North Cascade Adventist Church in Burlington, Wash., dedicated its church service on April 29 to celebrating the grand opening of the new "Radio of Life" church ministry: Skagit Valley Family Radio, 104.7 KTFJ-FM. KTFJ stands for Keep The Faith of Jesus.
Skagit Valley Family Radio began in early 2013 as a Sabbath School class project facilitated by Jonathan Fish. Class member Brian Wilson had learned about the availability of new low power FM frequencies from the Federal Communication Commission (FCC) and felt convicted of the local need to reach the city of Burlington via radio.
Radio of Hope (91.1 FM), another regional radio station many had come to appreciate, did not effectively reach the Burlington area. A new radio station would fill this void. The application was submitted and accepted, but various delays kept the station from moving forward until early 2016.
At that time, there was only a nine-month window before broadcasting was required to begin per FCC regulations, and an extension had already been granted. The operating board was expanded, IRS 501(c)3 status applied for and granted, and fundraising begun in earnest following a visit from Lilya Wagner, a fundraising professional associated with the North American Division.
The dedication church service shared the history of the station’s development, highlighted the listening area, expressed appreciation from audience members and honored the Radio of Hope sister station.
Skagit Valley Family Radio recognized Joe Mann, Radio of Hope station manager, for his tireless work in creating a program feed for Radio of Life and for his technical advice. The station also recognized the family of Bob Price in memory of his dedication to the project and service as a board member before his recent passing.
The sermon time featured three presenters. Visionary Brian Wilson shared how his wife converted to Christianity after listening to radio programs in Thailand as a young girl. Donn Leiske, program manager, shared the larger-than-predicted broadcast listening area and how God was expanding the worldwide audience listenership through www.radiooflife.org. Maureen Parker shared her conversion story, which was influenced by radio and television and led to her commitment to the project as a founding board member.
Skagit Valley Family Radio was inspired by the desire to spread the gospel and the Three Angels’ Messages to the local community and beyond. The church family praises God for His leadership and protection of the project.
Fittingly, the church service opened with “Lift Up the Trumpet,” the opening song for decades for Voice of Prophecy, the first coast-to-coast religious radio broadcast. The service closed with “Nearer My God to Thee,” the traditional closing of the Voice of Prophecy broadcast.
Joe Mann from Radio of Hope is recognized by Radio of Life representatives.
Donn Leiske serves as program manager for Skagit Valley Family Radio.
