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LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 1973, Page 340

Scan: The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod
Transcription machine transcription, uncorrected

CHURCH LITERATURE AND COMMUNICATIONS 337

The conference was rewarding and significant as it pro-
vides a foundation for new plans and projects for expanding
the mission outreach of the church through television. The
Board is grateful to the members of Aid Association for Lu-
therans for their support of this communications project.

Specific Plans and Projects

The Synod has asked for “new plans and projects for the
expanded use of the media of mass communications in the
proclamation of the Gospel’ with appropriate budget re-
quests. To be of dynamic assistance to our parishes, the
board needs the priority support and increasing subsidy that
other mission enterprises of the Synod have been receiving.
Most of these areas have more than doubled, and some have
more than tripled in subsidy during these 20 years. and
rightly so! Television subsidy, instead of increasing, has de-
clined 21 percent during these same 20 years. From 10 per-
cent of Synod’s budget to about 2 percent today.

If your TV Board is to carry out the current and future
commission of the Synod, the church will have to provide
the funding by increasing its priority and commitment to
this ministry.

Our new plans to expand the use of the medium of mass
communication in the proclamation of the Gospel will re-
quire substantial additional subsidy, but in the light of the
fact that more people are reached with the Gospel at a
lower per-person cost through the TV ministry than through
other approaches, this should not be disturbing.

To produce 26 episodes of This Is the Life utilizing known
personalities as continuing characters and adding a better
promotion package, will take about $600,000 additional syn-
odical subsidy, a total of $1.137,721 or 4 percent of Synod's
budget. excluding new production of family specials, since
these have been requested within the 125th Anniversary
Thankoffering and we expect to receive funding for them
there.

Your Television Board feels that a 4 percent priority (vs.
2 percent now) is not too steep a price to pay for the mas-
sive growing potential of television to proclaim the Gospel
and lead men and women to Christ. An appropriate me-
morial to the Synod accompanies this report.

We Look to the Synod for Direction

We commend our plans to your earnest consideration
and we are confident of the continued goodwill and gen-
erous support of our cosponsor, the Lutheran Laymen’s
League to assist this mission outreach.

The doors are open. The fields are ripe for harvest! The
Lord has called us into this medium, enlightened us with His
gifts! More than 20 years of blessing are behind us and we
stand on a new threshold. Never has the opportunity been
so great, nor the challenge so important. And we go for-
ward with His promise that the Word will not return void,
but will bear fruit.

Television Staft

J. Michael Vincent joined the staff of Lutheran Television
as director of promotion and distribution on Aug. 15, 1972.
Rev. Ardon D. Albrecht continues to serve the board and
the church as program director. while Dr. Martin J. Neeb dr.
serves as executive secretary.

Board FOR LUTHERAN TELEVISION
Leonhard C. Wuerffel, Chairman
Robert G. Baal

Kenneth Bagwell

Walter Stine Isenhower

Robert Kamprath

Fred Kuhlmann

Belno R. Lange Jr.

William E. Moschell

John Pfitzer

Charles G. Riehman

Al H. Senske

STAFF

Martin J. Neeb Jr., Executive Secretary
Ardon D. Albrecht

J. Michael Vincent

10-06A

Report on Radio Station KFUO

With God's help KFUO is looking forward to Dec. 14,
1974, completing 50 years of Radio Ministry glorifying the
Lord of the church, Jesus Christ, and proclaiming the Word
to all men, both Christian and non-Christian.

The Operating Board members are Mr. Roger Zimmer-
mann. chairman; Prof. Arthur Vincent, vice-chairman; Rev.
Walter Loeber, secretary-treasurer; and Prof. David Deppe,
Mr. Earl Hagensieker, Mr. Ed Scott and Mr. Willard
Schroeder. The staff consists of 17 full-time and 10 part-
time employees. Oscar Spath was appointed Interim Man-
ager in March 1972; Mr. Erwin Draeger, business manager,
April 1972; Rev. Paul Devantier, director of development,
July 1972; Mr. Richard Gaugert, coordinator of religious
programs, March 1973.

Through the medium of radio KFUO strives to accom-
plish its objectives with

A. Christ-centered devotional programs and spot an-
nouncements based on Holy Scripture, such as:

—“Portals of Prayer,” a 2-minute devotional produced
by KFUO and heard on radio stations, in nursing
homes, hospitals, prisons, and other institutions around
the world:

— Morning Meditation, featuring Scripture reading,
homily given by an area clergyman and sacred music;

— "Christ for Today,” a noontime meditation with same
format as Morning Meditation;

—~°The Lutheran Hour”;

—Spot Announcements within the music programming;

—Worship Services broadcast from area churches on
Sunday:

— Festival
churches

—"Day by Day with Jesus”;

— Concordia Seminary Chapel;

— ‘Music on High,” lessons and liturgical emphases of
day highlighted through music sung by popular choral
groups.

Worship Services broadcast from area

B. Programs that expose and interpret the Word of God

as revealed in Holy Scripture, such as:

— those mentioned in “A” above;

“Person to Pastor,” an open-line program featuring an
area clergyman who answers questions posed by
listeners;

—*Sunday Morning Forum,” a Bible Class broadcast
from Pilgrim Lutheran Church, St. Louis.

C. Programs that examine current social issues in the
light of the Gospel, such as:

— “Person to Pastor”;

—*“Sunday Morning Forum’;

— "Church and People”:

— “Book Briefs,” a review of current books from a
Christian perspective.

D. Programs that give car to the finest creative works of
man, such as:

— Classical Music;

— Programs such as “Gallery” which alert people to the
visual arts available for their enjoyment.

E. Programs that relate the many facets of ministry
within the LCMS as well as expose its doctrines and prac-
tices. such as:

—‘Metro Voices,” a program of telephone conversations
with people involved in ministry in the area;

_-“Concordia Tract Mission,” program which informs
listeners of this special work;

—-“Into all the World,” a program telling of the work
of the various synodical mission projects at home and
abroad;

—-Perspective,” monthly program examining the
church's historical roots produced by the Foundation
for Reformation Research;