Wilbur Nelson

Wilbur Eugene Nelson (September 25, 1910 – August 22, 2003) was an American Christian radio broadcaster, church minister, gospel singer and composer, and published author. He produced and hosted the nationally-syndicated Morning Chapel Hour radio program in the 1940s–1990s. In addition to pastoring churches in California, he sang as a tenor soloist throughout his career. Nelson's radio ministry continues today, now known as Compassion Radio.

Early years Nelson was born in Brighton, Colorado, on September 25, 1910. He attended Pilgrim Bible College in Colorado Springs, Colorado, before moving to California. He attended the old Country Church of Hollywood in the 1930s, where he married his wife, Ethyl, in 1936. Among his many singing roles, Nelson sang at Billy Graham's crusade in Los Angeles in 1949, while pastoring Grace Church in Huntington Park, California.

Church ministries Nelson was founder and pastor of Grace Church of Huntington Park, California, in the 1940s–1950s, which advertised itself as the "Singing Church". While pastoring Grace Church, he also held open-air summer tent meetings drawing thousands, the Los Angeles Times reported in 1949, publishing a photo of Nelson, shirtsleeves rolled up, driving tent stakes into the ground. The goal, he said, was to overcome the "summer slump in church attendance". Nightly meetings were held in the 500-seat tent, which he called "The Canvas Chapel". Known as the "singing evangelist", Nelson both sang and preached at his church, as well as when making frequent guest appearances at other churches.

In the 1960s–1970s, Nelson was minister at Metropolitan Bible Church in Paramount, California, in addition to continuing to make singing appearances as a soloist.

Morning Chapel Hour While pastoring the Grace Church of Huntington Park, Nelson founded the Grace Evangelistic Association to produce a daily half-hour radio program, The Morning Chapel Hour, beginning in 1944 on KGER in Long Beach, California. The broadcast was eventually syndicated to radio stations around the United States and internationally. The program's motto was, "Songs and Thoughts that Lift the Heart". He made guest singing and speaking appearances at churches and special events around the country, such as the Western Pennsylvania Bible Conference in June 1974.

As the program's popularity grew, Nelson extended its international outreach. In the early 1950s, for example, the Morning Chapel Hour broadcast sponsored the building of the Evangel Children's Home in Hong Kong, a Christian orphanage for refugee children from mainland China. He also built a 2,000-seat chapel/auditorium for Isabelle Christian School for Girls in Pusan, Korea. The auditorium was named "Nelson Hall" in his honor.

Recordings and published works Recordings made by Nelson and the Morning Chapel Hour singers include: The Morning Chapel Hour: Wilbur Nelson and the Chapel Singers on the Word Records label, Great Day!, Memory Melodies, and O Come, O Come Immanuel: Songs of the Savior's Birth, a self-produced album of Christmas music performed by the Morning Chapel Hour singers accompanied by orchestra and directed by Nelson. On the latter album's liner notes, Nelson wrote of the Morning Chapel Hour music: "A diligent effort has been made since the program began to present Gospel music in a way which leads the listener to an experience of reverence as well as listening pleasure ... with the prayer that it may bring cheer and blessing".

Nelson wrote several books, including some of his song arrangements and collected meditations given on the Morning Chapel Hour broadcast over the years, among them: If I were an Atheist The Confident Christian Inferior Feelings — is this your problem? Anecdotes and illustrations Believe & behave Singing faith: souvenir selections from the Morning Chapel Hour Talks on the Holy Spirit: a series of radio messages presented on The Morning Chapel Hour

Later years and legacy Nelson received honorary doctorates from Talbot School of Theology and Pusan National University in Korea.