Amid sickness, isolation, and in the final moments of life, countless viewers have turned to Worship Anew for the words of comfort in our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
“Thank you for filling an important part of our life.”
“It is always a blessing to me, and the most important part of my day.”
“It has meant so much to me.”
For decades, the “Worship Anew” program has come into the homes of those in need across the country and around the world to share the Gospel. This month, Worship Anew joins with viewers in celebrating 60 years of this television ministry.
THE BEGINNING
The weekly televised worship service, then known as “Worship for Shut-Ins,” began in Toledo, Ohio, with the Rev. Oswald Henry Bertram. Bertram had a vision for using technology to reach those in need, especially those who could not attend church on a regular basis, to share Christ’s love and salvation. In 1964, Bertram approached a local television station about creating a televised weekly worship service, ultimately convincing them to produce the program. The program was filmed at WSPD-TV in Toledo and first aired in 1965.
The program enjoyed over a decade of successful broadcasts until the Lord called Bertram home. As a result, production of Worship for Shut-Ins ceased, leaving a tremendous void.
Knowing the importance of the program for so many who were homebound, the leadership of Holy Cross Lutheran Church in Fort Wayne, Ind., took the issue to their congregation. “Worship for Shut Ins” was re-established, and Lutheran Ministries Media Inc. was founded. On Oct. 5, 1980, the program aired on WPTA (Fort Wayne’s local ABC station) with the Rev. Jim Stalder giving the first message.
The program was filmed in the Lupke Memorial Chapel on the campus of Holy Cross with leadership from Ray Huebschman, minister of Christian education at Holy Cross, and the pastoral leadership of Stalder and the Rev. John Westra. The program continued with this format through the 1980s and into the 1990s, eventually adding a rotation of other pastors from the Fort Wayne area, as well as guest pastors from across the country.
“It’s been amazing how God has blessed the message that has been shared, so it was important and specific to that day and that hour, not because we planned it, but because He blessed it—and He continues to bless us,” Westra said during an interview for the 50th anniversary of the program in 2015.
“Lutheran Ministries Media is made up of so many volunteers, besides the staff, that make the ministry tick, so to speak, and to be functional,” said Ken Schilf, who served with the ministry from 1984 to 2014. He was honored with the title of executive director emeritus upon his retirement in 2014.
By 1992, the ministry added Don Luepke as the host to provide a regular face for viewers as the pastors would rotate in and out each week.
Luepke provided a “welcoming voice,” as he shared, for the viewers that would then pave the way for the pastors to share their message and the choirs to share their music.
“I wanted (the viewers) to be a part of the service,” Luepke said. “They were shut in, but they were not shut down. We didn’t want them to be shut out from worshipping our Lord Jesus Christ.”
MAKING CHRIST’S MESSAGE AVAILABLE TO ANYONE
In the late 1990s, the program grew into other areas of the Midwest, expanding into markets in southern Illinois, Michigan, and Chicago, and by the early 2000s, “Worship for Shut-Ins” was aired nationwide with the partnership with TCT, an all-Christian television network.
Growth in the ministry, as well as growth within the congregation at Holy Cross, created the need for a new facility to film the program.
“Holy Cross’s ministry was growing too so we started looking,” Schlif said. “After some extensive talks with Concordia Theological Seminary here in Fort Wayne, they offered several facilities to us.”
When two adjacent buildings became available, the ministry knew it had found its new home.
Construction began on April 21, 2009, to take an early childhood center and the adjacent building and turn it into a TV studio, editing spaces, a meeting room, and offices that were needed for the growing ministry.
The two buildings were combined with an atrium, and a 2,500 square foot television studio was added on the back of the two buildings. Donald Amt was brought in to design the chancel area that is seen where the pastors stand.
“I tried to give the impression of a vaulted ceiling, including the stained-glass windows. I wanted the space to look like a real chancel (in a church),” he said. “It was a privilege to have designed this space to the glory of God.”
