Mid-South Viewpoint // Bott Radio Network

Marriage and Family Advocate, Jerry Angelo, co-founder, and director with wife Kate of the Marriage Awakening. We’ll discuss their efforts to honor, inspire, and empower marriages. Together, Jerry and Kate offer a grass roots strategy for strengthening marriages and families. Their goal is to empower faith-leaders and churches to be self-sufficient and balanced in Marriage Ministry by meeting the needs of their specific church in order to be sustainable in their communities. They also offer free resources for encouragement and wisdom for marriage including the 6-Minute Prayer and the State, County, and Pastor Marriage Proclamations, offered on the website www.marriageminute.org.

Nicole Stark, founder of Backyard Revival is joined by Pastor David Dirmann, lead pastor of Memphis Tabernacle Church to discuss, The King is Coming, a gathering of 10,000 young people from across the Mid-South for an encounter with Jesus Christ. This gathering assembles on Saturday March 23, 2024, at Autozone Park- Redbirds Stadium in downtown Memphis. It’s Backyard Revival’s goal to help the next generation of young adults to know they are loved by Christ, can be saved by faith in Christ, and disciple them in their new life in Christ. The Backyard Revival movement started in Anaheim California where young adults gathered to pray and seek God together in a backyard. An event was first organized at Angel Stadium that hosted 7,000+ young people. 1,100+ people have completed a discipleship course, One Encounter, 21 Backyard Revival crews were started to reach their backyard after Jesus and this generation. 10 young adults moved from California to Memphis to see God bring revival to our city.

Dr. Jim Whitmire and son Luke Whitmire share details of this year’s Mid-America Passion Play, presented by Crossroads Baptist Church and Love Worth Finding Ministries. A Passion Play is a dramatic retelling of the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. The Mid-America Passion Play uses music and drama to share the truth of Jesus, His earthly ministry, and His redemptive work on the cross. Dr. Jim Whitmire is Instructor in Music & Worship at Mid-America Baptist Theological Seminary and Minister of Music at Crossroads Baptist Church. For nearly four decades Jim has produced and directed the Memphis Passion Play, Jacksonville (Florida) Passion Play, Uruguay Passion Play, and now The Mid-America Passion Play. He was also former worship leader under the pastoral leadership of the late Dr. Adrian Rogers.

Adele Raemer of Kibutz Nirim tells her story on the horrific and terrifying morning of October 7th, 2023, when Hamas terrorist invaded Israel. Byron Tyler conducts this interview with Adele at the 2024 NRB Convention in Nashville, TN in the exhibition hall with the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews.

Guest host, Amy Speropoulos, welcomes Alpha Omega Veterans Services, Inc. Executive Director, Cordell Walker. Alpha Omega Veterans Services helps to empower displaced and homeless veterans in the Mid-South with the tools, skills, and services they need for successful reintegration into society. They seek to reduce or eliminate the number of displaced and homeless veterans by empowering them to regain self-sufficiency through the provision of holistic, supportive, and rehabilitative services that promote their health, security, happiness, and usefulness in society.

Anglican Bishop John Rucyahana continues conversation about the madness of genocide his homeland of Rwanda underwent in 1994. Bishop John is one of Rwanda’s most effective leaders - promoting spiritual, economic, educational, healthcare, and environmental development. Trusting in the love and power of Jesus Christ to transform lives, he has faced overwhelming challenges with a spirit of love, humility, perseverance, unity, and reconciliation. God has performed miracles in Rwanda, and through Bishop John’s faith and leadership much more has been accomplished than anyone would have thought possible. This is part two of a two-part interview.

In 1994, as his country descended into the madness of genocide, Anglican Bishop John Rucyahana underwent the mind-numbing pain of having members of his church and family butchered. John refused to become a part of the systemic hatred. He founded the Sonrise Orphanage and School for children orphaned in the genocide, and he now leads reconciliation efforts between his own Tutsi people, the victims of this horrific massacre, and the perpetrators, the Hutus. His remarkable story is one that demands to be told. This is part one of a two-part interview.

