The Bilthuis Family Legacy

Evelyn Folgers Bilthuis is a softspoken, behind-the-scenes kind of person. Now 96 years old, her legacy with Back to God Ministries International started before The Back to God Hour’s first broadcast in 1939.

Evelyn’s dad, Herman Folgers, was on board with the idea of this new media ministry from the very beginning. “My father was vitally interested in God’s Word and our church and missions,” Evelyn recalls. “When he learned that the CRC was interested in starting radio outreach, dad was supportive of the idea and helped recruit radio stations to broadcast the program.”

“Dad stayed involved in Back to God Ministries. He thought it was great that you could use media to broadcast the gospel behind the walls of many countries. My dad was a man with open arms who wanted to spread the gospel.”

Evelyn remembers that her family always listened to The Back to God Hour and used the Today daily devotional. “It was wonderful when we added TV, and continue progressing with all the new electronic gadgets.”

The Legacy of the Next Generation

When Evelyn married John Bilthuis, he shared her love for BTGMI. He appreciated the fact that the gospel was going all over the world. They supported the outreach in all 10 languages. Their gifts always indicated, “Use where needed most.”

They were privileged to visit the ministries in China and Russia. Evelyn recalls, “In Russia, we met a couple of people who were brought to the church through The Back to God Hour.”

For the Future

John and Evelyn wanted to make sure the media ministry would continue for many years. They created a trust naming BTGMI as one of the beneficiaries of their estate. The instructions include “use where needed most.”

“We want the ministry to go on,” says Evelyn. “Our main purpose is to bring people to faith in Christ.”