Haven Today is a national broadcast Christian radioprogram. Before 2000 the program was called The Haven of Rest. The radio program has been on the air since it was started in 1934 by Paul Myers. Paul Myers was an early 1930s radio manager and personality. Since 1934 the program has been heard by millions and has only had four hosts: Paul Myers, Paul Evans, Raymond C. Ortlund Sr., and Charles Morris. The daily broadcast currently is on over 600 stations in North America and overseas.
History
Paul Myers was a 1930s broadcast radio host in Los Angeles. But Paul's life spun out of control due to alcoholism. He hit bottom. His wife locked him out of the house, but told him she would pray for him. As Myers began to read a Gideon Bible he found in his skid row hotel along San Diego’s waterfront, he found forgiveness, hope, and new life in the Lord Jesus Christ. With his new hope, he was back on the Los Angeles airways on KHJ, and in 1934 started the radio broadcast The Haven of Rest. Paul Myers would host the on air program for 37 years. Paul Myers gave himself the name "First Mate Bob" and he was on the "Good Ship Grace". He used a nautical theme for his program, which had teaching and singers. The program started with a ships’ air horn, then Eight Bells and a quartet of singer singing “The Haven of Rest,” an 1890 song, by Henry L. Gilmour about a sinner anchoring his soul in Christ. Myers retired in 1971 and turned the program over to Pastor Paul Evans. Evans continued the tradition Myers had started till he stepped down in 1981. In 1979 Paul Evans wrote Divine Communication and in 1980 Divine Resources, both published by Haven of Rest. In 1988, the Haven of Rest was on 275 stations. In 1981, Dr. Raymond C. Ortlund Sr., the Senior Pastor at Lake Avenue Congregational Church in Pasadena, California, took over the program. Ortlund at the same time stepped down from pastorate at Lake Avenue. Raymond's Sunday morning services at Lake Avenue Congregational Church were broadcast over radio stationKRLA. After 20 years at Lake Avenue Ray and wife Anne founded Renewal Ministries at about the same time he took over The Haven of Rest program. With Renewal Ministries they traveled around the world teaching about renewal and revival among God’s churches. Ray hosted the Haven of Rest radio broadcast with his distinctive voice for 19 years, from 1981 to 2000. Raymond C. Ortlund Sr. also served as a teaching pastor at Mariner's Church in Newport Beach, California in the 1980s. The National Religious BroadcastersHall of Fame inducted Ray in 2008 for his years of hosting the Haven of Rest. Ray retired from The Haven of Rest in 2000. Charles Morris took over the program in 2000 and changed the program name to Haven Today. The in-house music quartet singers were replaced with contemporary Christian musicin 2001. Charles Morris attended in seminary in Philadelphia. Charles was a news reporter and an editor for United Press International. Charles also worked as press secretary for two former U.S. Senators. For a time he owned and operated his own radio station. He worked with the late Dr. James Montgomery Boice before the Haven program. Charles has authored several books with his wife: Saving a Life, Jesus in the Midst of Success, and Missing Jesus.
Haven Quartet
The Haven of Rest Quartet began in 1934, the same time that the radio program started. Often called "the Crew of the Good Ship Grace," the quartet became very popular due to their clean vocal sound. The in-house singers used four-part harmony for the Haven of Rest radio broadcast ministry for 67 years. The quartet sang four to five songs live during each broadcast. Many traditional hymns and gospel songs were done a cappella and sometimes with an organ accompaniment. From 1934 until the 1950, all songs were done live on air. With the addition of their own ship-like recording studio and modern tape recorders in the 1950s, the quartet started to record their songs before the program for later playback. In the 1980s, the group began to incorporate a more contemporary sound, but it still lagged behind the most popular trends in contemporary Christian and worship music. A name change to The Haven Quartet in 1989 failed to increase the group's recognition beyond its established audience. By 2003, the quartet was no longer an established part of the radio broadcast. Members of the quartet since its inception included:
Charles Morris' Haven Today program is a mix of Christian music, biblical teachings, interviews and a discussion of current events. The program airs 5 days a week for a half hour. In addition to the radio program hosted by Charles Morris, Haven Today has a devotional guide called The Anchor daily started by Evans in the 1970s. The teaching is still based on "Jesus, because he is the one and only Haven of Rest".
