Contact: Colby May, TBN, 202-544-5171, cmay@tbn.org 

LOS ANGELES, June 8, 2012 /Standard Newswire/ -- What if there was a special television channel that carried all the best church and ministry programs featuring the most respected Christian leaders? And what if that channel was available around the clock to comfort, inspire, and challenge viewers any time day or night? That kind of network would be a valuable resource for millions of individuals and families searching for spiritual fulfillment, wouldn't it?

The good news is that such a channel exists here and now. Launched in 2002 by the Trinity Broadcasting Network, the Church Channel is opening the door to worship for viewers all over the world, helping them connect to a vital and life-changing faith in God.

Dr. Paul Crouch, TBN's founder and President, recalled that several years ago he began to see an increasing number of specialty cable and satellite networks geared for specific audiences. "At the same time our research was showing that church and worship services were among the most popular religious programs on television," he said. "'Why not have a channel featuring these services all the time?' I thought."

Dr. Crouch said it was also becoming increasingly apparent that fewer families were going to church on a regular basis, and so were getting less spiritual input in their lives. That cultural phenomenon has been confirmed by researcher George Barna, one of the leading authorities on the changing face of religion in America, who noted that even as a majority of Americans retain a strong belief in God and express a desire to connect to church and a lifestyle of worship, at least one-third of Americans do not attend church on a regular basis.

The TBN team put two obvious elements together to launch the Church Channel. "On the one hand, we recognized that there was a segment of viewers who wanted to connect to faith in God and experience the blessings of a vibrant church community," said Dr. Crouch. "On the other hand we knew that there was a host of dynamic churches and ministries producing top quality programs geared for just this audience. Through the Church Channel we're able to use these ministry resources as an avenue to help viewers cultivate relevant, meaningful worship in their daily lives."

Twenty-fours hours a day the Church Channel offers the most influential and popular Christian speakers from a wide variety of denominations and worship styles, including T.D. Jakes, David Jeremiah, Joyce Meyer, Charles Stanley, John Hagee, Billy Graham, and many more -- both past and present.

Matt Crouch, TBN's Vice President for Administration, noted that the Church Channel is the only network dedicated to broadcasting church services and ministry programs 24 hours a day. "And because there is such a diverse range of worship styles and churches that viewers relate to, we include as many of those styles as possible into the Church Channel's daily schedule," he said. "The feedback we get from viewers confirms that they're finding hope and life-changing inspiration every time they tune in."

He added that the ministry philosophy behind the Church Channel goes to the very heart of TBN's mission to provide dynamic, life-changing programming for every viewer demographic. "Knowing that there is a network available that will allow anyone to be blessed, inspired, challenged, and changed for eternity -- 24 hours a day -- is a great feeling," he said. "That's been our commitment at TBN for 40 years, and our focus for the future."

For more information, or to view the Church Channel live, visit www.churchchannel.tv.