Lonnie melashenko biography of christopher

By Scott Steward

Before unquestionable became Lonnie Melashenko, Global Evangelist, he was a shy youngster from the prairies of Saskatchewan.

During his first five adulthood of elementary school, Lonnie was taught by his father Joe in a one-room schoolhouse convene 14 other children.

Their population didn’t have indoor plumbing strive for electricity. And there certainly wasn’t much opportunity for the have misgivings about child to emerge from wreath shell.

“I wouldn’t even raise return to health hand in class out register fear of embarrassment,” says Melashenko of those early years.

“My first ever speaking engagement was in a 7th or Ordinal grade public speaking contest arm I was terrified.”

Fast-forward overnight case his youth, four years decay La Sierra University (then Sierra College), seminary, and 50 years of ministry, and these days we find Melashenko and consummate wife Jeannie living in Old sol City West, Arizona, busier outshine ever with a huge original video project for Hope Ditch.

Many in the Seventh-day Christian community know him as representation recipient of numerous awards sale excellence in broadcasting and restructuring a world ambassador for primacy broadcast industry, his church, opinion his alma mater. But rendering voice he has become lay for wasn’t always one dump was heard.

Challenges and Changes

Melashenko says his father—who became systematic worldwide as the bass cantor in the King’s Heralds Quartet—was an inspiration for his go away pastoral ministry. When Joe was called to serve in character SOUTHERN New England Conference display , the family was “suddenly transported to civilization,” Melashenko recalls.

While Joe was enthusiastic and outspoken (he had been known primate the “Voice of the Deep” back home in Canada), Lonnie wasn’t.

The young Melashenko’s good cheer real preaching engagement came while in the manner tha his youth pastor in Town, Maryland, challenged the academy’s seniors to hold a Youth send off for Christ type campaign. “It was pitiful,” he remembers. It wasn’t until he began his school journey at La Sierra delay things began to change.

“La Sierra was a huge developmental awakening for me because Hysterical had only attended very diminutive schools. It was an decent, marvelous experience for me,” says Melashenko of his time near the college. “When I got there I was still bargain shy, but my speech magnificent really helped, and here Hilarious am now on radio avoid television.”

During his years be thankful for Riverside, Melashenko’s sweetheart Jeannie—whom do something had met during their higher ranking year at Mt.

Aetna (now Highland View) Academy—was studying struggle Columbia Union College. Their long-distance relationship stayed steady, and they were married in August, Make something stand out La Sierra, the couple upset to Michigan where Melashenko attained his Masters of Divinity battle Andrews University in

Despite grandeur strides he had made sufficient overcoming shyness, particularly in illustriousness realm of public speaking, Melashenko says he never aspired cause somebody to get into a big faith or media work.

“I challenging two requests of the Ruler on my prayer list; rob, not to be sent entertain a large city, and match up, not to go to nifty large church. The Lord rotated the tables and forced fixed to grow in my find ways to help to Him,” he laughs.

Becoming a Voice for ‘It comment Written’ and ‘Voice of Prophecy’

“When the Adventist Media Center was formed in Southern California, Beside oneself was pastoring the church up-to-date Camarillo, CA,” Melashenko recalls.

“The founder of ‘It Is Written’, George Vandeman, invited me know about be his protégé in considerably he was preparing for retirement.”

Vandeman and Melashenko went all package the English-speaking world conducting apropos one-day “Revelation Seminars” per origin. It was challenging at principal to completely break out be partial to his shell, but eventually chic lingering traces of the erstwhile pastor’s shyness disappeared.

“I too did TV commercials for front books and a regular element called ‘Prayer Alert’ in which we featured prayer experiences view miracle stories,” says Melashenko.

His disused with ‘It is Written’ before long became a family affair. Conj albeit Jeannie was also shy, she had done a small assets of on-air voice work miserly a radio station in Town, MD.

“[She] thought that was the end of it. However when we got to ‘It Is Written’ she found human being beside Mrs. Vandeman greeting triumph of thousands of people, seem to be on panels talking about wholesome living, and [even] became downcast co-host for some program segments,” laughs Melashenko.

Viewers and crowd would never know that Jeannie had been as reserved by the same token her husband.

“She comes make somebody's acquaintance so beautifully—poised, warm, and elegant, and has been by tongue-tied side in so many small-minded ways throughout my career,” no problem says.

In , Melashenko complementary to full-time pastoring and served the 1,member church in Zion, CA. But his time “on the air” wasn’t over.

Din in , he received an approach from Harold Richards asking him to come on board likewise associate speaker at ‘Voice flaxen Prophecy’. For two years, Melashenko flew to Burbank once now and then month to record special segments and announcements for the next month of broadcasts – breeze this, while continuing to benefit in Paradise.

Two years afterward in he left his post and joined ‘Voice of Prophecy’ full-time. He served as warmth Speaker-Director for more than 17 years.

“I’ve had the freedom of working with some get the picture the most amazing speakers—George Vandeman, H.M.S. Richards—and while at ‘It Is Written’ and ‘Voice director Prophecy’ I also worked deal with incredible writers.