Kathy Armstrong from The Memphis-area Home Education Association provides insight for families considering home education. MHEA) is a membership based, Christian organization dedicated to serving home educators and students by advocating for home education freedoms, providing information and resources to active and prospective home education families, and connecting and encouraging the home education community.

Joe Urcavich, Senior Executive with Align Advisor, a retired pastor, and former chaplain for the Green Bay Packers, offers insight from his depth of experience with high profile and high-pressure situations, among leadership in the church and corporate world. Joe illustrates why authenticity is key to becoming a truly effective leader. Unresolved negative issues from the past may be driving many in leadership to prove their self-worth. Breaking these subconscious barriers can free the leader to becoming the best version of themselves, while maximizing their potential to lead.

Ronnie Collier Stevens, Associate Pastor of Harvest Church in Germantown, TN talks about his latest book, “From Jerusalem to Rome- A Year in the Book of Acts”. Ronnie provides meaningful insight in this new devotional walking readers through the book of Acts. This is the fourth book that he’s authored. Ronnie is a native of Atlanta Georgia, graduated from the University of Georgia, and Dallas Theological Seminary. Ronnie has his wife Jane have served as missionaries in Munich, Moscow, and Budapest. He formerly pastored the First Evangelical Church in Memphis, TN.

Guest Hosts Shelley Sumner and Rachel Davis are back with part two with their guests Alexis Brown and Karen McNeil, sharing practical ways to engage your State Representatives in a positive and polite way concerning issues and legislation that may be contrary to a Biblical worldview.

Guest Host Shelley Sumner is filling in for Byron Tyler and welcomes her Mom, Becky Deaux. Becky has greatly influenced Shelley’s life, including leading her to Christ as a little girl. Becky shares how her journey with Christ began as well as God’s faithfulness through a frightful road of breast cancer. As a grandma of 12 grandchildren, Becky as developed a weeklong time to study the Bible with the kids that she organizes each summer. This week has been labeled, “Grandma’s Bible Camp”.

Guest Hosts Shelley Sumner and Rachel Davis welcome Alexis Brown and Karen McNeil who share practical ways to engage your State Representatives in a positive and polite way concerning issues and legislation that may be contrary to a Biblical worldview.

Seventy-Five percent of pastors report being “extremely stressed” or “highly stressed.” Bishop Fredrick Gillam, Executive Pastor of Journey Church Memphis and Director of Clinical Services at Church Developers Network provides details on The Shepherds Care Symposium, a day of self-care for Pastors, Ministry Leaders, and Therapists/Counselors coming March 4th. The goal is for each attendee to leave the Symposium feeling refreshed, renewed, and revived.

Stacy Dodd, Certified Addiction Interventionist was once a homeless man addicted to drugs living in the woods. We'll discuss Stacy’s journey to being clean now for 23 years and the struggle of addiction for so many.

Master Barber Adam Cutshaw, wife Whitney, and their five children (ages 3-12) are taking the gospel of Jesus to all 95 counties in Tennessee, the four most extreme geographical points in the state, and conclude the 100th days at the state capitol. The gospel excursion is covered by open air gospel proclamation, one-on-one witnessing, Bible and tract distribution, prayer stand, and holding gospel signs. Adam is the owner and Master Barber of Cutshaw's Classic Barber Shop, in Tullahoma, TN.

Bishop Scott Jones of the Global Methodist Church talks about his departure from the United Methodist Church and the creation of a new denomination. Formerly, leader of the United Methodist’s Great Plains and Houston Episcopal Areas, Bishop Jones discusses the theological disagreements that have resulted in many Methodists’ departure from the denomination. He addresses the difficulty that pastors face moving out of a denomination having childhood roots and generational family history. He unpacks the new mission for the Global Methodist Church of forming disciples who worship passionately, love extravagantly, and witness boldly.

