f k blind man is giving new eyes thousands. Though he has no pulpit, his congregation would over flow Madison Square Garden. Though he has no church, his par ish includes 32 foreign countries. Though still in his 30’s, he has al ready preached to more people than did the 12 apostles in their com bined lifetimes. He is Ralph Montanus, founder and president of the Gospel Asso ciation for the Blind, Inc.. Every Sunday people of every denomination gather round their radios to “ Count Their Blessings” with “ Ralph and Bea” as he and his wife come on the air singing their familiar theme song. Blind Sunday school teachers minister the Word from his Braille Sunday school quarterlies and Bi ble study course. Blind organists and choir leaders carry on their ministries with his Brailled hymns and music at their fingertips. Blind preachers face their congregations inspired and equipped by his Braille Bible study helps and sermon aids. Every month, in Maine, Califor nia and 46 other states, in England, Thailand and 30 other countries, blind folks tap-tap their way to the mail box to pick up one of their favorite magazines. Magazine? It’s more than that. It’s a personal evangelist, Christian teacher and friend. It’s what Ralph would like to be in person to every blind man and woman everywhere. It’s the Gospel Messenger Braille Monthly —the evangelical Christian maga zine the blind can read with their fingers. He started it in 1948. That same year he founded the Gospel Asso ciation for the Blind, Inc. Today it’s a world-wide missionary min istry to the 20 million men and women, boys and girls, behind the “ Black Curtain.” The year before, Ralph was at Bible school preparing for the ministry . . . then blindness, and for weeks, uncertainty . . . un til that day he felt a tug on his sleeve. He was standing in the cor ridor of a New York training center for the blind. “ Yes,” he said. There was no answer. ' ‘Yes,” he repeated. There was still no answer but again he felt the tug.
He reaches the blind fo r Christ
by Harald Bredesen
Ralph & Bea Montanus From N ew York to Canada, a strange thump.
“ Yes,” he exclaimed, this time a bit impatiently. “Who is it?” “ It’s Mr. K. He’s deaf, dumb and blind. He wants to communicate with you,” a sighted friend ex plained. “How?” “ Give him the palm of your hand. He’ll trace out the letters with his finger.” Ralph extended his palm and letter by letter, his would-be friend traced out the words, w-h-o a-r-e y-o-u? Then followed more tedious ly put together sentences until the full story of this desperately lone ly man was fully spelled out. The story ended with these words, “ I might as well be dead. No one cares to bother with me.” Ralph knew of Someone who did. Letter by letter he told Mr. K. of
the Friend who had transformed his own life. They parted com pany, both rejoicing. Mr. K. had found the Friend. Ralph had found his ministry. So this was why the door to a regular ministry had closed, in or der that a bigger door might open. This was why he’d had to become blind—that he might the better reach his fellow blind for Christ. But how? He had no means, no sponsorship and next to no profes sional training. What did he have? A vision, a wife and the God who had given him both. Ralph decided radio might be an open- door to reach the blind. Here’s how; Mrs. Montanus tells about their debut to radio. “Ralph had sensed for some time that God was going to put us on
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THE KING'S BUSINESS
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