CHOCOWINITY — A local Christian radio station is approaching its two-year anniversary and its founder and manager says the station has been a positive, uplifting beacon in the community.

Johnny Jones said the desire to be a part of Christian radio has not only been a life-long dream, but seeds for such involvement were planted generations back in his family. James Edward Mumford, Jones’s grandfather, passed at an early age. Before he did, however, he left what Jones refers to as “legacy assurance.” Prior to his death, Mumford had been a newly born again Christian. With that spark for Christ in his heart, he wanted as many people throughout his community to hear about the “good news,” Jones said. Mumford donated money to his pastor at Calvary Baptist Church in Greenville to start a Christian radio broadcast, and days after his untimely death, that dream was realized.

Jones said this story instilled in him a legacy of spreading the “good news” through Christian radio.

“Legacy is a big thing,” Jones said. “As far back as high school, I’ve had this radio thing in me. When I came to Beaufort County, it was something that really weighed on me. Just like my grandfather, I want as many people as possible to experience this “good news,” too. Every time you share your life with others through giving and sharing the “good news” you’re building a bridge. That’s what we envision for our radio station—making a way for others to reach Jesus.”

Jones said the station, 98.3 The Bridge, will celebrate its two-year anniversary this November. The station has been a bridge for listeners to find God and His word, and in the past six months its listenership has grown, something Jones says he doesn’t take for granted.

“The listeners have become really loyal and they’re locked in everyday,” Jones said. “They’re very responsive to the station. For people to make the choice for this to be their station, it’s a big, big thing. It’s definitely been a God thing. He is totally driving this thing. We want people to feel like its their radio station and to feel like we are their bridge to a better day. There are so many negative things happening in the world around us so we want it to be something uplifting and positive and encouraging in people’s lives.”

The station seeks to build a bridge of hope and encouragement through positive music and positive messages to its service area, which covers the Washington, Greenville and New Bern areas, Jones said. It’s broadcasts are family-friendly and encourages listeners to consider the “30 Days of Positive Challenge,” a challenge to lock-in to the station for a month and witness the positive impact it has on the lives of its listeners. It also has supported campaigns of several different organizations in the past like the Beaufort County Relay for Life, the Special Olympics and Ruth’s House, Jones said.

“We never turn down community organizations in their causes,” Jones said. “We want to be a community partner. I feel like the way I am able to be a community partner is through my ministry, which is the Bridge. We’re playing the ‘good news.’”

Last fall, the Bridge celebrated its one-year anniversary by bringing one of the biggest contemporary Christian music acts to Transitions Theater in Washington — Phillips, Craig and Dean — hosting over 1,000 people. The station plans to host future Christian concert events in the area, Jones said.

Jones said several businesses in the area stay tuned to the station, including Frank’s Pizza in Washington. Owner Vinny Cilluffo said he enjoys listening to the station’s message through its music. The station seems to speak to its listeners in the sense that you can be having a rough day and experiencing problems in your life, and the station has some kind of content that helps you through your situation, Cilluffo said.

“I have a lot of compliments on the radio station,” Cilluffo said. “It relaxes me. You can be having the worst day of your life and you listen to the station and it cheers you right up. It helps you get through whatever hard times you may be going through.”

Jones has a vision of extending the station’s listenership from Raleigh to the North Carolina coast, he said. His legacy has been realized through the implementation of the station and its growth, allowing him to not only do what he loves doing, but to spread God’s word through it, Jones said.

“No matter where you are in life or what you’ve been through, God can use you and people need to hear that,” Jones said. “I’ve had my struggles, but God doesn’t call the qualified — he qualifies the called. His mercy is new every morning. It’s not about what you do, it’s about who you are in Him. God loves you. People need a reason to get up every day, and we want to be that element in the community to help people make a difference.”