By Jim Schneider
Executive Director
VCY America
This coming May 15, 2026 marks 65 years of radio broadcasting for VCY! No one but God could orchestrate so many fine details to give birth to and to carry on the ministry for these many decades!
Taking a quick look back in history, a teen outreach known as Milwaukee Youth for Christ was incorporated in 1954. The weeks were busy with Bible clubs, rallies, singspirations and various activities to reach youth with the gospel. In 1959, Vic & Freda Eliason were called to Milwaukee where they began serving with the organization.
It was about this time Director Russ Johnson left Milwaukee and Vic Eliason took on the directorship responsibility. Amidst the busy schedule of reaching youth, three young people approached Vic asking if they could start a Christian radio program. They compiled necessary items including a microphone, LP records, a turntable, and even a borrowed tape recorder and made a pilot program using the living room of Vic & Freda’s home. The desire was to get a program on one of the existing FM stations in town and for them to carry it for free.
After making their sample program, a visit was made to each of the existing FM stations. Each of stations turned them down. Not one expressed any interest in their program. Discouraged they took the pilot tape back to their storefront office and prayed, “Lord, if you want us to have a Christian radio program, you’re going to have to open the door.”
Five days later a man walked into the storefront office asking if anyone could use some free airtime. The offer came from a man working at a new FM station, WBON, which was broadcasting on 107.7 FM. The person making this offer was John Harold Clark who was moonlighting at this new FM radio station. He shared that he was asked to do a program on the radio called Sacred Stylings. He said, “In my heart, I don’t feel worthy to do this because my life has not been honoring to the Lord.” He admitted he was going to drive back to Atlanta and get into a good Bible-preaching church. He said, “So I was just driving down the street looking for some Christian organization that would take responsibility for the program because I’m leaving town. I saw your sign and I came in.”
There was no doubt God directed John Harold Clark to drive many miles away from the studio and see the plastic sign that read, “Milwaukee Youth for Christ.” The very spot where he offered the airtime is where they had prayed five days earlier indicating it would be God that would have to open the door.
Though the teens had only hoped for a 15-minute weekly program, Vic was offered a half-hour a day and an hour on Sunday. They began their broadcast the following Monday. Yes, God opened the door and broadcasting began May 15, 1961 with a program called “Sacred Stylings.”
Many things happened over the next few years that required this dedicated group to migrate to a couple other stations. But the Lord brought them back full circle to where they began on WBON. Years later the Lord opened the door to purchase that station. The call letters were changed to WVCY (Wisconsin Voice of Christian Youth.)
Truly God’s hand was at work in those early beginnings and many other matters unfolded that can only be attributed to God’s miraculous work including the establishing of Christian television in 1983.
In 1984, God paved the way for a second radio station, WVCX in Tomah, WI to sign on the air. In 1986 new opportunities arrived. It was at this time that the Lord opened additional doors and the process began to transfer a station in Ft. Scott, KS and one in Gregory, SD to VCY. Both of these stations transferred to VCY in 1987. Each of them has a very unique story, of which the circumstances reveal God was at work in the very smallest of details.
It was decided the best way to get programming to these stations and to serve other outlets was by satellite. A special Up-link Share-a-thon was held to raise the funds. In yet another miracle, the Lord provided for this need in a single day.
Taking more of a national persona, the Board of Directors changed the corporate name to reflect the expanding change. The new name became, VCY America, Inc. God continued to guide the board to additional stations and to extra avenues of outreach ministry. This included summer camp, a bookstore, rallies, birthday club and many forms of outreach ministry including on-line streams and apps that literally minister to individuals all around the world. Today VCY operates 67 radio outlets including full-power stations and translators.
Though God called Vic Eliason home in 2015, the mission continues reaching souls with the Gospel message.
The handiwork of God is all over this ministry. He is the One who opened doors of opportunity, and He is the One Who has opened the hearts of many to salvation as these notes testify:
“My husband and I have treasured many of the programs on VCY for many years. VCY aided in bringing my husband to Christ.”
“It was the year 2000 on Highway 44, mile marker 234. Tears of joy and a sense of peace. Thank you VCY America! Christian radio saved me!”
While such testimonies could go on for many pages, we give God the glory for His Continuing Miracle and for 65 years of radio outreach!
