Tell It Again
At 9:00 on Sumday mornings, Bethel's "Tell It Again" radio broacast has been heard over WCMY, Ottawa's A.M. radio station for over 50 years.. Beginning in the spring of 1952, it came as an answer to Pastor Hagen's prayer for a ministry to folks who are shut in beause of illness and to those who, for other reasons, don't attend church regularly. While living in Minnesota, the blessing of a Christian radio ministry had become a personal experience in his own life. For a period of two and a half years, Mrs. Hagen was confined to a TB sanitarium in another part of the state, and therefore being unable to attend church, she found the ministry of Christian radio station became a blessing to her as she lay there in her hospital bed. At that time, Pastor Hagen, being alone at home and worried about his wife's health, found comfort as he listened to KTIS, a Christian radio station in Minneapolis. It was a means by which God could minister to him through the spoken Word and in sacred song. Knowing there were others in similar situations, he began to pray that God would someday make it possible for him to be involved in sharing by means of radio the Good News with shut-ins and with others listening in their homes. This prayer was answered and became a reality when, in the spring of 1952, the manager of WCMY presented Pastor Hagen with an opportunity to begin a fifteen minute broadcast that would consist mostly of music. The cost would be sixteen dollars a week. Trusting that the Lord would provide the funds through His people, and with the approval of the congregation, the "Tell It Again" radio broadcast was begun. It was a "live" broadcast at the beginning, which meant that every Sunday morning Pastor Hagen, together with the singers and accompanists, went to the radio station and presented a fifteen minute program of songs and testimony over the live air waves. Later Pastor Hagen used a tape recorder, bought with money that came in from the listeners. He spent a good deal of time every week, preparing the radio broadcast, which eventually expanded to thirty minutes. The singers would come to the church, practice their songs, and then, with him at the controls, their songs were recorded on tape, which sometimes took several re-takes to get it "just right." Then he would have a twelve to fifteen minute message, which had to be timed perfectly in order to use up exactly thirty minutes. It took a lot of time, patience, planning and willingness on the part of all concerned. But God blessed the ministry and we often heard from people that they enjoyed the broadcast and listened regularly. At that time, people would write or phone in and request a favorite song to be sund, often in memory of a loved one, or to honor someone's birthday or anniversary, and so it was of special interest to them to listen. Sometimes the entire program was paid for and sponsored by an individual family for this purpose. The broadcast continued in this way for about sixteen years. During the years following, each pastor has carried on the weekly thirty-minute broadcast. There have been changes int he style and format, but always the Gospel continues to reach the hearts of listeners with the sound of sacred music and a message from God's Word. At the present time, Marlin Low is in charge of corrdinating the broadcast. We all appreciate the time he spends with the taping each week as he prepares it, times it, and makes it ready for us to hear each Sunday. And so the "Tell It Again" broadcast continues to be heard on WCMY at 9:00 o'clock on Sunday mornings, totally depending on God's blessing by His Spirit. It is our prayer that people's lives are being touched and changed as He speaks through the ministry of "Tell It Again."
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