The History of It Is Written
Fifty years ago, the world was a very different place. Disneyland had just opened its doors to the public, Elvis appeared on the entertainment scene and immediately captured national interest, and Warner Brothers unveiled its first television studio in Burbank. Although these are often noted as the great developments of that time, perhaps someday we will discover that one of the most significant contributions began with much less fanfare. It all started in the heart of a man who strongly believed that a new technology—television—could be used to powerfully proclaim the Good News of Christ's love to the world.
That man, George Vandeman, saw his plans came to fruition when It Is Written, the first Christian television program to broadcast in color, hit the airwaves on 13 stations in the spring of 1956.
Over the next half-century, It Is Written grew exponentially. Today, more than 50 years later, bold plans for evangelism and fervent prayer continue to drive the ministry. Under Speaker/Director Shawn Boonstra, It Is Written is blazing a trail in four primary areas of evangelism: television, public evangelism, spiritual resources and the Internet.
Although many social changes have taken place since Vandeman first appeared on television, It Is Written's message of hope through Jesus has remained the same. Said Boonstra, "Nothing we achieve is of our own doing. This ministry is in the hands of the Lord, and we feel humbled and honored to spend our lives uplifting His name and sharing His love with others."
Sharing Hope Around the Globe
Under Vandeman's direction, It Is Written entered many new evangelism arenas. His live "Revelation Seminars" attracted tens of thousands of eager visitors, and the telecast entered millions of homes in numerous countries.
In 1991, Vandeman retired and Mark Finley accepted the position as the ministry's new speaker/director. He also shared Vandeman's vision for evangelism, and in 1995 made history with a satellite evangelistic series called NET '95.
NET '96 followed one year later, and whereas NET '95 had targeted North America, NET '96 reached the world with messages in 13 languages. It is estimated that 2,200 churches from 45 countries participated in at least one of the NETs, and more than 30,000 people were baptized at the conclusion of the meetings.
The next major It Is Written satellite effort took place from 1999 through 2001 with ACTS 2000, when the ministry covered the entire globe with multiple satellite meetings. Finley conducted a total of 10 series to a combined audience of 3 million people.
By this time, the telecast's reach had expanded by leaps and bounds. Although hundreds of other Christian broadcasts had flooded the airwaves, It Is Written maintained its rank as one of the top 10 religious programs in North America, and received more than 30 awards for excellence in programming. Today, the weekly broadcast is produced in a total of nine languages, and can be seen in nearly every country of the world.
A Bright Future
It Is Written entered a new era in January 2005 as Pastor Shawn Boonstra became the third speaker/director in the ministry's 50-year history. Finley, who is now a general vice president for the General Conference of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, passed the mantle to Boonstra with his blessing.
"I am confident It Is Written will continue to be a dynamic force in global evangelism with Pastor Boonstra at the helm," said Finley. "Under his direction, this ministry will break new ground."
The new position is a humbling one for Boonstra. "No one can replace Pastor Finley, just as no one could have replaced Pastor Vandeman," he said. "I thank Pastor Finley for all that he has done for It Is Written."
Boonstra came to the It Is Written headquarters from It Is Written Canada, where he had served as speaker/director for four years. As someone who joined the Adventist Church after attending an It Is Written evangelistic series, Boonstra passionately believes in the mission of the ministry. He said, "The Lord works in amazing ways. Now, every week in front of millions of viewers, I get to do for others what It Is Written did for me."
Soon after Boonstra arrived, two more new members joined the It Is Written family when Bibleinfo.com and KidsBibleinfo.com became a part of the ministry. Millions of online users regularly access Bibleinfo.com to find Bible answers in 17 languages on more than 150 topics, and 1.5 million children have already explored the Bible stories and topics on KidsBibleinfo.com.