Administrative History

After the 1949 Conference of Mennonites in Manitoba (CMM) Annual Conference, research began on the possibility of missions work through radio stations in Winnipeg. By 1955, no progress was evident, therefore a Mennonite Radio Mission’s committee was formed. Two programs were established; “Mennonite Devotional” aired in Winnipeg and “Frohe Botschaft” aired from Fargo, North Dakota.

In 1956, the Southern Manitoba Broadcasting Company founded a Mennonite-owned and operated radio station, CFAM. It was chaired by A.J. Thiessen and located in Altona. The Mennonite Radio Mission was now able to broadcast its programs as well as sponsor many others. Frank H. Epp was appointed as director in 1957. In 1958, the offices were moved to Pembina Hwy in Winnipeg. J.K. Klassen became the director in 1959 and in 1965 Bernie Wiebe took over those responsibilities.

The Mennonite Radio Mission was renamed Faith and Life Communications (FLC) in 1969, the same year they merged with the Church School Hour. The following year, 1970, the Christian Home Hour amalgamated with FLC and Waldo Neufeld became the director. Ronn Klassen became the director in 1974 and in 1976 Victor Sawatzky was appointed as director. In 1990, Faith and Life Communications relocated to 600 Shaftesbury Blvd, on the campus of CMBC (now CMU). At this location they built a high quality recording studio that also serves the wider community. Ed Cornelson became the director in 1999.

The Abundant Life began airing on Altona’s CFAM in 1957 with Frank H. Epp as the primary speaker. By 1961, the program was broadcasting in all four western provinces. The broadcast faced a deficit in 1964 that began many years of difficulties. The broadcast was cut in half, down to fifteen minutes, in an attempt to reach a younger non-committed audience. The Abundant Life continued to face difficulties until the late 1970s when it altered it’s audience to those in Mennonite congregations. The Abundant Life became a teaching program and included speakers such as Frank Dyck, Vern Ratzlaff, David D. Klassen, and John H. Neufeld. These Biblically-based lessons soon reached beyond the Mennonite community into many homes. In 1994, the program was estimated to have as many as 50,000 listeners. In 2002, the program still airs on CFAM and radio stations around North America.

Frohe Botschaft is a Sunday morning radio program broadcasted in German. It began in 1956 under the leadership of Gerhard Ens. The first broadcast was on a Christian Station in Fargo, North Dakota. In 1957, the program aired on CFAM. Wort des Lebens also began broadcasting from CFAM in 1957. These two programs have been successful and steady since their beginning. Frohe Botschaft and Wort des Lebens continue to air on CFAM and other stations around North America. Speakers for the all the radio programs come from the wider Mennonite constituency, focusing on ministers and speakers from Manitoba.

Faith and Life Communications also organizes volunteer choirs to supply the radio Broadcasts with high quality music. These choirs have been very successful and presently there are three – a male choir, a women’s choir, and a young adult choir.