War and Craig Charles to perform in the park.

Richard Lutz survives another week that was...

Future music business talent initiative launches at major city festival.

Black Sabbath's original manager receives Honorary Doctorate in Music.

Fundraiser announced for music heritage appeal.

Once more it sees that Halesowen Town FC may have played their last game.

Reports of Halesowen Town's demise have thankfully, been greatly exaggerated,

Tom Towelling is the Birmingham Comedy Festival Breaking Talent Award 2024 winner.

Comic Sooz Kempner gives a history lesson.

Chinese online retail giant, Temu, faces a European Union investigation for potential violations of the Digital Services Act, including consumer protection and data privacy concerns. The company risks significant fines if found in breach. Shein and Temu, Chinese e-commerce giants, have challenged Amazon in the US and Zara and H&M in Europe with low prices and fast turnover.

The action is related to the financial transactions being done by some of the "preferred" vendors and sellers who do business through Amazon and Flipkart like e-commerce platforms.

Walmart is offering new incentives to its Spark Driver network for the holiday season to compete with Amazon in the e-commerce market. The company aims to attract more upper-income households to its Walmart Plus membership by offering faster deliveries and potentially increase advertising revenue.

The company’s revenue growth during the year picked up after it reported only 3% growth in FY23. Earlier, ET had reported that Flipkart Internet, the marketplace unit of the Walmart-owned retailer posted revenue growth of 21% in FY24.

The planned action signals growing regulatory scrutiny of Walmart-owned Flipkart and Amazon when their sales are rapidly growing in India's $70 billion e-commerce market. An antitrust investigation also found the two companies breached laws by favouring select sellers, Reuters has reported.

Amazon's delivery glasses, the people warned, could be shelved or delayed indefinitely if they do not work as envisioned, or for financial or other reasons. The sources said they may take years to perfect. "We are continuously innovating to create an even safer and better delivery experience for drivers," an Amazon spokesperson said, when asked about the driver eyeglasses. "We otherwise don't comment on our product roadmap."

Nazara Technologies and ONDC partnered to launch gCommerce. The platform will integrate e-commerce within games. It will provide Indian game developers with new revenue options. gCommerce will connect players to sellers on the ONDC network. Players can shop without leaving the game. The platform will roll out for developers by Q1, FY26.

Akzo Nobel, Europe's leading paint manufacturer, is exploring options to either partner with a larger company or sell its Indian operations. Akzo Nobel's aim is to navigate the consolidation in the South Asian paint market. The company currently holds a 5% market share in India with its Dulux brand and seeks a collaborative approach for future growth.

Akzo Nobel India reported a 14% increase in net profit to Rs 108.7 crore in the fourth quarter, driven by higher demand from the automotive sector. Despite muted retail demand due to higher rainfall and price hikes, the company's revenue from operations rose 3% to Rs 9.82 billion.

An investigation by India's antitrust body found food delivery giants Zomato and SoftBank-backed Swiggy breached competition laws, with their business practices favouring select restaurants listed on their platforms, documents showed.

Godrej Industries is set to acquire the food additives and emulsifier business of Savannah Surfactants Limited for Rs 76 crore. The deal will see Godrej Industries expand its product offerings to the Food & Beverages segment. Savannah Surfactants Ltd has a manufacturing capacity of 5,200 tonnes per annum of finished products.

The gaming console uses Wi-Fi 7, a wireless standard that uses the 6GHz band for connecting to the internet. However, the band itself is embroiled under controversy with telecom operators pushing for it to be reserved for mobile internet services.

Sony India, experiencing substantial growth in its gaming sector due to the PlayStation 5's success, is now eyeing India as a key market. Despite anticipating moderated growth this fiscal year, the company remains committed to expanding its gaming presence, including software and peripherals. Sony India last week filed its annual returns to report over 50.1 per cent growth from its 'other business' segment at Rs 1,363.54 crore, which houses its gaming and B2B business.

Adwaita and Anchit Nayar, leaders at Nykaa, highlight their complementary roles in driving the company's success. They share insights on India's consumer tech and quick commerce growth, Nykaa's rapid expansion in warehouse capacity, and plans for same-day or next-day delivery, leveraging their efficient capital use and market competition to build the category.

