent for the Lake Union Herald.
