Our Story
Eternal Impact
The Spoken Word of God Bible broadcasting ministry has a history of blessings and miracles – all due to one mans simple obedience to his Lord. Driving home from work one day, R. B. “Jack” Turney switched on his car radio and heard the message of salvation preached by Dr. B. R. Lakin. That very day he asked Jesus to become his Lord and Saviour and his life changed from that moment on. His wife, Ruby, also found the Lord while listening to Dr. Charles E. Fuller of the Old Fashioned Revival Hour on the radio.
After a 27-year career in all four branches of the military, he moved his family to Orlando, Florida to help a friend launch a motivational company. In 1971, after much prayer, the Lord directed Jack to establish his own company Christian Duplications Inc., duplicating cassette tapes for preachers and ministries, and in just a few short years the Lord led him to record the Bible on cassette in English and Spanish, and the “first voice of the Bible on cassette was born.”
Jack’s conversion experience through the medium of radio made him aware of radios potential in missions; and his long time friendship with Paul Freed, founder of Trans World Radio, made it possible for him to begin broadcasting his recordings of the Bible all over the world. Getting the Word of God out over the airwaves became the goal of The Spoken Word of God Inc. – a ministry he established in 1981 and incorporated as a non-profit organization in 1985. This ministry is still dedicated to broadcasting the Bible to countries around the world in their native languages. Today the reading of the pure word of God – without any commentary – is aired domestically and internationally over major networks, individual radio stations, as well as the Internet. Many people have been reached for Christ through these broadcasts … which otherwise might not have heard the Good News.
The Spoken Word of God Bible broadcasting ministry has a history of blessings and miracles – all due to one mans simple obedience to his Lord. Driving home from work one day, R. B. “Jack” Turney switched on his car radio and heard the message of salvation preached by Dr. B. R. Lakin. That very day he asked Jesus to become his Lord and Saviour and his life changed from that moment on. His wife, Ruby, also found the Lord while listening to Dr. Charles E. Fuller of the Old Fashioned Revival Hour on the radio.
After a 27-year career in all four branches of the military, he moved his family to Orlando, Florida to help a friend launch a motivational company. In 1971, after much prayer, the Lord directed Jack to establish his own company Christian Duplications Inc., duplicating cassette tapes for preachers and ministries, and in just a few short years the Lord led him to record the Bible on cassette in English and Spanish, and the “first voice of the Bible on cassette was born.”
This is where The Spoken Word of God stepped in.
Jack used his business contacts in the USA, and his contacts with churches through his business, Christian Duplications, to relay this burden to these churches. People began to respond and many made trips to India to see what God was doing!
Jack soon found out that a building to house 300 people could be constructed for only $10,000, a water well for the entire village could be dug for $1,000 and a pastor could be sponsored for a small amount of money each month. Jack began a relentless crusade to help his vision of winning souls for Christ and planting churches in India be fulfilled.
The result … there are now over 400 congregations in India. Over 83 of those churches now have a solid building – made possible by individuals and churches in the USA and around the world through The Spoken Word of God.
Many other projects were established to help continue this work. The SWOG was instrumental in building a campus which housed a 4-year Bible College and an orphanage. Cows were purchased so the “preacher boys” could milk them, feed their families, and sell the milk to become self sustaining.
In 2013 at the age of 90, Jack established a second 2-year Bible College in Secunderabad – in the state of Telangana India. Since it’s beginning it has graduated over 20 students who are actively engaged in evangelism and pastoring churches in their home villages.
To make an even bigger impact, The SWOG ministries began broadcasting the Bible in Arabic on a local radio station in Baghdad, Iraq, in 2004. Since October of 2005, daily broadcasts in Arabic are being aired over another network that covers all of Iraq and many surrounding Arabic speaking countries such as; Iran, Lebanon, Georgia, Israel, Syria, Saudia Arabia, Armenia, Turkey, Jordan, and Egypt.
On September 15, 2014 Jack joined his wife Ruby (2009) in Heaven but his legacy still continues today. His race has been finished but his daughter, Marilyn Turney, has taken hold of his baton and is now running the race placed before her. She has big shoes to fill “but with God all things are possible”. Through her fathers efforts the Word of God has reached many millions and by the Lord’s provision, through people like you, she will reach billions more.
