Back to God Ministries International
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| Founded | December 17, 1939 |
|---|---|
| Founder | Revs. Dick Walters, Edward Pekelder, Benjamin Essenburg, and Henry Baker; Messrs. Jacob De Jager and Mark Fakkema, under the direction of the Christian Reformed Church |
| Type | Electronic Media Ministry |
| 362284261 | |
| Focus | Electronic Media |
| Location | |
| Coordinates | 41°40′21″N 87°46′56″W / 41.672408°N 87.782206°WCoordinates: 41°40′21″N 87°46′56″W / 41.672408°N 87.782206°W |
| Origins | The Back to God Hour |
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Area served
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Worldwide |
| Method | Radio, Television, Internet |
| Owner | Christian Reformed Church in North America |
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Key people
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Executive Director Rev. Kurt Selles |
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Revenue
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$9,506,199 |
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Employees
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29 |
| Mission | Promoting the Gospel of Jesus Christ using media broadcasts in the native languages of the target audience. |
| Website | backtogod |
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Formerly called
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The Back to God Hour |
| Member ECFA | |
Back to God Ministries International is the electronic media ministry of the Christian Reformed Church. Founded in 1939 as the weekly radio ministry program "The Back to God Hour", in 2015 the organization produces radio programs, TV broadcasts, and Internet websites in 10 languages, including children's dramas, daily devotionals, Bible resources, family resources, and cultural reflections. It operates from the Christian Reformed Church Headquarters in [Grand Rapids, Michigan], and has offices in Palos Heights, Illinois, near Trinity Christian College.
At the Christian Reformed Synod of 1928, a committee was appointed to investigate the possibilities for radio missions. The committee presented a report for Synod of 1930 detailing plans for broadcasting sermons, but because of financial difficulties created by the stock market crash of 1929 the plan was shelved.
In 1938, Synod received a request from Classis Pella (a regional assembly in Iowa) to develop a denominational broadcast modeled after The Lutheran Hour. Synod then appointed the first permanent Radio Committee.
On Sunday, December 17, 1939, the first broadcast was aired over WJJD, a 20,000-watt station in Chicago.Calvin College Professor Henry Schultze served as the first speaker. During the first three seasons, the program was not produced during the summer; beginning in the 1943-44 season, the program was aired every Sunday, year-round.
At this time Dr. Peter Eldersveld joined the organization, first as an introductory announcer and later as a regular host. In 1946 the Church appointed him as a full-time radio minister. In 1950 he launched The Family Altar (later renamed the Today daily devotional), a booklet with daily devotional messages which was promoted through the radio program.
In 1956 the Back to God Hour was syndicated on HCJB, a short-wave broadcasting station in Ecuador, its first continuous international broadcast. In 1958, 13 episodes of the Back to God Hour were filmed for television.
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