Walk in the Word on Television

Today we have an exciting announcement about Walk in the Word, our broadcast ministry heard on nearly 1200 radio outlets around North America. Beginning May 4, 2014, on Sunday mornings, then in addition on every weekday morning starting September 2014, Walk in the Word TV will be seen around the world on both The Trinity Broadcasting Network (TBN) and the The Church Channel (TCC). This decision was approved by our Elder board in February after many months of study, reflection, and prayer. It was then shared with 750 of our primary church leaders and finally to our congregation in March of this year.

I would like to give you an overview of how the Lord has brought us to this exciting expansion of our mission to impact lives for Christ and plant 1000 churches in our lifetime.

Patience and Prayer.

Back as far as 2007 we recognized that many places in which we hoped to plant gospel-preaching, Bible-believing, Christ-adoring, vertical churches could not be accessed by radio. Often there was not a strong radio station, or it played only music, or no time slot was available to us, or it was cost prohibitive. In 2010, during our spring bus tour, we invited supporters to give to the vision of Walk in the Word TV. Those offerings were set aside in faith as we waited and prayed for an open door to expand our impact and church planting emphasis through television. As we inquired and investigated and prayed and waited, there continued to be no open doors. So we prayed and waited again, asking the Lord to open a clear and obvious door. Then suddenly and miraculously, where there had previously been no interest among broadcasters about Walk in the Word TV, God began to open doors of opportunity through a friend in Jerusalem, a friend in Texas, and a long-time friend in Orlando.

“I will open a door for you that no man can shut.”

Revelation 3:8

Preparation and Pruning.

For the past 3-4 years we have been slowly building a staff team that could support an expansion to television. Production staff, audio and video professionals, expanded call center plans, etc., have been carefully put in place to support the current ministry and be available to stand behind this expanded opportunity. With this opportunity has come the question, “How can you find enough time for this and still take care of yourself, your family, and the church?” In God’s providence, our leaders were already asking this question last year, as the operational oversight of our church had grown too large for me to continue to lead and still fulfill my primary callings to preach and pastor. Following a national search that brought in 125 applicants, 10-12 of whom were interviewed, we have found the Lord’s provision for this COO position.

Scott Milholland, on April 16, starts in his new role as Senior Executive Pastor over all ministries and operations associated with Harvest Bible Chapel. This reallocation of my responsibility is fully supported by our Elders and allows me to focus completely on my preaching/teaching ministry and pastoring/mentoring next generation leaders in our church and Harvest Bible Fellowship.

“Every branch that bears fruit, He prunes it so that it may bear more fruit.” John 15:2

More importantly, God has been preparing my own heart through an extended season of personal reflection and brokenness. Attack from outside our church was painful and relentless, but used of the Lord inside our church and inside me in some wonderful ways. Walk in the Word was merged with the ministry of Harvest bringing all broadcast ministry under the authority of our Elders. Needed adjustments were made to our governance structure, policy, and systems for accountability/support. Personally, I made significant adjustments in lifestyle and liberty to better conform to congregational expectations and prepare for even broader exposure to public opinion. Knowing the kind of scrutiny a preacher on television receives and the recognized pitfalls of such opportunities, we praise God for faithfully pruning from our lives any impediment to gospel witness. Far from elated or inflated, we are humbled and thankful to Him for the grace to persevere into this next season of expanded fruitfulness for His glory.

“Ponder the path of your feet and let all of your ways be established.”

Proverbs 4:26

In recent years we have learned the importance of carefully considering all ministry association in order to maintain the confidence of our church family and ministry supporters around the world. We are conducting a thorough review of like-minded ministries that have gone before us onto TV outlets. Men like David Jeremiah, Greg Laurie, Tony Evans, and Jack Graham have all expanded their broadcast ministries in this direction in a way that only enhanced their local church ministry. We praise God for these like-minded men who have modeled fidelity to Scripture and to high-integrity, biblical, local-church ministry while impacting the world for Christ through television. With God’s help it is our prayerful intent to follow in their footsteps as they have faithfully followed Christ.

Provision and Potential.

To repeat, starting May 4, we’ll begin taking our expository teaching ministry to the world through television. Walk in the Word TV will air on Sunday mornings on both TBN and The Church Channel. Then, in September, our program will begin airing on Monday-Friday mornings in addition to Sundays, on both channels—and in the most optimal, impactful times of the day. If you knew the backstory, you would get a better sense of how miraculous and unprecedented this is for a Bible-centric ministry like ours—and what an awesome move of God this open door represents.

“A wide door for ministry has opened to me.”

1 Corinthians 16:9

This is the current coverage of walk in the Word as a radio ministry.

This will be the future coverage of Walk in the Word as a radio/television ministry.

As I often say, I couldn’t be less interested in seeing my face or people hearing my voice in more places. No one who meets me thinks, “Now there’s a guy who looks like he belongs on television.” What we are passionately interested in, is seeing 100s or 1000s of earth-shattering, window-rattling, life-altering, God-glorifying churches planted around the world for the fame of the name of Jesus Christ. Please rejoice with us that God has moved on our behalf to open this door. By faith we are walking through it.