American Christian Ministries: A Brief Biography
(Also known as American Cassette Ministries)
NOT JUST ANOTHER MIRACLE!
It was a July day that appeared to be typical and usual in a certain Pennsylvania engineering office. However, only about three hours had passed when the first miracle began to take place. The work on the engineer’s desk suddenly lay untouched. Nothing else seemed important except for the strong impressions capturing the engineer’s mind and attention. It began with the imprinting of detailed images of Revelation’s Three Angels in his mind and then an urgent call to begin the ministry that was being described.
The engineer’s recent baptism and commitment to the Lord in answer to a grandmother’s prayers for this “black sheep” of the family for over 30 years included his Catholic wife’s baptism as well. Since God sees the end from the beginning, He knew this was the right time, the right person, and the right family for this special call.
God’s hand was at work as the name of the ministry was chosen while an artist attempted to replicate the Three Angels just as they had been shown. One day when the enemy was pressing in with doubts and discouragement, the faithful engineer sent an urgent plea, “Lord, show me how to get this ministry started?’ The Lord was ready to provide the answer through another miracle.
The phone on the desk of this puzzled engineer began to ring—an extension without a listed number. But that didn’t stop the Lord from answering that prayer. He made it possible for the voice of Emilio Knechtle, General Conference World Revivalist to be heard, “My name is Emilio Knechtle, would you do my tapes?” Thus, the beginning of American Cassette Ministries, now American Christian Ministries, a non-profit organization that has served the SDA church as a supportive ministry since 1975.
This is the story of a miracle that enveloped an ordinary family, the Al Newhart family, who accepted the call of God to begin a ministry with a mission to help prepare a people for Christ’s soon coming. It is the story of a family who was willing to sacrifice living space in their home for what looked more like a factory in process. It was a combination of willing hands surrounded by boxes of supplies and cassette orders in process. All served as unpaid servants for the Lord with joy and a faith that He would provide for their needs even when it came time to resign from the engineering office and give full-time to the ministry. In spite of these modest beginnings, God’s miracles of sustaining and growing this ministry have continued.
**From a “home production center”
To a working office with employees and volunteers
**From one speaker voice (Emilio’s)
To over 100 different voices on 50 different topics
**From reel to reel recording
To cassettes, then to CDs, and now MP3 downloads
**From a 10-page descriptive catalog
To over 7,000 presentations on the ACM website and app
**From an office producing the latest listening mode
To free listening via the internet
**From the publishing of printed books
To the digital version of ebooks.
**From serving the U.S. territories
To a global outreach internationally
**From a change of name and location
To the same Bible-based, uncompromised content.
**From the commitment of the faithful founder, Al
To the associate leadership of Grandson-in law, Jonathon
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