From the Publisher, Doug Harrell
You did WHAT! Well, what are you going to name it? This was the first comment and the first question my wife asked me after I told her we were taking over the Carolina Christian News. I had told her at least a hundred times that I was not going there. I gave her a few moments to regain her composure before I answered. Barbara, I am going to name it the Nineveh Corporation, I said. Actually, we have named the corporation Nineveh Productions, Inc DBA Blue Ridge Christian News.
Steve Parker had approached me last fall and we discussed my getting involved in the newspaper with him but I was not really interested. Barbara and I were working full time on our farm, Harrell Hill Farms, and were really enjoying it. It seemed like our days just flew by with working from daylight to dark each day. Our parents, A. D. and Geneva Harrell and Belle Buchanan, are all getting up in age and we were able to spend a great deal of time with them and that was precious.
Steve and I continued to talk for the next several months and I kept telling him no, no, no. All during that time it seemed that the Lord would not let me drop the issue. The thoughts of going back out in the business world at my age to the extent that I knew it would take to make the business go was hard to accept. I kept waking up at night thinking, this paper is too important and should not go away, so here we are!
The paper will revert back to its original name ‘Blue Ridge Christian News' and will refocus on the original market that it first covered. The only thing we plan to change in the format of the paper is to make it easier for our readers to be able to do business with our advertisers. These are the people that make the paper possible and we want to honor them with the support of our readers. I do not feel the businesses owe us loyalty, we must earn their respect and support as we continue to spread the Good News we feel we are commissioned to do.
Our goal is to be true to the teaching of Christ and the Bible. We will not be getting involved in the political arena or reporting on the goings on in Washington. We will be willing to take a stand on the fundamental truths taught in the Bible and the life styles it teaches. The Golden Rule will be our measuring stick in how we will treat our customers and our readers. I am not interested in doctrinal differences between the denominations, which translation you use, if you immerse forward or backwards or sprinkle . My belief is that we are brothers and sisters in Christ and that should be our guiding focus.
Our new editor, Clint Pollard, is a long time friend that I have absolute trust and faith in. He will be the person you will be seeing in the paper month after month. I will not be doing a Publishers Column and will turn that function over to him in his editorial column. Please feel free to send us article and functions you would like to have included that are of the type we will print. We want to focus on the victorious Christian Lifestyle and the freedom that gives each of us on a daily basis.
Lastly, we covet your prayers as we venture out on this new adventure!
-Doug
