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The Radio Bible Hour celebrates its 75th year of broadcasting in 2010.  Founded in 1935 by J. Harold Smith, it is one of the oldest Baptist radio ministries in the US.  Today the audio sermons of J. Harold Smith are broadcast across more than 50 radio outlets across the country.  In addition to its radio broadcasts, the Radio Bible Hour publishes a monthly 16-page magazine called "The Good Neighbor" that features articles, sermons, and other information about the ministry.

 

The Radio Bible Hour is involved in direct mission work, and continues to support ministries in Russia, Haiti, and other indirect mission support.  In Russia, the Radio Bible Hour has supported pastor training, paid pastor salaries, supported medical mission work, and assisted in support of publications for the Berzhitsa Baptist Church in Bryansk, Russia, since 2001.

 

The Radio Bible Hour, along with the Luther and Stella Ogle Foundation of Gatlinburg, has been involved in developing a pastor training network in Haiti since 2005, and has conducted pastor training seminars in Haiti twice a year.  The network now involves about 100 Haitian Baptist pastors.  

 

In 2005 and 2006, the Radio Bible Hour, the Baptist Foundation of East Tennessee, the Ogle Foundation, Dr. Clint Doiron, the Provision Foundation, and other individuals partnered to build a mission hospital near the Haitian border at Jimani, Dominican Republic.  That 15,000 square foot hospital served as a major medical emergency center in the aftermath of the earthquake in 2010. "The Jimani Project" as the group was known, was dissolved after completing its goals in 2008.  The Radio Bible Hour and the Ogle Foundation partnered during those years to develop mission ministries in small Haitian villages along the Domnican border, and built two church-schools  in Batey (Haitian word for village) 39 and 41, and purchased another church in Batey 40.  Wells were dug and the groups funded medical mission work  by Dr. Marc Pinard in those villages

 

in 2010, the Radio Bible Hour began partnering with Carson-Newman College and a number of Baptist churches to develop a new pastor-training school named after J. Harold Smith.  The J. Harold Smith Bible Institute and Pastor Training Center offers courses for bi-vocational pastors, with the course work leading to the granting of certificate for those completing the work.  The first classes were begun in the Fall, 2010.  Designed to meet a need for convenient and affordable, as well as practical, education in ministerial skills, the program is taught in churches by experienced pastors. 

 

In 2010 the ministry began to develop a television production capacity aimed at communicating the work of the ministry to its supporters.  It has expanded to digitally remastering and distributing the televised sermons of J. Harold Smith.  This capability is directed toward producing Christian training materials and mission documentaries via the internet and through DVD.  The television ministry is growing and is integrated into the training and education roles of the ministry. 

 

Although the Radio Bible Hour is a small ministry, it has maintained a reputation for integrity and financial responsibility throughout its history.  It has tried to accomplish much for the Lord with limited resources.  It is conservative and Baptist in doctrine, and is committed to the spreading of the biblical gospel through available media, and to teaching and training of disciples who love Jesus Christ and are dedicated to His glory.  It is often able to respond quickly to needs on the mission field, and has helped provide support to many kinds of mission projects.   The Radio Bible Hour president, Dr. Don Smith, is deeply committed to providing mission opportunities for Christian who might not otherwise have an opportunity to experience mission work.  Although we believe that it is important to meet physical needs on the mission field, it is our experience and philosophy that only Jesus Christ and the power of the Gospel can make lasting changes.