Dante Hernandez Front Ensemble Instructor DANTE HERNANDEZ is a marching percussionist, arranger, and educator based in Brea, CA. He began his marching career at Mt. Carmel High School in San […]

Joe Venezia Brass Instructor Currently based out of Boston Massachusetts, JOSEPH VENEZIA is an active performer and educator. Joseph’s career has led him to perform across both the United States […]

Matthew Ezeh Brass Instructor MATTHEW EZEH is an accomplished trombonist/brass/music educator. Matthew received his degree in Music Education from Mercer University in 2020 and studied trombone under Hollie Lawing-Pritchard. He […]

Benji Gonzalez Social Media BENJI GONZALEZ is a designer and creator based in Southern California. His creative journey began at John F. Kennedy High School (La Palma) where he was […]

I think Buzzsprout is the easiest-to-use podcast-hosting provider, and now they've made monetizing easy, too! Plus, you can use this to grow your own podcast!

The post Monetize and Promote Your Podcast with Buzzsprout Ads first appeared on The Audacity to Podcast.

Zencastr makes it easy to get high-quality, multi-ender audio and video podcast recordings with your guests and cohosts. Now, they've added multiple features to help you edit and monetize your podcast!

The post Zencastr Adds Hosting, Editing, and Monetization for Podcasters first appeared on The Audacity to Podcast.

Libsyn has partnered with AdvertiseCast to launch Libsyn Auto Ads, allowing any Libsyn-hosted podcast to monetize with programmatic ads in your podcast!

The post Monetize Your Podcast on Libsyn Regardless of Audience Size first appeared on The Audacity to Podcast.

The non-profit I work for uses Google Workspace, and we could really use somebody with strong Workspace skills to help us optimize some planning spreadsheets. Our particular challenges are around having information cross-populate inside worksheets and across different ones, and ideally finding ways to create templated emails (also in Google Workspace) that pulls info directly from the sheets and sends it to instructors. If this works well we may have other use cases and needs!

The 2024 election season has concluded, and there's no better way to unwind than catching a movie! WEMU's David Fair met up with Marquee Arts executive director Russ Collins to talk about some new films and special screenings that are on the way for your viewing pleasure!

Is there a way to change the Microsoft voice Zira so she stops saying "Mississippi" when the word miss is used as a title or with a period at the end of it? I found two files (MSTTSLocEnUS.dat and MSTTSLocEnCA.dat) in the folder C:WindowsSpeech_OneCoreEnginesTTS that contain the text "mississippi" but they are both dat files and when I open them in Wordpad or Notepad, I cannot find the text. I looked in Windows Speech options and there is no place to fix pronunciations. I am using Windows 11 and it does not seem to happen when I use the David voice, only the Zira voice.

According to Gwinnett County District Attorney Danny Porter, Georgia’s citizen’s arrest law is rooted in medieval times and is an “outmoded concept” in this age of “increased police forces.” Porter made those remarks at a Georgia House Judiciary Non-Civil Committee hearing on Monday.

This does sound very much like your anxiety latching on to a potential future and you getting stuck in that.

Others can give you advice about dealing with this particular scenario.

But here are some things to remember:

Seeking reassurance from others usually results in your anxiety getting worse, as their advice makes the imaginary danger seem more real.

No amount of rehearsing and imagining and ruminating will make you any safer. In fact, trying to prepare for this scenario means you're staying in the anxiety space for longer.

Don't try to fight your scary thoughts, don't argue with yourself. Just note the thought and briefly describe what you're doing to yourself in a non judgemental way.

"I'm arguing with an imaginary person right now"

"I'm trying to predict the future"

"I'm ruminating right now."

"I'm seeking reassurance"

You have the power to reassure yourself, and THAT kind of reassurance really works.

Change catastrophising thoughts into compassionate realism.

"I don't know what might happen in the future, but I'm going to cope with it when it dies"

"It's possible that this frightening thing might happen, and it might be unpleasant, but I will deal with it if it does and then it will just be another memory."

Find ways to distract yourself from your spiralling thoughts. I like explaining a topic I'm really interested in out loud to myself as a way to drown out stuck thoughts.

