Ten Commandments Commission Welcomes Partnership From Key Members of Religious Broadcasting Community

BOCA RATON, FL (January 27, 2006) —- It’s been a busy and joyous month for Ron Wexler, founder and president of the Ten Commandments Commission. The grassroots organization that Wexler founded to help turn America back to its Judeo-Christian roots has been joined by some prestigious and esteemed individuals in the religious broadcasting community who are partnering with the Commission as it prepares for the nationwide Ten Commandments Day celebration on May 7th.

“God has specifically blessed us with several individuals who have committed to raising the awareness of our mission within their significant realms of influence,” explained Wexler. “Most specifically is the partnership we’ve been able to forge with some key members of the National Religious Broadcasters (NRB). That really happened when Mr. Belarmino “Blackie” Gonzalez agreed to take the chairmanship of the Commission.”

The NRB is an international association of Christian communicators with over 1,400 member organizations, including hundreds of faith-based television and radio stations and networks throughout America.

Gonzalez was named chairman of the Ten Commandments Commission on January 10th. He is president of Son Broadcasting Network in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and is an influential NRB board member. “Ten Commandments Day is truly going to be a coast-to-coast celebration of our nation’s reverence for God,” he said. “America was founded as ‘One Nation Under God,’ and we are praying and working to see the heart of America once more return to that rock-solid foundation.”

Gonzalez has contacted many NRB member media outlets to garner support for the effort, and the response has been overwhelming. “Our nation’s religious broadcasters take very seriously their mission of encouraging and challenging their communities with a message of faith,” he explained. “The May 7th Ten Commandments Day is an effort that so many NRB members have shown incredible support for. They’re really helping give this effort nationwide exposure.”

One of those supporters is Ron Hembree, president of Pittsburgh-based Cornerstone Television, a 24-hour Christian network that Hembree explained was founded “with the absolute commitment to use television as a force for good.” Hembree, who hosted Wexler on a recent edition of Cornerstone television’s daily talk show Focus 4, said he was impressed with the plan of the Ten Commandments Commission to raise public awareness of America’s Godly foundations. “Like many Christians today, we’re greatly concerned about the eroding values in nearly every corner of our society,” he said. “We’re happy to partner with the this campaign to encourage people across our nation to once again embrace those values that made this a great nation.”

Another significant NRB member who is partnering with the Commission is Dr. Garth Coonce, founder and president of the Illinois-based Total Christian Television (TCT), a worldwide network that broadcasts faith-based and Christian programming to over 30 million viewers in 15 states and Canada, as well as to 170 nations around the world through satellite television.

“We had the opportunity to sit down with Mr. Wexler and hear what he and thousands of other religious leaders are doing to help turn the hearts of Americans back to Godly precepts,” recalled Dr. Coonce who hosted Wexler on TCT’s flagship talk program, TCT Today. “We were deeply moved and prompted to join in this significant effort for revival in our nation.”

Other high-profile NRB members and leaders who are partnering with the Commission include Dr. Frank Wright, president of the National Religious Broadcasters, and Dr. David Clark, president of Florida’s Palm Beach Atlantic University and an NRB board member. These leaders in religious broadcasting join a growing number of evangelical and national leaders who have committed to support the Ten Commandments Commission effort, including the Commission’s co-founder Dr. Myles Munroe; Dr. Paul Crouch, founder of the Trinity Broadcasting Network; Bishop T.D. Jakes; the Rev. Benny Hinn; and the Rev. Ted Haggard, president of the National Association of Evangelicals. (Click here for a list of additional leaders supporting the Ten Commandments Commission.)

Wexler explained that the dramatic response nationwide to Ten Commandments Day prompted the Commission to move the celebration from February 5th to May 7th. “With the partnership of NRB and other great churches, ministries, and individuals, we have not been able to keep up with the incredible response for our Ten Commandments Pins and information on Ten Commandments Day,” said Wexler. “In order to plan for the celebration and to respond to the interest, we really felt it was important to move the date.”

He added that NRB’s larger role has also necessitated more lead-time for program preparation. “The generous support we’ve received from our nation’s religious broadcasters has been so encouraging,” he said. “We wanted to give them plenty of time to coordinate their efforts so that the Ten Commandments Day celebration can be broadcast to the largest audience possible.”

Gonzalez added that the May 7th date closely coincides with the historic time period between the Jewish Passover and Pentecost when Moses encountered God and received the Ten Commandments. “The Ten Commandments benefited all mankind and has been the basis of law for many societies,” said Gonzalez. “What better way to highlight this reality than for believers everywhere to come together in unity and declare that we as a nation commit to honoring God’s word and revering His authority in every area of society. That’s the purpose of Ten Commandments Day.”

For more on the Ten Commandments Commission and the May 7th Ten Commandments Day celebration, visit www.tencommandmentsday.com.

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