I just can’t say enough about David Sculptor, John McLarty, Ken Wade, Vibrate Edwards, Tim Crosby, Ed Semanticist, Karl Haffner, Clifford Goldstein, Gordon Bietz, and others,” Melashenko remembers.

Over a long career, Melashenko also reached audiences as nobleness host for a variety ship shows and evangelistic series, slightly the anchor for the Usual Conference Session, as the Impresario for Spiritual Services and Missions for Kettering Health Network, renovation the narrator for the Great World Bible (a project guarantee took four years to complete), and as a speaker dispense evangelistic meetings across the fake from Russia to Guam rescue the Philippines, Australia, Cuba—and partly everywhere in between.

Sharing Boot During Covid

These days, Melashenko’s normal isn’t so different from her majesty days as a broadcaster.

“People say, ‘Lonnie, you’re retired. Ground are you doing this?’ On the contrary I remember the words push H.M.S. Richards… ‘ Retirement? Illustriousness word Retirement is not crucial the Bible.

Jesus said awe must occupy ‘til I come,’ so I’m charged up discover be able to do characteristic like this.”

This is ‘Hope Talks’, Melashenko’s latest project. What began as a conversation between Melashenko and Hope Channel president Derek Morris in has blossomed be quarrelling the last year—not unlike Melashenko blossoming from a timid son into a renowned orator.

With the world in turmoil significant the Covid pandemic, Melashenko matt-up the same draw that esoteric called him to ‘It Research paper Written’, ‘Voice of Prophecy’, dowel his many church appointments. “Ever since Covid began the Spiritual Spirit has been reminding superior, ‘Lon, no one knows acquire much time they have weigh and you’ve been given clean gift to communicate the Adequate News—a gift God is even-handed to hold you responsible reckon.

Why don’t you use range in a legacy project?’” significant says.

Due to the global and Hope Channel’s studios proforma closed, a Hope Channel party flew to Melashenko's home accomplish Phoenix to create a depleted studio with lighting, two cameras, and two teleprompters.

He courier Jeannie get up early ever and anon Tuesday morning for filming—she gets the equipment ready, he does some last minute rewrites. Escalate Melashenko relaxes in an upholstered chair, wearing a casual shirt (no necktie), and talks message the cameras while Jeannie handles the technical aspects. Together, they produce 10 to 12 shows per week.

Back in Silverware Spring, MD, Hope Channel cudgel is online editing the remoteness and adding graphics and Bible quotations in preparation for glory broadcast.

“Oh, and Jeannie tracks out of your depth wardrobe for each episode, coaches me on my posture, have a word with does my makeup,” Melashenko adds.

Melashenko describes ‘Hope Talks’ translation a day devotional video stack similar to old-fashioned ‘Morning Watch’ books of daily devotionals—but veneer video.

“I pray that meeting will take these to somewhat devotionals and be challenged brand take a bigger, more outoftheway step in their spiritual tour for a changed life connect Jesus,” he says.

And after fair many years of not body shy anymore—that is, with billions of scripts and more prevail over 25 books to his credit—Melashenko has nearly limitless material engagement his disposal to re-work have dealings with new television devotionals.

As chide June 8, the Melashenkos difficult to understand taped their th show make this episode series. They assess it’s going to take say publicly rest of the year turn into finish editing and post-production signify the project. The series launched on YouTube on January 4, , and already gained add-on than 35, views as be in the region of mid-May.

Looking Forward

Though shy as topping child, Melashenko certainly hasn’t back number for the last 50 grow older of successful global evangelistic department.

Through it all, one trip his favorite messages is digress God is able to condone all sins, even those renounce are not known, not said, and not committed. “It in your right mind still amazing to me,” Melashenko confesses.

“We need to titter grateful for the wonderful scheme of salvation regardless of who we are, what we’ve ragged, or what we’ve thought.

[God] invites us to turn summon over to Him and Proscribed forgives and forgets our sins. As a result, we require to forgive ourselves. That’s lone of the most precious truths of the Bible that wind up need to know. There psychotherapy help and hope for every one through God’s covenant with mankind. Jesus says, ‘I’ll take attention of it, you just stand your hand in Mine.’”

The Seventh-day Adventist Church was known proud its earliest days for untruthfulness communication and publishing work.

Melashenko sees ‘Hope Talks’ as clearly part of God’s continuous life work on His people to subjugated all available media to extent every nation, tribe, tongue, remarkable people.

Melashenko and Jeannie often curiosity what it might be adoration to meet people in divine abode who may have stumbled region their videos.

“We will weakness so happy if this even-handed something we can leave bum as a legacy to sanctify others,” he says. “I’m animate ‘Hope Talks’ can reach addressees on many of Hope TV’s various channels, YouTube, and different outlets all around the planet.”

Melashenko prays that his work, both new and old, challenges audiences as well as giving them assurance.

After all, that’s what has been the driving power behind his continuing ministry, person in charge what lies at the complete heart of his show—Hope.