John McBride, Station Manager
John McBride came to WLUJ in June of 1999 to be the Station Manager. Prior to that John managed Radio Station KICY in Nome, Alaska for more than ten years.
John attended John Brown University with a major in Music Education, but also worked summers and holidays at the school radio station. John has served as an area director for Child Evangelism Fellowship and also as Christian Education Director for a ministry to Navajo Indians at a mission started by his parents. He also worked as a public school music teacher, and as a store manager for Radio Shack.
John believes in the importance "Lifting Up Jesus" through the medium of radio, allowing people to hear God's Word proclaimed wherever they live or travel in Central Illinois, and around the world through WLUJ's live streaming on the internet.
John and his wife Sherri live in Springfield and have three children and seven grand children.
Howard Fouks, Chief Engineer
Howard Fouks has been Chief
Engineer since 2001. He has also served as Operations Manager from 1999 to 2009
and Station Manager from 1987 to 1999.
Prior to his arrival in Central Illinois,
Howard served as announcer and engineer at WGMO in Shell Lake Wisconsin. Also he received on-air training at the old
WGNR in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
Having served now at WLUJ since
1987, Howard says, "I have witnessed much change here at WLUJ, in my life and
in our country. But God does not change
and He is available to help us through our changing world with His daily
grace! I like the verses in Hebrews
chapter 4:14-16 that reminds us to come before our high priest Jesus Christ
with confidence when we are weak and tempted to receive mercy and find grace to
help us in our times of need. Jesus is
there to provide the daily grace we all need as we approach Him in prayer. When
we appropriate His wonderful grace it keeps us serving Him with glad hearts and
a desire to proclaim His glory".
Howard's education includes
Biblical studies and broadcasting, as he studied at the Grand Rapids School of
the Bible and Music and received a degree in Christian Broadcasting.
Howard and his wife Susie reside in
Springfield with their yorkie, angel.
Lonnie Lein, Production Manager
Lonnie Lein joined
the WLUJ staff in 2001. He is a Southern California native who
grew up in the small mountain town of Idyllwild, and he fell in love with tape
recorders and sound recording when he was in 8th Grade. He
holds an AA in Electronics Technology from College of the Desert in Palm
Desert, California and a BS in Broadcasting from John Brown University in
Siloam Springs, Arkansas. He spent the summer of 1979 as a volunteer at
TGNA, a Christian station in Guatemala City.
Lonnie worked
as a recording engineer, writer, sound editor and camera operator for Wycliffe
Bible Translators for nine years before marrying and moving to Knoxville, Tennessee.
There he worked for Cedar Springs Presbyterian Church as an office
purchaser, sound technician, and maintenance man.
Lonnie's duties
at WLUJ include downloading radio programs, promos and public service
announcements, preparing them for broadcast, programming the on-air computer
for each broadcast day, and writing Community Calendars and other radio
scripts.
His wife, Dr.
Glenna Schroeder-Lein, has written a number of Civil War books, the latest
being Lincoln and Medicine, and she works as a historian and manuscript
researcher for the Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum. She also writes and
records the short History of the Christian Church, heard three times on
Sunday on WLUJ.
Richard Beaman, Senior Director of
Underwriting
Richard Beaman has been a part of
the Springfield area's Christian radio ministry for 20 years. After graduating from Ball State University
in Muncie, Indiana in 1960, Rich went to work for a Kokomo, Indiana company
called Continental Steel Corp. On the
road as a traveling salesman he got much of his Christian encouragement by
tuning to Christian radio stations wherever he could find one. Presented with a need and realizing the value
of Christian radio's ministry to people with jobs such as his, Rich
enthusiastically accepted a position on Lincolnland Christian Radio Ministries Board, the
fundraising arm for WLUJ in the early
days. For several years, Rich was also a
part of WLGM which broadcasted a mix
of traditional Christian Inspirational and Southern Gospel music. Rich has worn many different hats while
serving with Springfield's Christian radio stations over the years, and he's
counted it a real blessing to watch the work grow, adapt and become an integral
part of the Lord's ministry here in the Springfield and surrounding areas.
As WLUJ's Director of Underwriting, Rich enjoys working with the local
businessmen and women in our area who support the station's ministry by
underwriting a portion of the cost of daily broadcasting.