Trying to prepare for something that *might* happen just means you're making yourself be in that horrible scary worry space for much longer than it would take for the scary thing to happen. You can't control wether or not this thing you fear will happen, but you can control how much you focus on it.

Distraction is good! Be with people you enjoy, watch a comfort show, dance to music you love, do something to make yourself feel good.

In real life I moved to Japan from the U.S. years ago. Didn't soften the blow of the election one whit.

Wherever you go, there you are.

Although New Zealand is about as far — in miles, at least — as you can get from Minneapolis, protests have erupted there over the killing of George Floyd. The Indigenous Maori people in particular have pushed back against police use of force, which disproportionately affects them. At first glance, the context seems quite different. New Zealand police don't usually carry firearms. The reason goes back to the 19th century British aversion to creating a police force too much like a military. In general, if New Zealand police officers need to use a gun, there is one in a lockbox in their car that they can use with a supervisor's permission. But after a white nationalist gunned down 51 people in two mosques last March in Christchurch, New Zealand's police introduced a pilot program to send heavily armed police teams on patrol in three communities. One of these communities was around Christchurch. The other two were far away in counties near the city of Auckland. The police said it would

French police say they are being stigmatized during protests in France against police violence in the wake of George Floyd's death. On Thursday, police gathered in front of precincts across the country and threw down their handcuffs in a symbolic gesture against what they say is unfair criticism. "The police in France have nothing to do with the police in the U.S., and we're not racist," said Fabien Vanhemelryck, the head of the main police union in France, as he joined dozens of police officers demonstrating Friday morning along the Champs-Élysées. Just days after Floyd was killed while in police custody in Minneapolis, more than 20,000 Parisians defied a ban on gatherings during the pandemic to demand the truth about the death of a black Frenchman named Adama Traoré while in police custody in 2016. The protesters said the French police, like their American counterparts, are endemically racist, a charge denied by many top officials in a country that likes to consider itself colorblind

The growing calls for systemic reform of American policing follow years of rising anger at the ongoing deaths of African Americans at the hands of law enforcement, including the recent killing of George Floyd. The calls for change run the gamut from severely restricting police use of deadly force, creating a national database of abusive officers and re-directing taxpayer money away from police toward social programs that improve education and tackle crises including homelessness, poverty and mental health care . But one key problem has gotten less attention: the conflict of interest, real and perceived, between prosecutors and police unions. When district attorneys run for the office they get political donations from a range of interests including powerful, well-funded police unions who represent the officers that district attorneys will be called to prosecute in the event of officer brutality, corruption or even murder. "We need to do everything that we can in this moment to avoid not

Copyright 2020 KJZZ. To see more, visit KJZZ . STEVE INSKEEP, HOST: Hospitals in Arizona are reaching capacity. Coronavirus infections there continue to rise. And the governor, who once pushed ahead with reopening, has now delayed the start of school. Is that enough? From our member station KJZZ, Rocio Hernandez reports. ROCIO HERNANDEZ, BYLINE: Arizona students are some of the first in the nation to go back to school. Some districts opened their doors as early as end of July. But that won't be the case this year. In June, Arizona Governor Doug Ducey issued an executive order pushing back the reopening of brick-and-mortar schools. (SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING) DOUG DUCEY: At this point in time, we are going to delay the first day of school till August 17. HERNANDEZ: That's too soon, says teacher Stacy Brosius at Deer Valley Unified School District in Phoenix. STACY BROSIUS: I don't want to be the teacher that gets COVID and have my third-graders have to attend my funeral. But I

Did a mega drought topple empires 4,200 years ago? is an article by Michael Marshall in Nature [archive link] about the debate around the 4.2-Kiloyear Event, which was possibly a major shift in global climate patterns that started around 2200 BCE. The effects were especially stark in the Fertile Crescent, where social complexity decreased markedly, empires fell, and cities were abandoned, as recounted in the video essay The First Bronze Age Collapse and the Intermediate Bronze Age. If you want more granular detail, best known archaeological site for this period has a good website with lots of information, The Tell Leilan Project.

Pop-Up Music is in need of authentic Brazilian music. All styles - Samba/Bossa nova/Afoxe/Maracatu/Brazilian Metal/Brazilian Rock.

