Ed Bousman (1918–2011)

Mr. Bousman, who broadcast his weekly Sunday morning show, "God Is Just a Prayer Away," on 50,000-watt WCKY-AM and WLW-AM for nearly 50 years. "He loved radio, and he knew that if could get on a 50,000-watt station, he could preach the gospel to a lot of people," said Bill Wills, a Lynchburg native and former WLW-AM morning host now working for Cleveland's WTAM-AM (1100).

Mr. Bousman earned a bachelor's degree from the Cincinnati Bible College and Seminary (now Cincinnati Christian University), and a master's in communications from Xavier University.He started his ministry in 1943, and began broadcasting in 1962 by buying a Sunday half-hour evening time segment on WCKY-AM for $180.Mr. Bousman switched to paying WLW for a time slot before 1970, said Wills, who as a child attended Bousman's Lynchburg Church of Christ in Highland County."He did not want to be called a 'reverend.' He was a pastor and an evangelist," Wills said about the longtime family friend.At the time of his death, Mr. Bousman was heard on stations in Indianapolis; Louisville and Prestonburg, Ky.; Wheeling, W.Va.; Richmond, Va.; Waterloo, Iowa; Little Rock, Ark.; and on short-wave stations in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Nepal, Sri Lanka and the local language is English reaching out to over one billion. Excess funds from the The Preaching Christ TV Ministry made it possible in April 2003 to begin broadcasting into Western Russia, Estonia, latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Ukraine, Czech Republic and Bulgaria by means of the the powerful 100,000 watt transmitter. He often mailed Bibles and clothing to African and European regions that listened to his broadcasts, Wills said."Lynchburg is a town of 1,000 people, and he had it on the map," Wills said.Mr. Bousman also hosted "Preaching Christ TV" (1984-94), which ran on both Channel 19 and satellite television, according to his wife, Naomi Angel Bousman. All former broadcasts can be heard on the ministry's website. His theme song - which Mr. Bousman sang each broadcast - was written by his first wife, Roberta, who died in 1980. Wills said Mr. Bousman recorded the program in his home studio.In December 1982, he married Naomi, aformer teacher at Sycamore High School.Last year, after Mr. Bousman became ill, the couple "got organized" Mrs. Bousman said. They recorded an estimated five-years' worth of future broadcasts to be heard without repetition.In addition to his radio program, Mr. Bousman traveled frequently on weekends, speaking across the country at Church of Christ-hosted revivals and annual events such as the Hillsboro (Ohio) Family Camp and Prayer Clinic in Grundy, Va."He was a living Bible, who had the entire New Testament memorized,'' Mrs. Bousman said. "He ate, slept and drank scripture."