Co-founder of Miracle Channel dares to dream
by Helen Friesen,
CLN’s Lethbridge representative

Joan Dewert, the co-founder of the Miracle Channel (CJIL), Canada’s first 24-hour Christian TV station, is a petite lady with a pleasant smile. Smartly dressed, she could be mistaken for a lawyer or a CEO.

  Among her many duties, she is co-host and executive producer of Lifeline, an hour-long television program that airs internationally. She is also involved in many other television productions and along with husband, Dick, gives oversight to their local church, the Dominion Gateway Center. Dewert and her husband travel to churches and conferences as itinerant speakers. They have two children, both married, and four grandchildren.

  The Miracle Channel celebrated ten years of Christian broadcasting in January of this year. CJIL, the station’s call letters, stand for "Christ Jesus is Lord."

 
Joan Dewert of Lethbridge.

 Dewert laughed as she remembered the first broadcast on January 14, 1996. A huge blizzard the night before made it impossible for technicians to climb more than half-way up the broadcasting tower. Without full power, reception was snowy. "But we were so excited," Dewert recalled.

  Over the past 10 years, viewership has grown from a potential 80,000 people to millions across the nation and millions more via the Internet.

  A recent expansion has made the Miracle Channel available over direct-to-home satellite to many parts of the United States.

  Did the Dewerts ever dream their work would grow this much? "We felt it in our hearts," Dewert said. "We just didn’t know how we were going to get there."

  The mandate of the Miracle Channel is to change the spiritual temperature of Canada through 24-hour Spirit-filled Christian television. Dewert said viewer response shows the Miracle Channel is achieving this. Many letters tell of "changed lives…whole families impacted." Dewert believes the political climate of Canada is also changing. In their travels and conferences, they’re seeing hope.

  One of the challenges the Dewerts face is spiritual opposition. "It’s in the form of constant resistance," said Dewert, such as in taking longer to get the CRTC license, and slower expansion. "We had to pray and stand (firm) for a long time," she said.

  Another challenge she personally faced was becoming more outgoing. Prior to her work at the station, Dewert was a homemaker and mom, and worked at a medical laboratory for twenty years. There she met with people on a one-to-one basis. She saw herself as a "shy, background person." The last thing she dreamed of was being on television before millions. But she is now thankful for the journey and gives the credit to God.

  "He is tireless," said Dewert, when asked what it’s like to be married to Dr. Dick Dewert, president of the Miracle Channel. "He is passionate when he has a mandate from God." While she always chooses to be alongside her husband, she strives to balance family and ministry.

  "It’s totally God," Dewert added when talking about the strength needed to face the daily responsibilities. She has a regular daily prayer time and continues to pray throughout the day. She stays "hooked to God," she said.

  The ministry has a huge volunteer prayer force backing it up. The channel has its own Wednesday night prayer meeting, Shaarei Tephillah, focusing on praying for the station and for the nation. Viewers often pray as well. Especially when there is a specific event or a challenge, "we know they are praying for us."

  Dewert’s advice for modern women? "Don’t limit God. You have no idea what you can do with God’s help. Dare to dream."

  For more information on The Miracle Channel, visit their web site at www.miraclechannel.ca.