Please submit your best material for consideration and a member of the Pop-Up Music team will listen and respond.

This opportunity is for an exclusive contract with a term - all submissions must be 100% owned by the writer/writers.

Many many thanks,
The Pop-Up Music Team

Robomagic is seeking charismatic, amazing new acts (solo or groups) with infectious music people want to hear. Acts should have an eye toward working hard to make it in the music business and come to the table ready to get involved with experienced teams that know how to make it happen.

Acts can be based anywhere but relocation to London may be necessary, depending upon a range of variables and circumstances. But if you've got the goods, we'd got the team, the know-how, and the resources to help make it happen.

We look forward to hearing your best material.

- Rob Hallett - Founder / President - Robomagic

We are looking to expand our catalog with hot new Jazz music. We are huge fans of jazz in all its forms, from be-bop to the new, electronica infused tendencies. Please send what you think is the strongest part of your material and if hear something we like, we will ask for more. Please don't submit covers of standards or other people's music. No knock-offs! No demos! No concert recordings! We can only accept professionally recorded, produced and mastered music.

Below are a few examples of the type of music that would be a perfect fit for our catalog:

- Goce Stevkovski Septet - Monday
- Drew Paralic - Down In Soho
- Redman Mehldau McBride Blade - Right Back Round Again
- Nubya Garcia - The Message Continues

We are proud to have a unique business model and an artist-friendly agreement. The music released on Filter Label is instantly included in our catalog for sync licensing which is available to our network of contacts in the film, TV and advertising industry.

Songs by our talented artists can be heard in Legacies, Shameless, The OA, Exatlon, The Matrix Revisited, CSI: Las Vegas, Nikita, in commercials for Samsung, McDonald's, Nike, Masterclass, Philip Morris, Nestle, Alkaloid, Bank Millennium, in shows on MTV, CNN, National Geographic, NBC, NBA TV, Al Jazeera, Esquire, Channel 4 and almost every major TV network in the world.

- Emil Hadji Panzov - Founder / CEO - Filter Label

I don't want to get hosed buying a pretty label and sales pitch on the bottle. I don't mind buying more than one bottle to get a better price. I don't know what "should be" in good mayo but you do, that's why I came here for guidance. I know we all hate Amazon, plz go to the next question rather than telling me Bezos blows; I am aware.

Public health experts generally agree that, in spite of improvements, the U.S. still falls short on the testing needed to combat the COVID-19 pandemic. The official who oversees the country's testing efforts, however, maintains the U.S. is doing well on testing now and will soon be able to expand testing greatly using newer, point-of-care tests that deliver quick results. In an interview with NPR's Morning Edition , Adm. Brett Giroir pointed out the U.S. is currently conducting more than 700,000 tests a day. He argued that some parts of the country are already conducting enough tests to contain outbreaks. "We know that in areas of the country right now that have appropriate mitigation, that the testing we have is sufficient. We know right now that the testing we have is dense enough that we can detect very sensitively where there's going to be a problem," the assistant secretary for health in the Department of Health and Human Services told NPR. A recent analysis for NPR by Harvard

WATCH THE ARCHIVES HERE!

When COVID first shuttered churches in 2020, no one but God could have foreseen that it would lead to the largest-ever gathering at the Amazing Facts W.O.R.D. Center. Yet it did precisely that!

From June 12 to 15, 2024, a record number of youth attended Stand: Unshakeable Faith, the 2024 Amazing Facts Youth Conference—including setting a record one-day Sabbath gathering of 1,500 people, who gathered to hear Pastor Doug Batchelor, president of Amazing Facts International, present his message to young people, “Standing on the High Ground.” Watch archives of this and other 2024 AFY Conference presentations by visiting www.afyouth.com.

Many young people traveled long distances to participate in the conference, which was designed to help them develop a resilient faith in the face of secular culture and peer pressure. They were joined by thousands more online! We praise God that the Holy Spirit moved mightily, as hundreds of youth recommitted to living for Jesus in these last days of Earth’s history. 

Said Pastor Doug, “This youth conference gave me such joy and hope for the future of our church. It was absolutely thrilling to see so many young people come to hear the Word.”

