WCIF

This podcast is something simple: just me, talking for about 30 minutes each episode. No guests, no music, no production—just a voice, and a microphone. I’m doing it this way on purpose. It’s modeled after the kind of radio talk shows my grandfather used to do. Dr. James Leland Hall was a pastor for over 65 years. He served churches across Arkansas, Texas, Kentucky, Oklahoma, Missouri, and eventually Melbourne, Florida, where he pastored First Baptist Church from 1971 to 1986. He held multiple degrees in theology, served in leadership roles in the Southern Baptist Convention, and spent his later years strengthening churches and families through teaching, retreats, and interim ministry. He was also on the radio for many years and helped establish WCIF Christian Radio in Melbourne. He was a pastor and teacher, but one of the things that influenced me most about him was his love for technology. He embraced radio as a way to share the gospel, and in his later years—my earliest memories—he was already experimenting with the internet. I remember chatting with him through dial-up chat rooms. I wish I had those transcripts. I’ve always wondered what he would think of what the internet has become—but even more, I’ve wondered what he would think of things like artificial intelligence and bitcoin. This show is my attempt to talk about modern technology the way I think he would have: thoughtfully, patiently, and with deep, biblical conviction. So this is WCIF. The original call sign stood for “Where Christ Is First,” and I hope through this show I can explore how we can make Christ first as we navigate these complicated times.