During the civil rights movement, Martin Luther King Jr, was quoted as famously saying that “11 a.m. on Sunday mornings was the most segregated hour of American life.” Pastor Steve Jacobson and Pastor Preston Poindexter share how their congregations, one white and one black, merged as one church to serve the Raleigh/Frayser communities in Memphis with the Gospel.

Robert Ries founder of Jesus Wept International provides an update on work in Africa. A retired US Marine and FedEx employee, Bob and wife Glenda have invested their retirement years serving people in Uganda, Kenya, and South Sudan. This includes a retreat and ministry outpost called, “God’s Garden”. Bob talks about Esther, a Godly Sudanese woman that has served as Land and Ministry Supervisor at God’s Garden, her adopting three girls, and a special request concerning the girls. The ministry also supports a school of 300 students nestled in a garbage waste area of Nairobi, Kenya.

Dr. Ken Lewis, pastor of Briarwood Community Church shares his journey to becoming a pastor and professor. Ken was formerly assistant professor of practical theology, New Testament, and church history at Mid-America Baptist Theological Seminary. In addition to pastoring Briarwood, Ken serves as Dean of Memphis College of Urban and Theological Studies at Union University.

We welcome cast & crew from “Her Needs, His Needs” coming to the Orpheum Theatre Memphis. This compelling and comedic production reveals the complex challenges of unmet needs in marriage providing hope for all relationships. Our guests include Pastor Marron Thomas of Innovation Church along with Tiasha Tomice, Marquino Douglas, Taquita Williams, and Reginald Henderson.

Sexual exploitation and trafficking are a hidden but very present issue in the city of Memphis. Kaitrin Valencia Director of A Way Out Ministries shares their efforts to help those trapped in the sex industry, helping victims’ to be rescued and restored through the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Roger Lowther, founder, and director of Community Arts Tokyo, assisting church planting through the arts. Roger and his family have served in Japan with Mission to the World since 2005. He shares amazing stories of rebuilding lives and hope for Japanese families devastated by the tsunami and earthquake of 2011, the strongest earthquake in Japan’s recorded history. This month, March 2023 marks the 10th anniversary of the devastating Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami. Roger shares about relief efforts and how music played an instrumental part in connecting to hopeless hearts. Roger was formerly organist at Second Presbyterian Church in Memphis, TN.

Author Rachel Kendall discusses her book, “Abide, Side by Side- Learning to draw closer to Jesus together in a world that’s wandering away.” Rachel shares how looking for our worth in the things of the world, rather than in Jesus, will eventually crumble leaving us empty and despairing. Her book is designed as a discipleship tool, where girls and women of all ages can meet and answer questions the book offers to build one another’s faith in Christ. There is also a video series that accompanies the book to be used in a class setting. Check out www.rachelgkendall.com. Rachel is the granddaughter of the late Dr. Adrian Rogers.

Pastor Jim Fleming discusses his book, “Shepherdology 101: From Shepherdless Sheep to Flourishing Flocks”. Jim talks about key points Jesus Christ, our model Shepherd, emphasized about shepherding people before He departed earth, understanding accountability and its function among leadership, and he looks at the staggering statics from Barna, reporting 42% of pastors considered leaving the ministry in 2022. Pastor Jim is currently the interim pastor at First Evangelical Church in Memphis, TN, serving with Interim Pastor Ministries.

Dr. Mitchel Godat from Mid-South Mission of Mercy discusses dental clinic for under-served and under-insured people living in Memphis and the Mid-South area. Dr. Godat provides details for their 2 day free dental clinic.

We’ll unpack a young adult movement that started in California and is sweeping through our city called Backyard Revival with founder Nicole Stark and Katherine Calderon. Hear Backyard Revival’s miraculous beginning as a group of young adults gathered to play volleyball, pray, read the Bible, and follow God’s leadership. Their first event was held at Angel Stadium hosting over 7,000 young people. 10 young adults moved from California to Memphis to see God bring revival here!

