Hour of Decision (radio program)
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| Running time | 30 minutes |
|---|---|
| Country of origin | United States |
| Language | English |
| Syndicates | Billy Graham Evangelistic Association |
| Original release | 1950 – December 22, 2016 |
| Website | billygraham.org |
The Hour of Decision was a live weekly radio (and later television) broadcast produced by the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association. First broadcast on radio in 1950 by the American Broadcasting Company,[1] it was a half-hour program featuring sermons from noted evangelist Billy Graham and hosted by Cliff Barrows, a very close friend of Graham and the long-time musical director and MC of Billy Graham's Crusades. The televised Sunday night version began on September 30, 1951 on ABC and ran until February 28, 1954.[2]
On May 4, 2014, host Cliff Barrows joined a new weekly online-only show, Hour of Decision Online, alongside Bob Souer as co-host. The existing Hour of Decision radio program was renamed Peace With God, hosted by Bill Maier. However, Peace With God ended shortly after, with the final broadcast airing on February 22, 2015. Hour of Decision Online ended after Barrows' death in 2016.
The origins of Hour of Decision was recounted in Billy Graham's autobiography, Just As I Am. Holding a Crusade (his evangelistical events) in Portland, Oregon, at the persistence of two men who wanted him to start a radio program he joked that if he could raise the $25,000 necessary by midnight that night (nearly $250,000 in 2015)[3] he would be willing to do it. This was despite his reluctance, feeling he did not have the time to commit to one. Announcing the ambitious goal at the Crusade that evening, by the end of the meeting $24,000 of the necessary funds had been donated for the radio broadcast. Returning to his hotel room that night, he found two $500 donations awaiting - both for the new radio ministry.
"Stunned, I bowed my head and said a silent prayer. Emotion so overcame me that I could not think straight. Clearly, these funds had come from God.", writes Billy Graham in his autobiography. Soon after, a nationwide broadcasting contract was signed and work began on the radio ministry. This was also the start of what became known as the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, the umbrella organization under which all of Billy Graham's work was to be done.[4] The first Hour of Decision broadcast, titled Revival, was broadcast live for 30 minutes on 150 stations across the United States of America from a Crusade in Atlanta, Georgia, by the American Broadcasting Company.[5] As of 2010, the Hour of Decision programme was syndicated across 581 radio stations in the United States, as well as over 400 radio stations across the world. The programme was aired in five different languages (English, Mandarin, Spanish, French and Persian) across 55 countries in all six continents worldwide.[4]
From 1950 until 2014, Billy Graham's Crusade musical director and MC Cliff Barrows hosted the radio program before transitioning to become the host of the new online-only program Hour of Decision Online (alongside Bob Souer) on May 4, 2014. The existing radio program Hour of Decision was re-branded to become Peace With God, with Bill Maier taking over as host.[6] It was a 26-minute program featuring sermons from Billy Graham, Franklin Graham or Will Graham. However, that program ended shortly after, with the final broadcast, Time To Come Home (featuring Billy Graham's message from a 1992 Crusade in Portland, Oregon) airing on February 22, 2015.[7]
