Leadership Team

THE PURPOSE:

ACTS is a National association of Christian communicators who endeavors to protect the ‘free speech’ rights of its members to spread the life-changing truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. ACTS will work towards fostering excellence, integrity and accountability within its membership and encourage networking to develop a common purpose.

THE VISION:

The vision of ACTS, operating under the direction of the Holy Spirit, is the development of an association of ‘called out’ Canadian Christian Television Broadcasters and Ministries, brought together to speak the truth of the whole Gospel to both believers and non-believers and with a unified voice proclaiming Christ’s imminent return, to wake up a sleeping church and warn people of the judgement to come. Moving in the gifts and authority of the Holy Spirit, ACTS presents Christ as the only answer for all of mankind’s needs.

THE MISSION STATEMENT:

The mission of ACTS, through the various platforms of technology and media, is to propagate the message, that was preached by the Apostle Peter in Acts Ch. 2, that Jesus, the Messiah, has poured out His Spirit on us and has empowered us to preach His message of salvation to the world and to prepare the way for His second coming.

Please Note: Neither the President, the Vice President or Board Members of ACT’s receives any remuneration for their services to Associated Christian Television. Membership fees, gifts and donations are 100% used for the operation and management of the organization.

Charles Rod Hembree President

Rod Hembree was born in 1961. He is one of two children born to Ron and Shirley Hembree. He began his career in 1975 at 14 years-old while his father was working for Rex Humbard’s television ministry in Akron, Ohio. Rod started training in floor directing and audio operation in television. He, then, moved into radio engineering with Paul Tell Productions, a daily radio program for his father. From that point Rod moved to Charlotte, North Carolina and worked on the crew of PTL Club where he learned lighting for TV. It was here that Rod began engineering training at National Radio Institute.

Rod moved to Canada and worked with his father in Brampton, Ontario, creating and producing Rejoice Radio Ministries. In 1983, Rod moved to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and worked for WPCB TV. Rod began in engineering but ended up directing and producing several TV programs. Rod moved to Buffalo, New York in 1985 and worked for Tavco Marketing and Media as an Account Executive for the advertising agency. Then in 1987, Rod moved to Toronto, Canada where he was hired by David Mainse as Senior Producer of 100 Huntley Street, a Canadian national and daily TV program.

From there, Rod went in front of camera as host on a weekly program called Talk to Me in 1990. In 1991, Rod was hired by Life Lessons from the Bible, a daily TV program taking audiences through the entire Word of God in a year.

In 2000, Rod was called to continue with Life Lessons from the Bible and to start a church in Orangeville, Ontario. For 17 years Rod and Janice Hembree Pastored Good Friends Fellowship and hosted Life Lessons from the Bible. The Church grew from his family to about 350 people in a community of 30,000 people. In 2017, Rod resigned as Senior Pastor of the Good Friends Fellowship and continued his work full time with Life Lessons. In 2018, he changed the name of the program to Bible Discovery TV.

In 2011, Rod received a status of Doctor of Theology from Phoenix University of Theology. He also was awarded a Doctor of Ecclesia in 2013. Rod and Janice Hembree have three married children, 4 grandsons, and continue their calling at Bible Discover TV ministries in Orangeville.

Raymond Cradock Vice President

Ray was called to Ministry at 17 years of age and has a background in Pastoral Ministry, Christian Media, Business, and Social Work and has spent more than 55 years in and around Ministry, during which time he was 18 years in management and business in a secular environment while continuing to Pastor.

In Christian Ministry Ray has held positions as Pastor, Evangelist and Missions worker in the UK, America, Central America, Canada, Europe, South Africa, East Africa, Asia and the West Indies and has travelled to other parts of the world on Ministry and Business.

In the 1970’s he moved from the UK to live in Los Angeles, California where he served as a Pastor, Evangelist, with Glad Tidings Tabernacle, Evangelistic Missionary Crusades Inc. and the Free Tract Society. Ray was also jointly responsible for the administration of an orphanage in Honduras, Central America run by Evangelistic Missionary Crusades Inc. He was Ordained with them in April 1974. Ray eventually returned to the UK in 1976 both to pastor and train in social work.

Ray has Pastored six churches in three countries, having planted two churches and built one as. Between 1997 and 2002, he worked as Senior Associate Pastor in Canada developing an International Media Ministry, building structure into the Church to facilitate growth and raise enough funds to purchase land for a multimillion-dollar building program.

When he commenced working there, the weekly congregation was around 6 to 7 hundred with one pastor, a youth pastor and 5 full time staff. After 5 years of working with the Church it had grown to a congregation of 3500 plus, with five additional pastors and 20 full time staff. In addition to this he served as Chairman of the Christian Academy, Assistant Principle for the School of Ministry, birthed the concept for the Church’s Community Services Development and was Executive Director for the same working closely with the Police and Judges. He was a serving member of the Church Board and an active member of many committees. Ray established a Media Agency and Publishing Company for the same Church and introduced the concept of the Church’s ‘Call Centre’ to respond to prayer requests, enquiries and counselling needs while developing their TV Ministry and placing their television program in many parts of the world. In response to the needs of a growing congregation and the community Ray established a professional counselling centre within the local Church.

In earlier years, as well as full time Ministry Ray also worked in the UK with the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children having qualified as a child abuse investigator and family social worker. He later moved on to work with the Department of Education’s social work division, holding the positions of Team Leader, Area Manager, County Manager and Local Authority Prosecutor and developed their child abuse procedures. He chaired several of the Area Child Abuse Review Committees. Later Ray spent several years as Director of Operations in residential care homes with training centres for adults with learning difficulties.

