WECC The Lighthouse Celebrates 20 Years!
WECC/Brunswick, GA (The Lighthouse 89.3) is celebrating its 20th anniversary on the air this week. To commemorate WECC held a big 20th Anniversary community party on the station grounds to thank listeners, pastors, and clients. The Lighthouse Pres/GM Paul Hafer says, “It was so good to see and visit with family and dear friends who joined us for the Open House and Cookout on Friday, marking 20 years of God’s faithfulness to keep His Light Shining 24 hours/day!”
Paul and his wife Vickie, who serves as Vice President of Lighthouse Christian Broadcasting, signed the FM station on in March 2002.
Vickie adds, ““Shining the Light” of God’s Word has been our radio mission at the “The Lighthouse” ever since we signed-on in 1985, with 2000 watts on WECC AM1190.
Our studio building in St. Marys Georgia even looks like a short lighthouse!
Paul continues, “We strived to be faithful in the little station for 16 years, dedicated to our mission vision to shine the supernatural Light of God’s Word over the airwaves. But it always grieved us, that as a daytime-only radio station, when the natural darkness of nightfall would occur, the “Light” of our broadcast “Lighthouse” would have to go out at sunset. This set our hearts and prayers that God would open the door for a 24-hour FM station. In 1996, we filed an application with the FCC for an FM radio station. We encountered a frequency conflict, and many hurdles, but finally in 1999, the FCC issued a 3 year construction permit to Lighthouse Christian Broadcasting for a new FM radio station!”
It took 3 years, and many more hurdles, but on March 17, 2002, hundreds of supporters and friends gathered at “The Lighthouse” to give thanks to the Lord, turn on the transmitter, and dedicate the new 16,000 watt Lighthouse WECC FM89.3. Three years later after building a new and taller tower, God blessed and increased WECC with 30,000 watts, and is now reaching from St. Marys to much of Jacksonville, Waycross and Brunswick 24 hours a day.
Today the multi-faceted mission of The Lighthouse extends beyond the broadcast, including year-round campus ministry opportunities and activities for kids and adults. In 1997, The Rock Youth Ministry started with some youth volunteers doing a radio show for teens, which grew to a weekly ministry that reached many thousands of teens for 20 years till the pandemic. The Lighthouse still provides community gatherings for a Ladies Bible Study, Intercessory Prayer, and Cub Scout Pack 893.
Pictured at left L-R Vickie Hafer, Paul Hafer, & WECC Operations Manager Mark McMillan.
Paul concludes, “On Friday, March 18 The Lighthouse family gathered for fellowship, food, and fun, and celebrated the 20th Anniversary of God’s faithfulness to keep His Light Shining 24 hours/day for 20 years on The Lighthouse 89.3! It’s so hard to believe that 20 years have passed since we gathered on the front lawn of The Lighthouse WECC AM1190, to sign-on WECC-FM89.3! But God has been faithful, and we thank our families, friends, and the Lighthouse Keepers for your prayer and support. Because of you, His Light is still shining!”