The Elsie Rossman Media Center opened in 2010. It was named in memory of Elsie Rossman, who died after a 17-year fight with cancer. She and her husband, Glenn, were longtime volunteers at the ministry. The first program recorded in the Wolf Chapel (named for W. Paul Wolf, a major supporter of the ministry) aired on Oct. 3, 2010.
In 2017, the ministry changed its name from Worship for Shut-Ins to Worship Anew and expanded the ministry to not just focus on those who are homebound but to support the spiritual, mental, and physical wellbeing of aging adults and those who minister and care for them.
In time, the reach of the program grew to more than 60 markets nationwide. It gained an international presence with the addition of the American Forces Network, which airs the program for those serving abroad, as well as the addition of streaming options.
“Worship Anew has grown from a regional ministry into a nationwide presence, now reaching viewers across the U.S. and even globally,” said Matthew Leighty, who has served as the executive director since 2014. “I see us expanding not just digitally, but relationally—through deeper partnerships with churches, care communities, and individuals. Our goal is to make Christ’s comfort and hope available to everyone, in every place, in every way possible.”
BEYOND TELEVISION
As the ministry has grown, the needs of aging adults are growing even more rapidly. Over the next two decades, the number of people 65 and older in the United States is expected to grow from 54.1 million in 2019 to 80.9 million in 2040. Many of these aging adults are experiencing some of life’s most difficult circumstances, including illness, loss, fear, regret, and sadness.
To help to meet these needs, the ministry has spent the last five years growing its resources, including the addition of publications and a Care Ministry.
In 2020, Hope-Full Living, a daily devotional for seniors, was coming to an end with its current publisher. This was a much-beloved publication for viewers of Worship Anew so the team worked to bring the publication to the ministry.
“We knew the people who were dearly engaged with the work of that devotional, and we knew that that was something that we did not want to see come to an end,” Leighty said. “Especially as we minister to older adults, we knew this was going to be a marvelous fit for our organization and for the work that we did in sharing God’s Word.”
Shortly thereafter, the need grew again.
“As we think back to 2021 and when the board of directors set a new strategic plan, one of the key aspects of that was to strengthen the relationships that we had with the people we’re ministering to,” Leighty said.
The Care Ministry was created to provide care packages for aging adults who are facing some of life’s hardest times. Hundreds of care packages have been sent out since that time. However, a trending need among the recipients began to surface: Many who were receiving these comfort items were facing a loss. Worship Anew is currently working to launch a Grief Ministry to meet that need.
“It’s a great, very well thought out care package that really touches the hearts of people who receive them, and especially for those who send it,” Leighty said. “They are just so encouraged to be able to have this way to share Christ’s love.”
As the ministry began to examine how to support the spiritual, mental, and physical wellbeing of aging adults, a grant was sought to expand the current Broadcaster newsletter into a full, 24-page magazine. The new monthly magazine launched in December 2023 and is available for free to any individual or church who is interested in subscribing.
“More than utilizing the newest technology, it’s about making Christ’s message available to everyone, in every way possible,” Leighty said. “The continued growth of the Broadcaster magazine is a powerful sign of that mission in action—bringing hope and encouragement directly into the hands of aging adults and those who care for them.”
FOR GENERATIONS TO COME
Sixty years ago, the Rev. Oswald Henry Bertram had a dream to share the Gospel with those who were unable to go to church. Whether at home, in a care facility, or reaching into the arms of their Savior in their last moments, Bertram’s vision continues to be fulfilled, to grow, and to reach more and more each day.
The future brings increasing needs but increasing opportunities to share the Gospel with aging adults.
As Bertram shared, “Let Christ be glorified in all undertakings and all presentations.”
Worship Anew celebrates 60 years of the television program, 45 years since the start of Lutheran Ministries Media in Fort Wayne, and 15 years in the current facility. Enjoy this anniversary tribute video.