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ROGER LONNQUIST
President & Network General Manager
I grew up in a large family in western Wisconsin, and began working in secular radio when I was in junior high. My Dad was the manager of the local secular radio station and I loved everything about the radio business! I was especially
amazed at the power of radio to convey messages to massive numbers of people, instantly and efficiently. I worked full-time as a DJ and technician during my last three years of high school, and poured myself into my career in an effort to reach the goals I had set for my personal "success"...success as I understood it to be back then, anyway!
I began to achieve my goals, and found momentary happiness in that, but never could quite find the happiness and peace that I had thought all of that would bring to me. It was while I was working at a Country music station in Texas that I began to realize something wasn't right, and God began to reveal to me that those who hunger and thirst for righteousness...for Him and His way of life... are the ones who are filled!
Around that time I was transferred to Florida, where the company I worked for owned one of the raunchiest rock stations in America. Though I was actively involved in the trashy, obscene, things done on that station, the Lord graciously kept working on me. Every day after I got off the air I would go out to my car and listen to WMCU, a Christian station in Miami at that time. One day I heard a woman give her testimony on WMCU, and her words woke me up to the fact that I needed to change directions, and begin the process by making Jesus Christ the Lord over my life.
As that process unfolded, I ended up in Helena, Montana, owning & operating secular stations. In early 1989, as I was praying for God's leading for the future, Ed Matter, the General Manager of KXEI, walked into my office and introduced himself! We became friends, and I volunteered to help on some things, and in late 1989 Ed invited me to join the KXEI board of directors. By 1999, I was ready to be done with secular radio and desired to go into the ministry...when my stations sold early that year, Ed invited me to join the YNOP staff. I became Network General Manager when Ed retired in 2006.
I am continually amazed to see how God uses YNOP in people's lives, and how He uses YNOP's listeners to partner with our board, management, and staff to carry His work forward! As we have all partnered together, and endeavored to follow God's leading, He has built a network of about 70 radio stations in 6 states, established YNOP's radio ministries in Africa, and provided for YNOP and its listeners to meet critical human need all over the world through the missions projects we take on each year!
In 2004, my wife, Janice, and I felt called to establish a Christian television ministry. We currently operate 3 television stations...each one airs a number of Christian streams, and a "family friendly" secular channel. In 2019...to our great surprise (shock, really!)... we felt God's leading to purchase a radio station in Salt Lake City which airs a secular conservative Talk format. The station also airs the same 60-second "888-NEED-HIM" spots that YNOP airs, as we hope to direct listeners to Jesus with this station!
For several years I have had the privilege of being active in the National Religious Broadcasters association in Washington, DC. NRB is key in keeping our freedoms to broadcast the gospel intact, and in helping Christian media ministries to be at their best. I have had the privilege of serving on the NRB Board of Directors, the President's Council, the International Committee, the Television Committee and to serve two terms as 2nd Vice-Chairman of the NRB. I am currently serving on the Executive Committee.
I had the great benefit of attending Christian schools when I was growing up, and for the past several years have had the honor of serving as Vice-Chairman of the board of directors of Helena Christian School, a growing K-12 Christian school.
I am very grateful for each one who prays for and supports the work of YNOP, New Life Africa Networks, and the missions outreaches YNOP takes on each year! God has proven over and over that His word is true when it says that "our God can do immeasurably more than all we ask or even imagine, through His power at work within us". (Ephesians 3:20 - 21)
To God, alone, be the glory!
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