BURLINGTON, ON – The Reverend David Mainse, founder of Crossroads Christian Communications and the first host of religious talk show 100 Huntley Street, passed away Monday after a five-year battle with leukemia. He was 81.
Under Rev. Mainse's leadership and direction, what began in 1962 as a weekly 15-minute broadcast that aired after the nightly news on a small Pembroke, ON television station grew to become an expansive family of not-for-profit ministries that included international multimedia programming, an international relief and development organization, a broadcast school, and a national prayer centre with more than 100 volunteers who field 30,000 calls each month to provide telephone prayer support to Canadians.
A statement by Crossroads credits Rev. Mainse's desire to see Christian programming in primetime and his team's arguments before the CRTC in the early 1980's for an amendment to the Broadcasting Act allowing religious groups to own and operate broadcast stations. He subsequently founded religious broadcaster Yes TV (formerly CTS) which now consists of television stations in Burlington, Calgary and Edmonton.
"He was passionate about people, about Canadian unity, and about ecumenical dialogue," said Crossroads CEO Lorna Dueck, in the statement. "That passion led to innovation. David used the platform of daily television to model open, respectful conversation on faith among citizens across denominations and faith groups from coast-to-coast. And his cross-Canada tours made broadcast history."
For more information on Rev. Mainse, including visitation and funeral arrangements, visit davidmainse.com
