A half century ago, Dr. Pat Robertson took a leap of faith to follow God's call to spread His Word like never before. Since then, the Christian Broadcasting Network has grown into one of the largest television ministries in the world. But it was no easy feat getting there.
The Nature of America
During the time Robertson founded CBN, the United States had emerged from World War II as the undisputed leader of the free world. But it wasn't the only superpower, and the Cold War threatened to make the world a more dangerous place for the country and its new president.
In 1960, there was hope in the world's most prosperous nation. Advances in science and technology were making life better and the country was choosing between two young, vigorous leaders to steer America into the next decade.
In November, Boston's John F. Kennedy was chosen over Richard Nixon to succeed the war hero, Dwight Eisenhower. He took office in January 1961.
But there were challenges for the new president.
Soviet Communism was on the march, threatening war around the globe. In early 1961, the Berlin Wall became the symbol of Communist repression, as the Soviets and east Germans divided both a city and a continent.
And on America's doorstep, a new Communist dictator, Fidel Castro, would soon import Soviet nuclear missiles and set off waht became known as Cuban missile crisis.
Competition between the U.S. and the Soviet Union extended into space. In 1961, Ham the chimp would get his turn in orbit, returning safely to earth. Just weeks later, Russia's Yuri Gagarin made the first manned space voyage, followed closely by Americans Alan Shepard and Gus Grissom.
After the relative quiet of the 1950s, culture was changing, too.
Evis Presley headed back to the recording studio after a two-year stint in the Army. At the box office, the musical West Side Story was a blockbuster hit. And a new British rock band called the Beatles played in pubs for the first time.
Yet amid the pop culture, political differences and changing lifestyles came another new beginning--the first Christian television station in the United States.
Source: John Waage, CBN
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