HARRISONBURG, Va. (Mennonite Media) Sheri Hartzler, program manager at Mennonite Media, has been named chair of the Faith & Values Member Council for the remainder of 2008. By virtue of her position as chair, she has also been appointed by the National Interfaith Cable Coalition Board as an ex-officio trustee representing the Member Council.
Faith & Values Media uses the electronic media to enrich spiritual life, heal wounds by advocating religious tolerance, and build bridges of understanding among people of faith.
Today the programming services of Faith & Values Media are available on Hallmark Channel and on FaithStreams.com. The organization has provided numerous production grants to Mennonite Media since 2001 for various documentaries and one series of radio spots.
The Member Council represents the 49 different faith groups and organizations of the Faith & Values Media organization, representing 120 million congregants. Until January 2008, Faith & Values Media was part owner of the Hallmark Channel.
Mennonite Media’s history with this organization goes back to its inception in 1988 when then-director Kenneth J. Weaver was part of the NICC that launched a cooperative religious channel called VISN. Mennonite Media supplied a mission-oriented program, "All God’s People" and other Mennonite-produced programming to the cable channel. Later the channel was renamed Odyssey and in 2001 it became Hallmark Channel that is now subscribed to by 84 million homes.
Burton Buller currently directs the work of Mennonite Media, a division of Mennonite Mission Network, the mission agency of Mennonite Church USA.
