Haven of Rest

Haven Today Logo

Haven Today is a national broadcast Christian radio program. Before 2000 the program was called The Haven of Rest. The radio program has been on the air since it was started in 1934 by Paul Myers. Paul Myers was an early 1930s radio manager and personality. Since 1934 the program has been heard by millions and has only had four hosts: Paul Myers (1896-1973)[1], Paul Evans, Raymond C. Ortlund Sr., and Charles Morris. The daily broadcast currently is on over 600 stations in North America and overseas.[2][3]

History

Paul Myers was a 1930s broadcast radio host in Los Angeles. But Paul's life spun out of control due to alcoholism. He hit bottom. His wife locked him out of the house, but told him she would pray for him. As Myers began to read a Gideon Bible he found in his skid row hotel along San Diego’s waterfront, he found forgiveness, hope, and new life in the Lord Jesus Christ. With his new hope, he was back on the Los Angeles airways on KHJ (AM), and in 1934 started the radio broadcast The Haven of Rest. Paul Myers would host the on air program for 37 years. Paul Myers gave himself the name "First Mate Bob" and he was on the "Good Ship Grace".[3] He used a nautical theme for his program, which had teaching and singers. The program started with a ships’ air horn, then Eight Bells and a quartet of singer singing “The Haven of Rest,” an 1890 song, by Henry L. Gilmour about a sinner anchoring his soul in Christ.[4][5] Myers retired in 1971 and turned the program over to Pastor Paul Evans. Evans continued the tradition Myers had started till he stepped down in 1981. In 1979 Paul Evans wrote Divine Communication and in 1980 Divine Resources, both published by Haven of Rest. In 1988, the Haven of Rest was on 275 stations. In 1981, Dr. Raymond C. Ortlund Sr., the Senior Pastor at Lake Avenue Congregational Church in Pasadena, California, took over the program. Ortlund at the same time stepped down from pastorate at Lake Avenue. Raymond's Sunday morning services at Lake Avenue Congregational Church were broadcast over radio station KRLA.[6] After 20 years at Lake Avenue Ray and wife Anne founded Renewal Ministries at about the same time he took over The Haven of Rest program. With Renewal Ministries they traveled around the world teaching about renewal and revival among God’s churches. Ray hosted the Haven of Rest radio broadcast with his distinctive voice for 19 years, from 1981 to 2000.[7] Raymond C. Ortlund Sr. also served as a teaching pastor at Mariner's Church in Newport Beach, California in the 1980s. The National Religious Broadcasters Hall of Fame inducted Ray in 2008 for his years of hosting the Haven of Rest.[8] Ray retired from The Haven of Rest in 2000. Charles Morris took over the program in 2000 and changed the program name to Haven Today. The in-house music quartet singers were replaced with contemporary Christian music in 2001. Charles Morris attended in seminary in Philadelphia. Charles was a news reporter and an editor for United Press International. Charles also worked as press secretary for two former U.S. Senators. For a time he owned and operated his own radio station. He worked with the late Dr. James Montgomery Boice before the Haven program. Charles has authored several books with his wife: Saving a Life, Jesus in the Midst of Success, and Missing Jesus.[2][3] [9]

Haven Quartet

The Haven Quartet started in 1934 the same time the radio program started. The Haven Quartet was a four-man Christian vocal group from 1934 till it ended in 2001, often called "Crew of the Good Ship Grace". The in house singers use four-part harmony for Haven of Rest radio broadcast ministry for 67 years. The Quartet sang four to five songs/hymns live during each broadcast. Many traditional hymns and gospel songs were done a cappella and sometimes with an organ accompaniment. The first organist was Loren Whitney until 1958, when he was replaced by organist Dean McNichols.[10] The first Quartet baritone was Bob Bowman often called "Second Mate". From 1934 till the 1950 all songs were done live on air. With the addition of their own ship-like recording studio and modern tape recorders in the 1950s the Quartet started to record their songs before the program for later recording playback. The Haven Quartet became very popular due to their clean vocal sound. There was a demand for phonograph records and later tapes also Compact disc to be sold. Recordings were sold to program listeners and to the public. Early members were Second Tenor Charley Turner, who was replaced by Herman Hosier. Bass singer Ernie Payne was replaced in 1975 by Glenn Shoemaker.[11] Long time members and the final four were Quartet members: Walt Harrah, Randy Crenshaw, Bill Cantos and Jeff Gunn. Some of the Quartet's albums are: A Cappella,An Acappella Christmas, A Cappella Hymns, Best of Christmas by Haven, Something To Sing About, Come Let Us Adore Him, So Many Ways To Praise, Enter In, With One Voice, Everything's Gonna Be Alright in Christ, Awesome God, Best Of Vol 1, Best Of Vol 2 and A Cappella Songbook.[12][13][14][15][16]

