100 Years of ‘The Gospel Voice’

KFUO Radio turns 100 this year. In this issue, you’ll learn all about the history of KFUO, how it has served the St. Louis community and the world. This includes fighting and winning a lawsuit that protected Christian radio stations around the U.S., consistently broadcasting and proclaiming Christ over the airwaves, and serving decades of loyal KFUO listeners.

Throughout the 100 years since KFUO was founded, technology has changed and transformed drastically. Many today worry about the future of radio. Nor is this the first time the death of radio has been predicted over the past century, as Kevin Mungons notes in his article in this issue.

And yet, radio continues to be a trusted source of news and teaching. Mungons notes that while the future of radio is not bleak, it is different. Many media channels are changing as audiences consume content and teaching in different ways. Podcasts are still on the rise; you can find a podcast for almost anything these days. YouTube and social media channels have grown to accommodate almost every preference and interest. You can even find some great Lutheran channels out there. In the same way, KFUO Radio is continuing to change and adapt to serve listeners over the next century as it has for the last.

In the end, what’s first and foremost — and what we at The Lutheran Witness strive for today — is the proclamation of Christ crucified for the sins of the world. God created the world; mankind sinned; God sent His Son into the flesh to redeem sinners; we receive this forgiveness through the Word proclaimed and the Sacraments rightly administered, as the Augsburg Confession concisely states (see AC I–XXI).

This has been the heart of KFUO’s proclamation for the last 100 years, and it remains so today, whether through KFUO’s physical tower broadcasts or podcast channels. And so it remains also for The Lutheran Witness. We’re here to point you to Christ. That’s what “interpreting the world from a Lutheran perspective” means: How do you see Christ at work in the world? How do you see Him ordering all of creation for the good of His saints (Rom. 8:28)?

To Him be all the glory.

See table of contents for the September 2024 issue

In Christ Crucified,

Roy S. Askins

Executive Editor, The Lutheran Witness