Throughout the weekend, speakers explored what it means to stand firm for Jesus. Their messages focused on being filled with the Holy Spirit, watching and praying with Christ, being a part of the remnant, understanding God’s love story for us, and the role of trials in our growth. Along with Pastor Doug, speakers included Anil Kanda, Carlos Muñoz, Diamond Garcia, Anella Poljak, and Darcee Christensen.[PQ-HERE]

AFY: Humble Beginnings

Worried about the church losing youth to the isolation of COVID restrictions and social distancing, Tony Scarpino, a youth leader at the Granite Bay Hilltop Church, took their Sabbath School programs online. Those initial social media broadcasts became the seed of Amazing Facts Youth (AFY), a worldwide ministry that meets online twice weekly, prays earnestly for one another, and leads out in the conference. 

From those humble beginnings, God has worked mightily to grow and prosper the movement, including leading Amazing Facts to present an annual youth conference. “I am in awe of what God did at this year’s conference,” says Tony. “I saw families coming alive together. The little kids were vibrant, the youth were engaged, and the parents were involved. It was incredible!”

Attendees from as far away as Honduras and New York enjoyed the engaging presentations, united prayer, community outreach, and fellowship with like-minded individuals. Evening sessions, free meals served by the local church members, and an afternoon outing to an adventure park provided opportunities for fun and friendship. 

“This was a wonderful weekend for our family,” reflects Tamara from Dayton, Ohio. “As a mom, I’m always looking for ways to get my boys involved in things that will grow their faith.”

For the first time, this year’s conference included presentations designed for kids. Presented by Amazing Facts evangelist Daniel Hudgens, Amazing Adventures introduced younger children at the conference to the importance of the Bible, standing against sin, and walking with Jesus. The kids also enjoyed music and rousing Bible games.

A Place Where Youth Have a Voice

Over the past four years, Tony and others have helped mentor a team of dedicated youth who now run AFY’s weekly meetings. The youth team even chose the theme Stand: Unshakeable Faith for the 2024 conference and organized many aspects of the event. “The youth have a real voice here,” says Tony.

On the final night of this year’s conference, Pastor Anil Kanda urged the youth not to let the enthusiasm they experienced at the conference end with the event. He said, “God is going to need another generation to rise up and stand in the gap. I’m getting a lot of grey hairs, [and] Pastor Doug isn’t always going to be here. God is calling you to share His love with the world. He is not interested in how prepared you are. He is interested in how willing you are. He will open incredible doors if you are willing.”

His message hit especially hard for the youth, who are challenged by worldly entertainment and distractions unlike at any other time in history. Aleah, a teen from California, says, “The meetings explained exactly what I’ve gone through.”

Her friend Marissa was also blessed by the speakers’ messages, saying, “They have been really helpful to me. The speakers have shown me how necessary it is to spend time with God each day and how to make it a priority.” 

Sharing the gospel is an essential part of every AFY conference. On Friday afternoon, after specialized AFCOE training with Carlos Muñoz, AFCOE director, and other staff, over 200 energetic youth went into the community to give out biblical literature and pray with people. 

An hour later, they returned eager to share what God had done. “This was my first time going door-to-door,” said Shivani. “I was very nervous, but we gave out all our books and prayed for seven or eight people. I realized that a lot of people are hurting, so I’m thankful God gave me the courage to go out. It was a good experience.”

Welcome to the AFY Family

Edward, a psychology student, is a leader at AFY who has been an active member ever since the first Zoom meeting. Smiling brightly, he shares, “We’ve built relationships with each other and God here. I want people to know that regardless of who you are or what is going on in your life, you are welcome in the AFY family.”

Like many other members, Kyle wanted to follow God but had little practical experience. All that has changed through his participation in AFY. Today, he is strong in faith and active in ministry. He says, “Being a part of AFY has definitely changed me for the better. I wouldn’t be the person I am today without it. The community, the fellowship, the likemindedness—these people are my family.” 

That’s precisely what the team at AFY has been striving for. “We’ve invested years into these kids,” Tony says. “To see them grow as individuals and leaders is wonderful. And now to see AFY expanding to reach so many more youth—God is doing something really exciting!”