Haven of Rest historical building

In 1941 Paul Myers had a nautical theme two story building built on 2432 Hyperion Avenue, Los Angeles in the Silver Lake District, near Hollywood for the Haven of Rest broadcast. On December 5, 2007 the building was awarded site number 895 on the Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monuments list for its unique architecture. The building has porthole windows, gangway ramp and promenade deck hand rails. The studio had a pipe organ for the program. In 1998 the Haven program moved out of the nautical building to Costa Mesa, California and then move to Riverside, California. Before 1941 the program was done live in the KHJ AM. The program moved to a new station about every 2 years next was: KNX (AM), KHJ (AM), KMPC and then the KFI AM studio in Los Angeles. Then was picked up by the NBC Blue Network and NBC Red Network.[2][17][18] [19][20]

Currently

Charles Morris' Haven Today program is a mix of Christian music, biblical teachings, interviews and a discussion of current events. The program airs 5 days a week for a half hour. In addition to the radio program hosted by Charles Morris, Haven Today has a devotional guide called The Anchor daily started by Evans in the 1970s. The teaching is still based on "Jesus, because he is the one and only Haven of Rest".[3][21]

Host

HostYears
Paul Myers 1934–1971
Paul Evans 1971–1981
Raymond C. Ortlund Sr. 1981–2000
Charles Morris 2000–Present

[3]

References

  1. ↑ Balmer, Randall Herbert (2004). Encyclopedia of Evangelicalism. Waco, TX: Baylor University Press. p. 480. ISBN 9781932792041.
  2. 1 2 3 "Haven Today: Bringing the gospel to the masses for 80 years". Orange County Register. Dec. 29, 2014. Retrieved 13 July 2016.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 "Haven Today, about". haventoday. Haven Today. Retrieved 13 July 2016.
  4. ↑ The Haven of Rest,” an 1890 song, by Henry L. Gilmour
  5. ↑ FBC Radio, The Haven of Rest, song
  6. ↑ Independent Star-News from Pasadena, California, Page 118, April 3, 1960
  7. ↑ Celebrating 80 Years of Haven Today, by: Haven Today, March 26, 2014
  8. ↑ The National Religious Broadcasters Hall of Fame induction Ray in 2008
  9. ↑ The Press-Enterprise, RELIGION:, Haven Christian radio broadcast celebrates 80 years
  10. ↑ Memoirs of Lorin J. Whitney, Edited by Bob Kalal
  11. ↑ Haven of Rest Favorites" Songbook - Compiled by Herman Hosier & Ernie Payne
  12. ↑ Singers, Haven Quartet
  13. ↑ discogs.com, The Haven Quartet
  14. ↑ Photo of the Haven Quartet
  15. ↑ God's Report, He gave the winds a mighty voice: Bob Bowman 1915-2014, March 19, 2014, By Mark Ellis
  16. ↑ Singers, Haven Quartet today
  17. ↑ The Silver Lakenews, ‘Good Ship Grace’; Haven of Rest Radio Ministry 1941, July 27, 2015
  18. ↑ Haven of Rest Ministry, "The Good Ship Grace" c.1941, photo and text by Michael Locke
  19. ↑ Photo of a nautical door with the "Crew"
  20. ↑ 1941 Photo of the Studio
  21. ↑ My Faith Radio, Haven Today
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