Meet Marilyn Knapp. Miss Knapp was the dorm mother at Mid-South Bible College in the late 1970s through the mid 1980s. Marilyn shares her travels to hard places in the world to reach people for Christ. She was 88 years of age at the time we recorded this show for its original airdate on July 24, 2019.

Diana Abbott interviews Byron Tyler about impacting lives through radio. Byron received the 2023 Radio Impact Award from the National Religious Broadcasters. Diana talks about the award and how God has directed his life and radio career through the years.

Pastor Chris Neiswonger of Graceview Church Southaven and host of “To God’s Greater Glory”- Sunday’s at 8:30 am on AM640 shares about his family, serving the International Legal Department of World Vision International, and working on T.V. shows like The People's Court, Jeopardy, and Soul Train.

Retired Army Colonel Sonny Tucker was leading the 173rd Airborne Brigade at “Hill 65” during the Vietnam War. Colonel Tucker says, “Hill 65” is etched in his memory more vividly than his mother’s name, losing 29 of his men that day. Colonel Tucker recalls that morning on the eighth of November 1965, engaging the Viet Cong, General Westmoreland’s visit to the MASH Hospital, and standing in the Rose Garden with President Johnson and Vice President Hubert Humphrey for the Congressional Medal of Honor presentation.

Sponsor Spotlight welcomes Lee Crone from Crone Construction and Lance Walker from Walker Auctions. Both of these companies have a history of running a successful business and providing great service in our community for many years. We’re proud to have each of them as part of our advertising family on Bott radio Network.

At 85 years of age, Pastor John Bomar takes us down the trail of his life and ministry recalling God’s steadfast faithfulness. He recalls responding to a church vote of prohibiting blacks from joining their congregation as members.

Dr. James Netters, served as pastor of Mount Vernon Baptist Church Westwood for more than 60 years. Dr. Netters was on stage in Washington, D.C. as Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. delivered his “I Have a Dream” speech. He was elected to the Memphis City Council as the first African American councilmen. Dr. Netters was part of the negotiating team during the Sanitation Workers strike in Memphis the night Dr. King was assassinated. Dr. Netters transitioned from this life on 12/13/20 at the age of 93.

Keith Getty talks about composing hymns for worship in the church. Keith and wife Kristyn Getty are known as modern hymn-writers. Keith Getty and Stuart Townend co-wrote the song "In Christ Alone". It was actually the first song that they wrote together.

88-year-old Shirley James shares her life, love for Christ, and why we should celebrate Christmas. She regularly visited our radio station to collect listener guides that she joyfully passed out all over Memphis to anyone she came across.

Pastor Al Nucciarone of Jerusalem Baptist Church in Israel talks about life and ministry in Israel.

Pastor Al Nucciarone of Jerusalem Baptist Church in Israel talks about life and ministry in Israel.

Ronnie Collier Stevens, Associate Pastor of Harvest Church in Memphis talks about his latest book, “From Jerusalem to Rome- A Year in the Book of Acts”. This is the fourth book that he’s authored. Ronnie is a native of Atlanta Georgia, graduated from the University of Georgia, and Dallas Theological Seminary. Ronnie has his wife Jane have served as missionaries in Munich, Moscow, and Budapest. He formerly pastored the First Evangelical Church in Memphis, TN.

Dr. Olga Lutsenka and husband Fred share their story at the collapse of the former Soviet Union. When Communism fell, Dr. Lutsenka was working as a Professor of History with the Academy of Pedagogical Sciences in Russia in 1991, when she was contacted by the Russian government and asked to develop a system for teaching morals in the Russian schools. After extensive research, Dr. Lutsenko and her colleagues identified the Bible as the best resource to develop a morals and values curriculum.

