Canadian TV Ministries: Higher on Hope than Hype

Most of Canada’s 26 million people can choose between American and Canadian television, including religious television. The landscape of religious broadcasting north of the border, however, looks quite different from that in the United States.

For starters, evangelical television ministries are not only far fewer in number, but their budgets are but a fraction of the size of those of their American counterparts.

The country’s only large-scale electronic media ministry, Crossroads Christian Communications, with the flagship daily program “100 Huntley Street,” operates on an annual budget of approximately $14 million (U.S.). (In the U.S., this would not be among the top ten.) More typically, Canadian ministries operate on budgets under $1 million (U.S.).

The only official vehicle monitoring financial accountability is the Canadian Council of Christian Charities, a much smaller counterpart to the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability. But the financial integrity of leading Canadian evangelicals, within or outside the electronic church, has never been seriously challenged. In fact, Canada’s best-known television preacher, David Mainse, host of “100 Huntley Street,” once told the press he sometimes could not bear to watch some “flashy American TV evangelists.”

Multifaith Venture

Canadian religious broadcasting is characterized in part by a tolerance for other beliefs. Unlike the U.S., in Canada religious broadcasting is not synonymous with Christian programming.

Canadian evangelicals have taken part in various cooperative ventures with other faith groups. Most notable among them is Vision TV, a multifaith, multicultural cable network that debuted last year (CT, Nov. 18, 1988, p. 58). Its programming, which one media critic said “has the feel of PBS [Public Broadcasting System] with spiritual sensitivity,” ranges from Muslim talk shows to Mennonite choir concerts.

The network has access to 4.6 million homes nationwide. Operating with a budget of just over $2 million (U.S.) and a full-time staff of only ten, it has thus far exceeded expectations of both media insiders and fans, some of whom have concluded it is the only television worth watching.

Another distinct feature of Canadian religious broadcasting is the prominence of religious programming on mainstream network television. As part of its mandate to reflect all aspects of Canadian culture, the government-funded public broadcasting system (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation or CBC) produces three series with spiritual themes: “Hymn Sing,” featuring upbeat choral music; “Meeting Place,” a one-hour telecast of worship services from churches, synagogues, and temples across Canada; and “Man Alive,” the country’s longest-running religious program.

“Man Alive,” which has received more international awards than any other series produced by the CBC, is seen by an average of 1.2 million prime-time viewers. Through interviews and documentaries, the show addresses issues of morality and justice. Recent programs have included a feature on a mission to runaway street kids, an examination of the ethics of fetal transplants, and a feature on angels.

Scandal-Less Broadcasters

The programming of Canadian evangelical television is marked by a greater emphasis on content than on style. Specifically, most ministries deliberately downplay appeals for funds.

Crossroads Christian Communications, founded by Mainse, a Pentecostal minister, operates with a staff of 185 at its rented downtown Toronto headquarters.

Though his organization suffered a drop in donations following the televangelist scandals south of the border, Toronto newspapers have described Mainse as “untainted by scandal” and “loaded with charm, modesty and sincerity.”

Crossroads’ “100 Huntley Street” is broadcast live by satellite weekday mornings to 40 stations across the nation; the show’s aggregate weekly audience is 355,000 people, according to the country’s Bureau of Broadcast Measurement.

The ministry purchases time from commercial television stations in Canada and in the U.S. near the Canadian border. Americans can see the one-hour program on the Inspirational (cable) Network and on some 30 private stations.

It follows a talk-show format, including music, Bible commentary, and features on “ordinary Christians.” It includes practical and motivational information on such topics as marriage, money management, and job-search techniques.

The country’s only other national evangelical television ministry is “The Terry Winter Program” (see adjacent sidebar article). Several regional television ministries, generally with meager budgets, also operate in Canada. The Sunday morning services of Canada’s best-known evangelical nondenominational congregation, the 5,000-member People’s Church in Toronto, are seen by over 100,000 on six stations across Ontario.

The only daily Christian television program in addition to “100 Huntley Street” is “It’s a New Day,” produced in Winnipeg and shown in Western Canada and remote northern communities. Drawing up to 50,000 viewers, this one-hour, live, morning talk show concentrates on testimonies, Bible teaching, and home-grown, folksy conversation.

Clearly, the evangelical presence on Canadian airwaves is not as pervasive as in the United States. But as a consequence it appears Canadian ministries are less vulnerable to sudden dramatic financial decline.

Canadian broadcasters believe generally that their efforts to emphasize help and hope more than hype will be rewarded with loyal and growing audiences.

By Wendy Nelles in Toronto, Ontario.

Terry Winter: “Explainer Evangelist”

Terry Winter’s uneasiness with the label “television evangelist” predates by far the embarrassing developments on the American religious broadcasting scene. When establishing his ministry just over 20 years ago, he and his board settled on the name Terry Winter Christian Communications. “I prefer to be regarded simply as a Christian communicator,” said the 45-year-old Winter, an unordained member of the Christian Brethren with a doctorate in missions and communication from Fuller Theological Seminary.

Surveys by the Bureau of Broadcast Measurement, the major Canadian rating service, reveal that “The Terry Winter Program” consistently draws larger audiences in every region than the American luminaries who once dominated Canadian airwaves.

Winter’s ministry began with a concentration on city-wide crusades; he branched out into television 15 years ago. Today, the 22 stations on which his half-hour show is seen weekly have the potential to reach 90 percent of Canada’s English-speaking population. Mail from viewers indicates the program is especially successful in reaching the unchurched, particularly youth.

The ministry reports that viewer requests for information about the Christian faith are common. This pleases Winter, who says he considers himself an “explainer/evangelist.”

His program format is intended to reinforce this role. The show begins with a 12-to 15-minute interview with an articulate communicator of the faith. Among his guests in the last three years have been John Stott, James Dobson, Joni Eareckson Tada, Charles Colson, Tony Campolo, and Becky Pippert. A guest is usually featured on four consecutive programs, over which a theme is developed. A brief musical selection follows the interview. Then Winter summarizes the discussion, inviting viewers to consider its implications for their lives.

A book dealing with the theme—often written by the guest—is sent free to viewers who request it. Winter stresses that these people receive no financial appeals, nor are they placed on a mailing list. He spurns the use of Christian trinkets, which he calls “holy hardware,” believing they would defeat his program’s purpose.

He also rejects anything resembling a frantic appeal for funds. From the beginning, he says, he and those who counseled him wanted to avoid the perception of the televangelist huckster.

To fend off financial crises, the ministry early on adopted a pay-as-you-go approach. Before “The Terry Winter Program” is shown in any region, 75 percent of the necessary funds must be in place. This money comes from a pool of about 170 major donors.

Winter believes this approach has helped his ministry succeed, claiming that supporters “appreciate the fact that the gospel is not being tarnished by high-pressure appeals for funds.” The ministry’s income has risen an average of 20 percent a year since 1980. Last year’s increase was the largest in its history, despite negative publicity surrounding some of Winter’s American counterparts.

By Leslie K. Tarr.

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