About Dial-A-Prayer:

Pastor R.R. Schwambach 2005 Video Clip #1

Pastor R.R. Schwambach 2005 Video Clip #2

Excerpt from the book "Eternal Impact!" The Life and Ministry of R.R. Schwambach. Published 1991 authored by Geneva Schwambach and Rev. Steve Schwambach

"When Dick first began the 24-hour Dial-A-Prayer service Thanksgiving Eve of 1955, he thought it might just be a novelty for a season and then fade off the scene as passe'. At first, so many calls jammed the lines, the telephone company recorded a backlog of more than 5,000 busy signals in two 24 hour periods. We were required to install additional lines and answering units to handle the load of calls. Of course, as the new wore off, so did the load level. However, in the 35 years of providing this service, we have received many letters and testimonies telling how God used this quiet ministry outreach to help them through a life crisis. Dial-A-Prayer has prevented a number of suicides, including that of a trapeze artist in town, who found the number in the Evansville Yellow pages. When the weather is dreary or in time of national crises, incoming calls are up. Also on holidays when people are lonely and depressed, the calls are about double the normal number. The Dial-A-Prayer service still averages about 300 calls per day. As long as he can continue to have a word of prayer with that many people each day, I know Dick will consider it well worth the time and expense. "

The Evansville Courier – Wednesday, November 23, 1955

Lonesome? Sick? Need Spiritual Help? Tomorrow You Can Dial-A-Prayer

A “Little grey gadget” –in Bethel Tabernacle will become an instrument of comfort and hope for distressed persons beginning on Thanksgiving Day.

No the “gadget” isn’t a mechanical brain that solves highly complicated scientific problems with a push of a button and a flashing of multi-colored lights. It’s a better and in a way, more mysterious machine than even that wondrous invention. For this “gadget” answers problems that would strip the gears of even the fanciest mechanical brain.

Power of Prayer
And yet it makes use of nothing more unusual than the human voice and the power of prayer. All of which means that “dial-a-prayer” service has come to Evansville. The service, which has caught on in a number of other cities, has been arranged by the Rev. Richard R. Schwambach along with the technical assistance of the Indiana Bell Telephone Co.

The 43 second non-denominational prayer may be heard beginning tomorrow by dialing HArrison 5-1311. The prayer for tomorrow will be a special Thanksgiving reading given by the Rev,. Mr. Schwambach. Persons feeling the need of comfort, hope and inspiration may call at any hour of the day or night. “Our prayer may be just the thing needed for persons who are insomniacs, tossing and turning through the night because of anxiety and worry.” Rev. Schwambach said.

Spiritual Lift
“Many people,” he added, “need the spiritual lift of prayer through their working day. Often the strain of business or domestic chores becomes distressing and a prayer is the best way to ease the tension.” Hard pressed businessmen and overworked housewives aren’t expected to be the only ones using the system. Hospital patients waiting for the dawn, mothers with sons far away in the service or at college, and just people with problems are expected to keep the phone ringing busily.

Rev. Schwambach said he would record a new prayer each day on the automatic answering unit. He anticipates that the dial-a-prayer service will become so popular it may be necessary to install additional units at the church. Charles Hatley, sales manager for Indiana Bell here, said other churches and organizations are interested in the dial-a-prayer system and that units will probably be installed soon. “The dial-a-prayer system was introduced first in South Bend and has caught on tremendously there since.” Hatley said. “We expect it to become just as popular in Evansville.” he added.

Typewriter Size
The service may be installed for $2.50 a month. A unit about the size of a typewriter is connected to the phone. It is operated by turning the function selector to “dictate” and pressing on a control key. When the red “dictate” light flashes, the person recording the message speaks into the mouthpiece of the telephone as in an ordinary phone conversation. Upon completion of the message, the control key is released and the phone hangs up. The red dictate light will start to flash a warning near the end of the maximum recording period.

There are, of course, problems connected with the dial-a-prayer undertaking. One is that persons with similar numbers may suddenly find they are receiving requests for prayers when they answer their phones.

A few pranksters also may be expected to have some “fun” by tricking peple into dialing for the prayer. In one city where the system was used a man who had become angry over a poor golf score was duped into calling the prayer number by his playing partners.

Such incidents, however are fairly infrequent and most of the curiosity seekers and pranksters soon stop calling. These minor hazards of the system are of little significance against the good that is accomplished, many clergymen believe.

Storms Bring Calls
National disasters have had an effect of booming the use of dial-a-prayer. When the recent hurricanes battered the eastern states, listeners could hear a special prayer for safety while the storm was in progress.

Part of this prayer read “We may without fear abide all storm and troubles of this life.” A special prayer also was recorded for President Eisenhower after he was stricken with a heart attack. Some churches found their lines so jammed that many additional machines had to be installed.

An East Cleveland, Ohio, church now has 10 units in operation and averages almost 13,000 calls a day. Other churches report that calls are coming in at a rate of one a minute, 24 hours a day.

It looks as if the dial-a-prayer is due to be with us for a long time to come.

The Evansville Courier – November 1955

Belwoods Pray You'll Watch Dialin' Finger

The telephone rang early and late yesterday at the home of Mr. and Mrs. William E. Belwood, of 740 Negley Ave. It also rang in between time and almost all the time. To make matters worse most of the people who called hung up when Belwood or his wife said hello.

After a "couple of dozen" such calls Belwood suspected something was wrong. When the next caller asked for a "prayer" he knew something was wrong.

Belwood questioned the called and found out he thought he had called the "dial-a-prayer" number.

Belwoods exchange is HArrison 3-1311. the number of the "dial-a-prayer" service, which goes into operation today, is HArrison 5-1311.

The somewhat harassed family has requested that persons wishing the "dial-a-prayer" service make sure they have the right number before calling.

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