Says Pastor Doug, “I believe in the message of Joel 2:28, which reveals that our sons and daughters will play a vital role in the gospel work in the last days. That’s why I’m so thrilled to see our team training up the youth, these young men and women who will be part of the generation to fulfill this amazing promise.”

Plans are now being made for the 2025 youth conference. Visit afyouth.com to keep up to date. But you don’t have to wait to get involved in AFY. Check out these weekly events:

• Hey, Let’s Pray: Mondays at 6:00 PM ET

• AFY Live: Fridays at 6:00 PM ET

Every five years, the Pathfinder Camporee draws church youth from around the world for an unforgettable time of worship, learning, prayer, and fellowship. This year was no different, with over 55,000 young people and sponsors attending the gathering, which was held in Gillette, Wyoming. 

And for the first time ever, Amazing Facts and Pastor Doug Batchelor, president, attended the weeklong event—which included hosting a booth and offering kids a chance to earn an exclusive honor badge.

Over the first few days, many young people crowded around the Amazing Facts booth and attended a special class called “Preach It!,” taught by Daniel Hudgens, evangelist and assistant director of AFCOE, who taught school-age kids how to share their faith. Says Daniel, “It was a delight to see so many young people realize that they preach a sermon every day by the life they live.” Those who attended received a free book and could get a Preach It! badge after returning home.

Amazing Facts also produced a commemorative puzzle that incorporated this year’s camporee theme, “Believe the Promise.” The colorful artwork consisted of events from the life of Moses and the Exodus.

Later in the week, a storm severe enough to produce a tornado warning doused the camp with rain and even blew down tents. No significant damage was done, but when the chance of more severe weather threatened to strike camp during the final Sabbath, Camporee leaders made the difficult decision to end a day early for everyone’s safety.

Since all official Camporee activities were canceled, most attendees began to pack up. Still, with nowhere else to go, many at camp decided to stay through to the end.

With no Sabbath programs scheduled, Pastor Doug asked Camporee leadership if Amazing Facts could use a tent and microphone to host a worship service for anyone who wanted to attend. He got approval on Sabbath at 8:00 AM! The Amazing Facts team jumped into action, driving through the campground with a megaphone to invite everyone to join in the impromptu Sabbath service.

Says Pastor Doug, “There were only three or four people in the tent when I walked in, but we got started anyway. Someone offered to lead out in a song service. Then, a Pathfinder group showed up and offered to do special music. By the time we finished, 500 people were in the tent worshiping Jesus! There was still time before lunch, so we opened it up for the kids to ask their questions about the Bible.”

[PQ-HERE]People then began asking if there would be a vespers service. “I honestly didn’t know if anyone would come to that since we’d already met in the morning,” Pastor Doug shares. “I guess my faith was small because a thousand people showed up that evening for a message, prayer, and singing.”

Pastor Doug reflects, “It started with an idea Friday night, and by Sabbath evening, a thousand people were worshiping together. The youth there were so hungry for spiritual connection. I believe God worked a little miracle to make it happen.”

By God’s grace, the severe weather never materialized. And for one Amazing Facts worker, the unexpected turn of events pointed to the promise found in Romans 8:28: “God took something the devil had meant for harm and turned it into something good. We serve an amazing God!”

In 1994, Doug Batchelor took the reins at Amazing Facts International—and for the past three decades, God has blessed his bold yet down-to-earth leadership and preaching. Through the power of the Holy Spirit, the ministry has grown exponentially and tens of thousands have been baptized globally.

Says Pastor Doug, “Over the past 30 years, I’ve seen God expand this ministry’s kaleidoscope of outreach in such amazing ways. We do so many different things in ministry now—it boggles my mind! We’re training people to share the gospel, printing truth-filled literature, producing TV and radio broadcasts, and conducting public evangelism. We are trying to do everything we can to help as many people as possible meet Jesus before He comes back.”

From “No” to “Yes”

Pastor Doug had never planned to lead an international media ministry. In fact, in 1993, he and his wife Karen turned down the first invitation to join Amazing Facts.

Just a year before, he had become the pastor of a church in Sacramento. Right away, God opened the doors for media evangelism, and the church began broadcasting its services on several local television stations. Attendance soon doubled, and the Batchelors were certain they should not leave. 

