American Religious Townhall


The American Religious Townhall is a syndicated weekly television program in which clergy from various religious denominations debate various religious, political, and social issues.1 The show was started in 1952 by Bishop A. A. Leiske and continued by his son Pastor Robert Leiske. The current moderator of the show is Pastor Jerry Lutz. The show is currently taped in Dallas, Texas. A different issue is debated on each episode.

Panelists

The show currently has eleven regular panelists, but only six appear on any one given episode. The regular panelists are:
Each episode closes with the moderator reciting the charter of the American Religious Townhall, which provides that "Roman Catholics, Protestants, Jews, educators and others may appear on this program and can declare their beliefs without hesitancy and the rest of the members of the panel will uphold and guarantee that American right to all who will appear, irrespective of race or creed, so that the rest of the world can see that, here in America, we believe in civil and religious freedom, not only in theory but in reality."

Health Care Facilities

The American Religious Townhall generates most of its revenue to pay its television expenses from the various health care centers it operates. This reduces the necessity for donations from viewers and sponsors. ²