The history of WJSY-LP 96.1FM (Voice in the Kingdom Radio, Inc.) is one of seeing God making possible… the impossible (as only He can do)! Around the year 1999, God impressed Herluf Johnson to ask Jose Luna (a friend and Bible worker in the Newport area) the question, “How can we reach out to the Newport area with the hope that only God can offer?” With having had the experience of a radio ministry in his country, Jose shared that radio would be a very effective way to reach out to the community. Herluf caught the vision, shared his excitement with his church family and started working looking into options for how this could happen. Sometime in the year 2000 he found out that the Federal Communication Commission (FCC) would be opening a window – in the near future – for local low power radio stations, so he prayed for the outside chance the Newport area would be in this round of offerings. Miraculously, Newport appeared on the list of options!
Throughout the next year, Herluf teamed up with Jose & other church members to work through the many hurdles of the FCC applications process. The application was finally submitted in early 2002 and thus began the waiting – for FCC approval. In the meantime, Herluf was diagnosed with an aggressive form of cancer. Despite the very difficult disease he was experiencing, he continued to press forward with the radio ministry vision, praying earnestly every step of the way. The letter containing the FCC approval finally arrived in May of 2003. While gallant efforts were made on the medical front, and fervent, faith-filled prayers went before heaven’s throne on Herluf’s behalf, his battle with cancer was lost on September 3, 2003.
Work on the radio ministry lay dormant until the spring of 2004 when Jim Warman (a carpenter by trade) took on the challenge to move forward along with the help of Darin Alexander. And, through the blessings of God, his father Blair, along with Herluf’s widow, Kathy the wheels began to roll once again. Many obstacles were presented and one by one overcome. First zoning approval, then Act 250 approval took, many, many hours of work, loads of paperwork, and many miracles! The last necessary approval was received in September of 2004. At this point, money had to be raised, equipment had to be ordered, someone had to be trained, and hundreds of details had to be worked out; all before November 19, 2004 – the last day of the construction permit for our station – with no option for extension or renewal. Many of the crucial pieces of equipment did not arrive until the week before, and even some during the week of the 19th. Yet at the last moment the Lord prevailed and put the pieces together, getting us on the air just in time so that we could meet the deadline. For all this we praise the Lord and give Him thanks! Over the past several years, the ministry has been blessed in having the expertise of Ben Fuller to assist with the technical, programming and many other behind-the-scene crucial needs.
We pray that you also are blessed by the Christ-centered programming heard through WJSY-LP 96.1FM and would ask that you fervently pray, not only for the physical radio station, but also for those who are working to keep it in operation. Let’s prepare to meet in the Kingdom – the Kingdom to come!