The Telecast

 

The American Religious Town Hall Meeting Television Program began in St. Paul, Minnesota in 1952.  Bishop A. A. Leiske felt that most churches seemed to care only about themselves, and often spent their time, energy and money fighting each other.  He believed that if leaders just talked together, many of the animosities and misunderstandings that existed among and between various religions would largely disappear.  In the era of the 1930’s, ‘40’s, and 50’s, about the only time clergy from different denominations talked was when they publicly debated each other.

Leiske contacted five clergy, and all enthusiastically said “Yes, I’d like to be part of a television discussion that would help bring us together.”  The first interfaith program was broadcast over WCCO, St. Paul, Minnesota, January 10, 1953.  Bishop Leiske began the program by introducing the program and the panelists, then the subject.  As moderator he took a neutral stance, which was hard for a man of his firm convictions.  Toward the end of the program, the panelists summarized their positions, and Leiske concluded by reading from the charter of The American Religious Town Hall Meeting, Inc. The program follows the same format to this day.

Bishop Leiske served as president of the corporation until 1980, when his son Robert became president.  The Bishop continued to serve as moderator of the television program until his death in 1983.  Robert then became moderator, occupying the position of president and moderator until his untimely death in 2005.  Robert’s wife Elizabeth became president of the corporation, and she wanted to find a minister to serve as moderator.

She approached Pastor Stephen Gifford, who had just retired from 40 years as an educator, pastor, and denominational administrator.  Gifford was often appreciated for his skill in human relations and problem solving.  He uses those same skills today as moderator, because panelists can sometimes vociferously disagree with each other, although they almost always do so with a spirit of charitability.

Current panel members are

  • Dr. Bert Beach, a Seventh-day Adventist minister who

      worked for years at the Adventist world headquarters as
       a specialist in religious liberty. 

  • Monsignor Michael Duca, a Catholic priest, is rector of Holy Trinity Seminary in Dallas.
  • Reverend Ray Flachmeier is a retired Lutheran minister living in Richardson, Texas.  He serves in interim pastoral positions as needed.
  • Bishop Othal Hawthorne Lakey presides over the Christian Methodist Episcopal Church for the state of Georgia. 
  • Dr. Allan Lane pastors the Fort Graham Baptist Church near Lake Whitney, Texas.
  • Dr. Prentice Meador retired in 2007 as senior minister of the Prestoncrest Church of Christ in Dallas, Texas, and is now serving in the Baxter Chair of Preaching at Lipscomb University, Nashville, Tennessee.
  • Rabbi Jordan Ofseyer is rabbi of Beth Tzedec Congregation,Beaming Brotherhood to the Nation

                        Calgary, Alberta, Canada.

  • Reverend Tom Plumbley is senior pastor of the First Christian Church in Ft. Worth, Texas.

In addition to the panel members, the administrator of ARTH’s Arlington nursing home, Barbara Ecord, serves as program director, while Larry Thomas, a retired ARTH nursing home administrator, is announcer.

The program is viewed via satellite all over the world, and on many local stations in the United States and Canada.  Funded by the profits from the different facilities owned by ARTH, it continues to beam “brotherhood to the world” through the miracle of the air waves.

BEAMING BROTHERHOOD TO THE NATIONS ON TELEVISION