Gloria Dei Radio Ministry is 64 Years Old
By Britt Carlson

“I gave myself a title: Radio Ministry Coordinator, RMC,” says Doug Maguire, the man who is in charge of broadcasting the Gloria Dei Lutheran Church service over WDSM 710 AM radio each Sunday from 10-11am. This title is apt for both the man and the ministry he speaks of.

A live radio broadcast of the Gloria Dei Sunday service has been a part of the church for 64 years this March and is the longest running church broadcast in the state of Minnesota. The first broadcast was March 12, 1943. The reason for beginning the broadcast is much the same as its goal today: to spread God’s word, especially to folks who can’t leave their home. The AM frequency used to broadcast the weekly service travels farther than FM radio and so Maguire suspects that there are listeners as far north as the Gunflint Trail and east into central Wisconsin.

Though no one knows for sure how many listeners there are each week, Maguire is constantly surprised by the number of people who he meets that listen to the service. “Oh, you’re the one who puts the Gloria Dei service on the air! I’ve listened to that before,” people will tell him.

The broadcast is sent over the phone line as it has been for years. The phone line limits the sound quality, Maguire explained, but many improvements have been made over the years in technical equipment. Members are constantly supporting the ministry. “There are members of our church who will anonymously donate toward equipment they have never heard of. The members here support the church in incredible ways.”

With the help of church members and radio listeners, Gloria Dei is constantly updating its sound system for broadcast. The sound quality of the choir, band, and instrumental and vocal soloists is high because of this commitment and Maguire’s knowledge.

Maguire is a Gloria Dei Lutheran Church member and long-time volunteer. Radio Ministry Coordinator seems like a fitting title for the man who commits every Sunday to the broadcast. He’s been in charge of the broadcast for 15 years now. “I like all the dials and gadgets. And I like giving back to the community. That’s what it is for me—community service.”

There are others who put weekly efforts into the broadcast. Maguire has two volunteers who help him and he hopes to get new people involved. “I never thought I would do this every Sunday for 15 years,” he says with a chuckle.

Whether Maguire is the man behind the “dials and gadgets” or it is someone else, the answer to the Beatle’s question “Will you still need me? Will you still feed me, when I’m sixty-four?” is yes at Gloria Dei.