The Beginnings of Midnight Call

From humble beginnings, Midnight Call Ministries emerged. It was shaped by the living hope of Jesus’ return and the desire to spread the gospel message around the world.

Wim and Annie Malgo arrived at Beatenburg Seminary (Switzerland) through various circumstances in 1947. These years were formative for what was to follow. The founding of the State of Israel was also wide-reaching during this time: The fulfillment of the Bible’s prophetic Word had become visible (Amos 9:11; Isa 66:8).

In 1948, Youth for Christ held its First World Congress on Evangelism in Beatenburg, with 500 attendees. Prominent Christian speakers such as Oswald Smith and Billy Graham were present. In its wake, the Beatenberg Seminary made a tremendous impact on the founding of Trans World Radio, Operation Mobilization, SMG (Schweizerische Missions-Gemeinschaft, or Swiss Missions Fellowship), DMG (one of Germany’s largest Protestant missions), Breckerfeld Bible School, various missionary societies, training centers, and more.

With this influence, a team of young seminary students traveled through Switzerland and parts of Austria with a large tent, evangelizing, preaching, and telling people, “Jesus is coming again.” Samuel Furrer, a well-known Swiss tent evangelist, was among them.

But the work needed the kind of organization that could only come from a proper structure. This led to the founding of Midnight Call Ministries in 1955. From the very beginning, radio broadcasts were an important part of the work. At that time, Europe was divided by the Iron Curtain, so it offered a way to reach people on both sides. Radio Luxembourg, a very powerful short-wave station, was a leader in the field.

In 1955, the first radio broadcast was sent via Radio Monte Carlo. It could be heard each Thursday at 11:35 pm. This is the same year that Wim Malgo’s first texts were published: Seven Signs of a Born Again Person (Item #1030) and two other booklets.

In 1956, the monthly magazine Radio Mitternachtsruf (Midnight Call Radio) first went into print, starting with 300 copies for listeners and their friends. It then became the 20-page Mitternachtsruf (“Midnight Call”) in 1957. Our first record (Evangelium durch Lied und Wort—“Gospel Through Song and Word”) was also released that same year. In addition, an expanded traveling ministry began hosting larger events, such as our first conference in the Zurich Volkshaus, a 1,200-seat concert hall.

Our audiocassette ministry began in 1960. Two years later, the ministry moved from Bern to Zurich, where it remained until 2005. Over the years, the ministry has continued to grow. Additional branches have been established in Europe, throughout the Americas, Cameroon, India, and South Korea.