Between 1991 and 2003 Ray co-founded several Christian Television Channels and one of them was The Christian Channel Europe eventually rebranded as GOD TV and currently broadcasting in about 200 countries. This was the UK and Europe’s first Christian television channel. After this he co-founded Cultural Television (CTV), which was instrumental in establishing a new television channel in Norway called the Miracle Channel and another new channel called The Bible Channel for the Middle East and he then helped in the establishment of SAT 7, a middle east Christian television channel, by providing initial funding from CTV. He then went on to co-found two other television channels in the UK.

In the late 90’s the Middle East and North Africa were closed to the Gospel through television. By way of ‘covert’ evangelism, together with a close friend, Ray was jointly responsible for a major media evangelistic thrust by satellite television into the Muslim world on a Muslim Television Channel and thereby opening the entire Middle East and North Africa for the Gospel for the first time in history and which is freely received today in those regions. During this time, they put the Jesus Film onto a Muslim Channel every day for 3 years penetrating 27 million Muslim homes. They then placed the first TV minister into the Middle East and North Africa on the same channel as he was able to deliver the Gospel message in Arabic.

Since 1996 Ray has been a member of the National Religious Broadcasters Association of America (NRB) and serves as a member of the NRB’s Television Committee.

Ray was formerly a Member of the Board of The Miracle Channel, Holland, The Broadcast Group, USA, Metro Ministries, New York and Reconciliation Ministries, Africa, Britain and the Caribbean. He is currently a Board Member of the Canadian Christian Ministers Federation and is ordained with the same.

In 1999 / 2000 Ray was part of the team, led by David Mainse of Crossroads Television, Canada, to establish the Pavilion for EXPO 2000 in Germany.

Between 2004 and 2012 Ray was Senior VP of Global Operations responsible for the UK, the USA, Europe and the South African offices of a North American Media and Management Company. He managed offices for T.D. Jakes, Daystar Television, Joel Osteen, Benny Hinn, Creflo Dollar, Joyce Meyers and Charles Price and others as well as placing some ministries on Christian Television platforms in various parts of the world. In addition to this he held the Voluntary post of UK President of The Hungry Children Project headquartered in California.

In 2012 he was jointly responsible for starting an internet radio station called Worship Radio 247 and who currently produces a weekly TV programme called Worship TV which airs in parts of America, Europe, Iceland, India, Asia and the UK.

In February 2016 the National Religious Broadcasters Association of America awarded Ray ‘The Individual Professional Members Award for Excellence in Leadership and Mentoring in Christian Media’.

In 2020, Ray, formed a company called End Times Media and together with his close friend, Kevin Lee, an IT expert, they launched a new streaming channel called End Times TV.

As of late 2021, Ray, in collaboration with Rod Hembree (Bible Discovery) launched the Associated Christian Television (ACT) and together with Rod’s staff and Kevin Lee will launch ACTS TV which is a new streaming channel.

Ray and his wife Paula continue to keep their passion for souls and the Kingdom of God at the forefront of their thinking and will tell you they are both called by the Lord to serve Him in Ministry and to use their many years of joint experience and extensive training to assist others in Ministry and media and to introduce people to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ to develop an ongoing relationship and closer walk with the Lord. Their home is in Toronto, Canada.

Someone once said, “Yesterday is a beautiful reflection, today is a new beginning and tomorrow has limitless possibilities”. That’s how Ray & Paula see it.

Ryan Hembree Board Director

Ryan approaches the Bible with a fearless and authentic passion, as he seeks to uplift those who are unsure about God and free believers who feel threatened by skeptical opinion. As a man who was once a skeptic himself, Ryan has the tools and knowledge to lead those to confidence in the Scriptures.

When Ryan was 15 years old, he started questioning the legitimacy of the Bible. Then at a prayer meeting, he had a powerful encounter with the Holy Spirit. Ryan knew immediately that the Spirit he encountered was all powerful and all knowing, and thus began His deeper journey with God.

Ryan began his career in Christian television in 2010 when he presented Biblically based scientific reports on Quick Study TV. He later stepped into his role as a daily co-host and content writer in 2017. Today, Ryan is the head of the Creation Science research department at Bible Discovery Television.

Ryan’s passion is to reveal the unity of the Bible, how science and the Bible fit together so beautifully and how studying the world should never be separated from studying the Word. More than anything, Ryan hopes to give people confidence in the entirety of the Bible so that they can “go into all the world”.

Michael Taylor Board Director

Michael Taylor, the firstborn of four children born to Vincent and Gloria Taylor became fascinated with music and entertainment at the age of 9. He is a classically trained piano player, songwriter, producer, singer and actor. He is also an accomplished recording artist, including being the producer of the instrumental CD entitled “Whole Heart” and has participated in several recordings. He is an ordained minister, board member and treasurer with the Canadian Christian Ministers Federation.

In 1972, Michael moved with his family from the UK to Toronto, Canada. He attended and graduated from International Bible College in Saskatchewan. Over 14 years, he served as the music director of several local churches in Toronto during the 1980s and 1990s, while also working in the information technology industry. During the 1990s, he was both a member of the cast and assistant music director for the Toronto version of an off-Broadway theatre musical production, “Mama I Want To Sing”. Jackie Richardson, award-winning Canadian singer and actress, and Deborah Cox, now R&B Singer, were cast members.

Michael became Dr. Michael Taylor upon receiving his undergraduate degree in Sacred Music from Canada Christian College and Ministry from Christian Life School of Theology. He continued to work with other churches and choirs in the Toronto area. As well as summer missions trips teach Bible College courses overseas to pastors and teachers.

Kevin Lee Board Director

Coming Soon

A C T S

With an emphasis on the ‘S’ is to establish, within the above association, the development of a ‘School of Broadcasting’ available to the membership, with courses designed to assist those already in broadcasting and ministries who desire to develop a media ministry. Its purpose is to teach and produce excellence in media.

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