Our History

Voice of Salvation Ministries is the media arm of the International Center for Spiritual Renewal, with its general offices located in Cleveland, Tennessee. Continuously broadcasting the message of Jesus Christ for over 60 years, the 21st century brings with it exciting opportunities reach an unsaved world as well as an ever-increasing challenge to remain current in our delivery methods.

Voice of Salvation Ministries was birthed from a bold vision in 1951 to begin a world-wide evangelistic effort using radio to carry the Gospel to Earth’s farthest reaches. Members of
the Church of God of Prophecy in Hazel Park, Michigan, including ABC broadcast engineer Tom Duncan, began recording ministry sessions of the movement’s 46th Annual General Assembly and made them available for purchase. After the Assembly, they approached church leadership in an effort to begin an international radio and recording ministry at the Church’s International Offices in Cleveland, Tennessee. Support for the endeavor was granted and the new department was established in 1954 with Tom Duncan at the helm of the program.

“The Voice of Salvation” radio program debuted on April 4, 1954 on KHON in Honolulu, Hawaii. Before the end of that year, it was on 5 more outlets and could be heard in every state of the nation. By 1955, it was airing on more than 20 stations and had begun an intensive international reach.

For the next decade, the radio program continued to build momentum, increasing its ministry offerings and coverage around the world. A successful record club and Christian variety program, called Gospel Concert Hall, complimented the weekly radio broadcast. By 1965, broadcast coverage grew to include more than 160 A.M., F.M., and short wave radio stations, exposing millions to the presentation of the message of Christ.

Fire destroyed our studios in 1967 but two years later a new state of the art facility was opened on North Keith Street in Cleveland, TN.

Elwood Matthews continued to expand the ministry’s reach and effectiveness beginning in 1972. Complimenting the existing radio work, a weekly 30-minute television program was launched in 1983 and aired on many independent and religious broadcasting networks.

Billy Wilson assumed leadership of Voice of Salvation Ministries in 1994. Following a brief hiatus, the television program was re-launched in 1998 as “World Impact with Billy Wilson”. It is currently seen in over 200 nations in 5 languages.

Voice of Salvation Ministries and World Impact feels the joy of this heritage, the burden for souls, and the honor of “Sharing Jesus with the World”.

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