Rich also currently serves as Vice President of Broadcasting
on the board of directors for Cornerstone
Christian Radio,Inc." which is the parent company of WLUJ.
Rich and his wife Lydia live in
Springfield. They attend Berean Baptist
Church where Rich serves on its board of deacons. Lydia recently retired from the Berean
Baptist Academy where she served for 25 years. They raised three children in
the Springfield area, and their children have each married wonderful Christian
spouses who have given them seven fantastic grandchildren. Rich gratefully exclaims, "The Lord is good!"
Sherri
McBride, Relational Phoning
Sherri McBride started Relational Phoning for WLUJ in August
of 2007. There have been times when the phone call came just when the listener
needed it.
Prior to that Sherri worked at Prairie Cardiovascular
Consultants, LTD for over five years as a clerical assistant in the coding
department. She moved from Nome, AK-by way of Oklahoma City-to Springfield, IL
when her husband John McBride became the station manager of WLUJ in 1999. While
in Nome, Sherri worked as a reporter for the Nome Nugget Newspaper and
occasionally provided news stories for radio station KICY when John was the
manager.
She attended the Child Evangelism Fellowship Leadership
Institute in Warrenton, MO and worked with Child Evangelism Fellowship for
several years. She also helped with children's ministries and AWANA at
Crosslands Navajo Church in Thoreau, NM.
Sherri's education included radio production before she
married John. Sherri is a writer and has an historical Christian romance novel
in the publication process, and she is writing the sequel.
Sherri and John have three children and seven grandchildren
on two continents.
Wayne Langhein, Finance
Wayne has had a lifelong interest
in radio, auditioning (unsuccessfully) with the campus radio station upon
entering the University of Iowa in Iowa City more than 50 years ago.
Another passion is ministry, having spent nine years with
the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association in Minneapolis. He began as a computer operator and spent
five years in management of the Data Processing and Mail Processing departments.
For another thirteen years he
distributed visual media to Illinois and surrounding areas as owner and
operator of Fellowship Films in Springfield.
Many pastors around the area still remember renting 16mm films from Wayne
and his staff. During this time, Wayne
also produced and emceed the Christian Film Awards ceremonies for three years.
After a career working with
computers, finance and communication, Wayne is excited to be spending his
semi-retirement years finally involved with Christian radio and thankful for
what God is doing in Central Illinois through The WLUJ Family of Stations.
Wayne is a graduate of the
University of Iowa with a B.A. in Mathematics and also received a Master of
Divinity degree from Bethel Seminary with an emphasis in Biblical languages. When asked whether math, languages and
communication have any relation, Wayne says "Of course! Math is objective and precise! Words and
their various forms are objective, and
communication that does the job well has a distinct point and focus. I'm thankful that the programming we provide
from WLUJ
focuses on Jesus Christ and the ongoing difference He makes in a person's
life."
Wayne and his wife Pat are both
natives of Iowa. They have two adult
children, one of whom lives in Springfield and one in Arizona.
Liz Eilers, Underwriting Director
Liz Eilers is the newest member on the team here at The WLUJ Family of Stations. Liz brings her experience of Underwriting for other Christian radio stations where she held the same position.
A native from Central Illinois, Liz is active in conservative politics on a local and statewide level, as well as at Hope Church where she sings and greets. Recently elected to Precinct Committeeman for a second term, Liz has a passion for good government. She has served on the steering committee of the Illinois Center Right Coalition, on the Board of Directors of Springfield Right to Life for a number of years, and does public speaking/writing on the "Socio-economic Impact of Abortion in America".
Liz has served on a number of campaigns for conservative leaders seeking office. Among them; Field Directors for Jim Oberweis and Adam Andrzejewski for Governor, Field Directors for Congressman Bobby Schilling, and Senator Sam McCann, Illinois State Director for Herman Cain for President, Regional Coordinator for Rick Santorum, and other campaigns.
Missions are another passion of Liz's. As home Team Coordinator for her friend Dr. Ruth Mayforth; missionary to Kenya and having served on a short term mission to Haiti herself, Liz has a heart of compassion for those whom God calls "The least of these."
Liz raised 2 great kids (with God's grace) as a single mom and now enjoys her first grandchild whom Liz claims is the cutest baby in the world. Liz's phone number is 217-725-8993. Click here to email Liz.
