With its worldwide presence and mission to share the gospel in the “hardest-to-reach places on earth,” it may feel to many in the Adventist Church that Adventist World Radio (AWR) has been around “forever.” Not so. Although the ministry was founded 54 years ago, its origins extend back even further. The true birth of AWR can be traced to World War II. When war broke out in the late 1930s, the conquering powers understood the power of radio over the minds of people who were attracted to the fledgling broadcast phenomenon. In the short decades since its discovery, radio had become a household word and was the major way people learned about what was happening in the world.
Pioneering civilians caught on to the miracle of radio waves as well, and many private radio stations blossomed across Europe. One person in particular was at the forefront of radio development. His name was Jacques Trémoulet, best known as the owner of Radio Luxembourg, but his eventual network of stations became one of the largest privately owned radio entities in Europe.
When the war started, the conquering powers commandeered radio stations as fast as they could expand their territories. Trémoulet’s radio properties were confiscated, and he found sanctuary in a neutral country, hoping he could outlast the war. When the conflict ended, he returned to his home in France to see if his stations could be rehabilitated.
It was at this time that he met Seventh-day Adventists. The Adventist Church was actively helping Europe recover from the war years, and they were looking for radio stations that would permit them to air programs featuring spiritual messages and promoting their humanitarian efforts. They signed up for airtime on Radio Luxembourg, and the Voice of Hope in French went on the air in 1947. In 1951 the English Voice of Prophecy program had its first broadcasts on the station. Thus, a mutual partnership between Adventists and Trémoulet began.
AWR’s first manager Allen Steele and his wife, Andrea, joined the ministry in 1971.
Expanding the ministry
In 1971 Trémoulet had a new offer for the Adventists: “I now own a transmitter in Portugal that will give you shortwave coverage over all of Eastern and Western Europe, the Middle East, and North Africa. Are you interested?”
Church leaders, namely General Conference president Robert Pierson and North American Division president Neal Wilson, wanted to use this exciting opportunity to reach a significant part of the world by radio, but the church budget did not have funds set aside to take advantage of such a new, large, long-term undertaking. So the question arose: “If this is the direction God is leading, how will we find the funds to support it?”
The offer became a major subject of discussion at church headquarters. Treasurers warned that the church could not sustain the project in the long term, but lay members on committees urged the church to seize the opportunity.
Elders Pierson and Wilson listened and considered the pros and cons. In the end they came up with a strategy: They would challenge Adventist church members around the world to join them in the mission of launching programs for the part of the world covered by Trémoulet’s large transmitter in Portugal.
They proposed this plan in faith, calling it a bold move forward, in the belief that church members would be inspired by God to do their part to support the project over the longer term.
Soon plans were underway to begin the project. Manager Allen Steele, and his wife, Andrea, were hired to help in the planning. One of the first items to decide was a name.
Should it be the Voice of Hope, as preferred by the Europeans, or the Voice of Prophecy, favored by the Americans?
Allen said, “The matter of choosing a name was given to the church’s Communication Department. In the discussion I urged the brethren that a new name should be chosen—one that would identify the church as sponsor of the programs. The name Adventist World Radio seemed to be most appropriate.”
The Steeles were sent to Portugal in late July 1971, with the warning that the church had committed to fund the project for only one year, so a longer term would depend on members’ offerings.
“We were willing to be part of the strategy,” says Allen. “In the end no one should have worried, because at the conclusion of the first year, enough funding was available for another year. The support continued, and our invitation to continue broadcasting was renewed year after year.”
Allen and Andrea continued their work for AWR through many years as the ministry grew and became recognized as a major broadcaster on the world stage.
Today, Allen still actively supports Adventist World Radio.
Ripple effects
Today AWR, under the leadership of Duane McKey, reaches around the globe through 2,000 broadcasts in more than 100 languages, shares the gospel via solar-powered “Godpods,” meets felt needs through massive health events, holds large-scale evangelistic series in partnership with Total Member Involvement, and much more.
But it all began when a challenge issued by church leaders turned into the creation of a major vehicle to grow the church and prepare a people to be ready for the second coming of Jesus . . . a “bold move forward” with ripple effects that will be revealed only in heaven!
Editor’s Note: Much of the information here is based on the author’s personal knowledge. The phrase “bold move forward” is from an article that appeared in the Review and Herald in 1971. To learn more about the history of Adventist World Radio, check out Allen Steele’s book God’s Air Force, published by Pacific Press. To watch inspiring mission story “miracle videos” and connect with AWR, visit awr.org.