Multnomah media center director Ernie Ediger and his wife, Gloria, have decided to try to rebroadcast the late Dr. John G. Mitchell's radio program, the "Know Your Bible Hour." "God put a burden in our hearts," Mr. Ediger said. "There's still a need for further Bible teaching."

Multnomah owns the taped radio sessions but has a licensed agreement with Mr. Ediger, giving him full rights to the tapes. This privilege allows Mr. Ediger to use the tapes of the MBC founder's Bible teaching for air time.

"Gloria and I really have an interest in getting Dr. Mitchell's Bible studies back into the hands of people," Mr. Ediger said. "The tapes offer good, fundamental Bible teaching that the Lord can use. Tapes just sitting on the shelves are of no use." Ediger said that as a result of hearing the program, people will come to know Christ, be assured of their salvation and be drawn closer to God.

Mr. Ediger estimates airing the tapes will cost $26,000 per year per station. The tapes will be available for airing in major cities, including Portland and New York. Mr. and Mrs. Ediger are in the process of comparing Christian radio stations for time slots and prices.

Dr. Mitchell's taped sessions number more than 1,400. Most of the programs have a running time of 20 minutes, but some run more than an hour. His programs not only cover complete books of the Bible, but they also cover a variety of biblical topics such as the Holy Spirit, Elijah, the names of God and the importance of Bible study.

The original title of the program was the "Know Your Bible Hour," but Mr. Ediger will air the tapes under a new name. The Edigers have a new title for the program chosen, but that name will not be revealed until the program is officially registered.

According to Mr. Ediger, statements such as "Don't you folks ever read your Bibles?" and "Have you fallen in love with the Savior?" ring a bell for people who knew Dr. Mitchell well. Dr. Mitchell saturated himself with the Word of God. Through his teaching, Dr. Mitchell encouraged others to do the same.

For more than 50 years, Dr. Mitchell challenged Americans with the gospel through radio. Many people responded to the gospel. Con Robinson, a long-time friend of Dr. Mitchell, said, "His Bible teaching built Christians up in the Word and brought non-believers to the Lord."

Administrative assistant Marian O' Connor, who served as Dr. Mitchell's secretary for 12 years, said, "I appreciated what he said over and over. He said, 'God does not reward greatness, but He rewards faithfulness.'"

Mr. Robinson said, "He was a simple man and a very profound man, too. He took the difficult issues and brought them down to a level that everyone could understand. He knew people."

According to Mrs. O' Connor, letters began pouring in as Dr. Mitchell's messages became more popular. Although responding to every letter received was difficult, Dr. Mitchell noticed the many prayer requests enclosed in those letters. Then he and his wife, Mary, would lift those needs before God.

After his death, the college replaced Dr. Mitchell with a Seattle pastor, Dr. Bob Moorehead. Eventually, the "Know Your Bible Hour" went off the air. Although Dr. Mitchell has passed on, former listeners have expressed to the Multnomah community their desire for the broadcast to return to the radio.u