With minimal resources, Ridgefield pair reach many

By MEGAN PARKS
CNNW intern reporter

RIDGEFIELD, Wash, Sept, 2008 – What started nine years ago with a dream to touch people’s lives is now reaching multitudes from here – but with a minimum of staffing and resources involved.

Billy and Willie Pollard of Ridgefield say they have seen the work of God through their home ministry, Strolling Down Memory Lane, as more than 1 million viewers, in over 75 countries, have watched their show.

Strolling Down Memory Lane is a television show that features old-time gospel music mostly by guest singers and Pollard’s ragtime piano playing, followed by a short devotional by his wife, Willie. “This is a way for people to enjoy good old-time gospel music,” Pollard said.

The show has now reached Velugu Television, India’s first all-Christian television station. The program is also aired weekly on various local broadcasting stations across the Pacific Northwest.

Seen on local stations, as well as a number of online video sites, this ministry is not affiliated with any church or organization, but is financed using the couple’s tithe money, as well as money Pollard raises by playing piano for various retirement homes.

“We set up our tripod in our home with our high-definition camera, and do our show from there,” Pollard said. “Most of our guest singers send us e-mails or video clips of themselves, which we edit into our program.”

According to Pollard, many of the guests from their show come from his hometown of Greenville, N.C. They also have a number of local gospel groups that also perform on the show. The program thrives because of its guest performers, “which goes to show if God is in it, He’ll see that it survives,” Pollard said.

When they started this program, the couple did not expect it to reach this volume of people. Their first show aired on cable channel 29 in Washington, and was a weekly 30-minutes broadcast. Since then, the show has grown to a weekly one-hour program. In February 2007, they put their first video on youtube.com and the number of views on that site alone has now reached more than 1 million.

The shows are not just available to view on television or youtube.com. The couple has posted their program on godtube.com, archive.org, and video.yahoo.com. They also are trying to reach a younger population by putting their programs on sites such as myspace.com, facebook.com and veoh.com.

Yet, this program is not all the couple do to help build their ministry. They also travel to various cities where Pollard performs many of their favorite songs. Pollard said they do not perform at many churches anymore “Because people like hearing that rock-n-roll music now.”

On Sept. 13 (2008), the couple held a concert in the Powers Auditorium at Willamette High School in Eugene. “We had a great response from the people there,” Pollard said. They also will be performing on Oct. 8 (2008) in Aberdeen, Wash.

“The Lord will open doors,” Pollard said. “We are only a small in-home ministry and through Him, millions of people have been touched.”

To view a complete television schedule of Strolling Down Memory Lane or to watch last week’s show, visit their website at http://billyandwillie.tripod.com . Information regarding guest singers or contact information also can be found at their website.