However, they did agree to pray about the call to Amazing Facts. “We were so blessed and inspired by Pastor Crews,” Karen remembers. “We did not feel capable of following in his footsteps.”

Then, in 1994, everything changed. Pastor Joe Crews, whose vision and leadership had grown Amazing Facts from a fledgling radio program into a full-fledged media ministry, had a heart attack. “Get Doug!” he said.

When the Amazing Facts board reached out again, the Batchelors accepted. Not long after Pastor Doug joined Amazing Facts, the church next to Amazing Facts’ headquarters in Maryland burned down, and the ministry needed to move. After much prayer, leadership voted to move the ministry to California. 

Thirty Years of Growth

God has blessed in incredible ways since Pastor Doug joined Amazing Facts. The ministry has grown from broadcasting on just a few television stations to over 100 in the United States alone. Worldwide broadcast reach exceeds two billion. Radio programming now airs on well over 400 stations. AFCOE training centers spread God’s light in Oceania, Indonesia, the Philippines, Africa, and Europe. 

[PQ-HERE]Along with his many regular speaking engagements, Pastor Doug has preached at least one major evangelistic series every year. His easy-to-understand and engaging sermons reach people from all walks of life. Recorded and prepped for television, these series have brought the light of truth to tens of thousands of seekers. Prophecy Odyssey and the Net ’99 series, which was held 25 years ago at the same location in Manhattan, have been broadcast live around the world.

Additionally, the development of the W.O.R.D. Center (World, Outreach, Revival, and Discipleship), Amazing Facts’ headquarters and church building in Granite Bay, California, has been a great help to the ministry. Begun as a church plant in 2007, the facilities were completed debt-free in 2021. The active church, for which Pastor Doug serves as senior pastor, partners with Amazing Facts in local outreach and hosts regular summits on various biblical topics. These series, such as The Glory of the Cross, are filmed in the media-equipped church and broadcast globally.

Worldwide Impact

The Batchelors have traveled extensively to spread the gospel since joining Amazing Facts. “I’ve preached in at least 30 countries since I’ve been here,” says Pastor Doug. “It’s such a wonderful thing to see people’s lives changed through the gospel.”

Adds Karen, “We’ve been blessed to travel to so many places and meet so many wonderful people. Our trip to Papua New Guinea several years ago was especially memorable. About 80,000 people gathered for Doug’s preaching. It was amazing to see their hunger for truth. They stood in the rain for hours to listen to God’s Word.”

That spiritual hunger is increasingly mirrored in people all around the world. One of our viewers, Yasmin, says, “I love listening to Pastor Doug preach! I was rebaptized thanks to watching your programs. You inspire me with the work you do. Our Lord is coming soon, and we must tell the world!”

Pastor Doug and Karen feel deeply responsible for sharing the gospel in the roles God has entrusted them. “Amazing Facts strives to be genuinely true to the Bible,” Karen reflects. “That encourages us to be faithful as His witnesses. It has been a very humbling experience for us.”

Pastor Doug puts it simply. “God must have been desperate to choose me.” 

Thank you, Pastor Doug and Karen Batchelor, for 30 years of faithful service to Amazing Facts. Your dedication and service have touched countless souls for the kingdom!

Copyright 2020 NPR. To see more, visit STEVE INSKEEP, HOST: Seventy five years ago this summer, the United States brought an end to the Second World War. An American battleship anchored in Tokyo Bay in 1945 - Japanese officials and top hats came aboard and formally surrendered to General Douglas MacArthur, who gave a speech. (SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING) DOUGLAS MACARTHUR: It is my earnest hope and, indeed, the hope of all mankind, that from this solemn occasion a better world shall emerge out of the blood and carnage of the past. INSKEEP: Having invaded China and attacked the U.S., Japan ended the war in ruins. That's the overall story. But what was the experience for people in the wreckage of Japanese cities? Japanese civilians lived and died in U.S. fire bombings, atomic bombings and a years-long U.S. occupation as they rebuilt their devastated country. The writer Asako Serizawa says her parents and grandparents were among those civilians. She imagines the stories of such people