J. Harold Smith
Encyclopedia
J. Harold Smith was a Southern Baptist
evangelist and founder of Radio Bible Hour, "broadcasting the Gospel of Jesus Christ since 1935." The program is still aired today. Smith was a pioneer in the use of broadcast media, and started the Radio Bible Hour broadcast in 1935. He helped to develop Christian radio in the 1940's, and was one of the first ministries to be heard nationwide through the giant Mexican radio station XERF. He was the pastor of a number of churches, from very small to very large, and always loved the work of the pastor. In 1953 as pastor of the First Baptist Church of Fort Smith, Arkansas
, he started the television broadcast of the morning worship services. That was one of the first regular television broadcasts of a church service in the United States.
Southern Baptist Convention
The Southern Baptist Convention is a United States-based Christian denomination. It is the world's largest Baptist denomination and the largest Protestant body in the United States, with over 16 million members...
evangelist and founder of Radio Bible Hour, "broadcasting the Gospel of Jesus Christ since 1935." The program is still aired today. Smith was a pioneer in the use of broadcast media, and started the Radio Bible Hour broadcast in 1935. He helped to develop Christian radio in the 1940's, and was one of the first ministries to be heard nationwide through the giant Mexican radio station XERF. He was the pastor of a number of churches, from very small to very large, and always loved the work of the pastor. In 1953 as pastor of the First Baptist Church of Fort Smith, Arkansas
Fort Smith, Arkansas
Fort Smith is the second-largest city in Arkansas and one of the two county seats of Sebastian County. With a population of 86,209 in 2010, it is the principal city of the Fort Smith, Arkansas-Oklahoma Metropolitan Statistical Area, a region of 298,592 residents which encompasses the Arkansas...
, he started the television broadcast of the morning worship services. That was one of the first regular television broadcasts of a church service in the United States.