PERSONAL MINISTRIES

In addition to serving as pastor at Lousana and Bellgrove, I had a couple of ministries outside of the church which I did and was financially responsible for the same.  I never considered myself a writer or author, but Dave Patterson, the Presbyterian minister in Lousana, shared with me that he had contacted the editor of The Delburne Times and inquired whether he would be interested in some articles by pastors.  Delburne was a town of about 500 residents, eight miles north of Lousana.  It was the shopping centre for our area with a bank, hardware, grocery and other stores and services.

I gave some thought to the Presbyterian minister's idea and agreed that I would alternate with him,  writing a brief article for the newspaper.  In recalling his articles, I think his column was called The Prairie Pastor.  I named my little write up Nuggets Of Truth.  We both had to buy the space, which was not a great expense, but nevertheless it came out of our pockets.

Having had a love for radio since I was a young boy and working at CFCO Chatham three long summers during my Bible schooling at Prairie Bible Institute, I readily accepted the opportunity presented to me by the Alberta East Central Ministerial Association, of which I was a member, to do one week of devotionals on CJDV Drumheller, Alberta.  CJDV gave free time to the ministerial associations for a Monday to Friday fifteen minute morning devotional time.

In recording these programs at the station I met up with the owner/manager.  I inquired of him as to whether he had any radio time available on a Sunday that I could purchase.  I was pleasantly surprised when he said that he had a slot 10:30pm to 11:00pm on Sunday nights.  I could have it beginning the first Sunday in December 1961.  

1963 Calendar Sent To Supporters

The purchase of time was a real step of faith on my part.  It was not going to be paid for by the Lousana or Bellgrove churches.  It was totally my doing.  So with a total income of around $150.00 a month, plus 25.00 each month from my Mom and Dad, I agreed to pay $11.20 a week for radio time.  Some wives may have questioned the stupidity of their husband but Leona was very supported.

I recorded the first four broadcasts at the Prairie Bible Institute radio studio at $3.50 an hour.  Thereafter CJDV gave me free use of their recording studio and I could go whenever I wanted and record as many programs as I wanted.  When I began this radio ministry, I had no commitments on Sunday evenings.  So I would often drive the 140 mile round trip to Drumheller on a Sunday evening.  I would drop Leona off, along with Dan Jr., at one of the churches.  She would take in the evening service while I was at the radio station recording two or three programs.  The half hour program consisted of sacred music, interspersed with scripture, stories, poems and sermonettes.  I have a few of these programs on reel to reel tape.  One of the items on my bucket list is to get them put on CDs.

 Dan recording a program at CJDV

During my student days at Prairie Bible Institute I did some additional gratis work in the radio studio.  One day, when I was in the studio, Jack Symonds, the pianist for the Janz Quartet was playing the organ and more or less entertaining himself.  This particular day he pretended he was playing for a radio broadcast.  Doing an introduction he said something to the effect that you are listening to Echoes of Blessing.  That memory of Jack came to my mind when I was anticipating doing a half hour on CJDV.  Hence, I named my Sunday night radio broadcast, Echoes of Blessing.

A few listeners gave regularly and I subsidized the ministry out of my meager salary.  One day a farmer from the Wimborne area, about 35 miles south, drove up to Lousana to meet me.  He thanked me for my ministry and before he left gave me $70.00 cash for the radio ministry which paid for more than six weeks of programs.  What an encouragement!  That sort of balanced out the comment a gentleman said one Monday when I was in Three Hills.  A mutual friend introduced us and this gentleman said, "Oh you're the fellow I was listening to last night when I fell asleep!"  I've had many a laugh as I've reflected on his remark.

Having been broadcasting for a good year, I had the idea of purchasing a couple of hours New Year's Eve and welcome in the New Year with some Christian music.  I asked the manager if that was possible and he liked the idea and said, "I will give you the time." Back in those years, many radio stations did not broadcast twenty-four hours but would sign off at night and on again in the morning.  CJDV usually signed off at 12:15am.  So he gave me from 12:15am until 2:00am, January 1st, 1963 and since I had worked in a radio station he said, "When you're finished, just shut the station down and lock up."  Wow!  What a trusting owner/manager.  My brother David, who was a student at PBI and a teen from Bellgrove were with me that night and answered the telephone whenever a listener phoned in to make a request.  They would then try to find the song that they requested.  David also gave some news headlines at 1:00am.  It was a fun night.  The station owner/manager listened to the same and told me later, "You can have all night next New Year's from 12:15am to 6:00am.

These two ministries, in addition to my pastoral work, were very enjoyable and all bills were paid on time.