Carole Ward of Favor International Ministries, an indigenous mission movement in Northern Uganda and South Sudan shares how Christmas is celebrated among Christians in Africa, where she’s made her home for the past 22 years. Carole shares a terrifying experience when two armed rebels overtook their vehicle and how the power of God’s overwhelming love and power through His Word was her only defense.

As we draw close to that big day, it’s easy to get busy with the parties, traditions, and gift buying that we just want to get it over and return to normal again. Normal, for many is too painful. You’re hoping that the tinsel and songs of the season may spark some excitement, but things have gotten too complicated. Work, a failed relationship, or the death of a loved one, Christmas just isn’t the same for you. I recently heard Wil Franco talk about what Christmas is ultimately all about. Wil Franco is the lead pastor at Mission Church Memphis, and he addresses the question, “What is Christmas All About?”

Don Gilbert from Kingdom Quality Builders shares his life and ministry living in the historic Orange Mound Community where Don and his family serve the least of these for the greatest Kingdom.

Krystal Ribble and Katheryn Notestine talk about the Advent season from a new book from Dexterity, "Dwell- Celebrating the Arrival of Advent". The book puts a new light on how your family can celebrate Advent in your homes.

Author, Frances Marshall shares her life’s journey through her book, “Who Gave the Last Slap”? The book explores the themes of love, hate, loss, healing, and forgiveness. Frances grew up on a farm in Arkansas and witnessed the domestic violence her father took out against her mother. At twelve years of age, Frances convinced her mother to leave the trap of being verbally and physically abused. Moving to Memphis, Frances and her mother set out to rebuild their lives. Frances recalls being promoted to manager at a local Krystal Restaurant at the age of thirteen, after only working at the establishment for two weeks. Frances discovered through God, she was able to have the home she dreamed of when she met Bill Marshall and had a wonderful marriage together for fifty-three years. She hopes to encourage other women and men who are caught in an abusive relationship.

Delvit Rogers with Youth Villages will discuss National Adoption Month and often overlooked teenagers in the adoption process. If you’ve ever considered adoption as an option listen to this show. Youth Villages is a national leader in children’s mental and behavioral health committed to building strong families, delivering effective services, and significantly improving outcomes for children, families and young people involved in child welfare and juvenile justice systems across the country. Founded in 1986, the organization’s 4,000 employees help more than 39,000 children annually across the U.S.

World War Two Army/Air-Force Veteran Luke McLaurine is our guest. Luke was part of the 464 Bomb Group on B-24 as a Bombardier and Navigator. His crew was shot down after flying over 20 bombing missions in Germany where he became a POW and was listed as MIA. At the time we recorded this show Luke was only 93 years old. His parents started McLaurine’s Bakery in Memphis back in 1922.

Our 4th and final 2023 Christmas Vacation show from Branson with co-host Lisa Rau, (Back-up Quarterback for Lynn Berry @ExploreBranson) Director of Communications at the City of Branson. Our guests include Kortney Neal from Sight & Sound Theatres, Steve Hartley co-owner of Dick's 5 & 10, and a special tribute in memory of the “King of Branson” Shoji Tabuchi.

Patricia Stirnkorb, Travel Liaison for The Bible Comes to Life shares her adventure with eighteen companions and their uncertain departure from Israel during the outbreak of the Israel/Hamas War.

Here’s our 3rd Christmas Vacation show from Branson with Byron Tyler and co-host Lisa Rau, (Back-up Quarterback for Lynn Berry @ExploreBranson) Director of Communications at the City of Branson. Our guests are Brandei Clifton from Silver Dollar City, Sawyer Nichols from Showboat Branson Belle, and Pam Critchfield with Grand Village Shoppes and Branson Meadows. Listen THU 11/16 at 3:00 pm #AM640 #FM93.7 #FM100.7 #MemphisRadio or stream live at https://bottradionetwork.com/audio-player/?stream_id=39#v #explorebranson #bransonchristmas #2023Christmas #christmasvacation