What is Maranatha?



The word “maranatha” is used only once in the Bible (I Corinthians 16:22). Maranatha literally means “watch, our Lord comes!”, thus, WOLC.

Maranatha, Inc. is a Christ-centered ministry called to proclaim the Good News of faith and life in Jesus Christ through various forms of media (WOLC - Joy! 102.5 radio, the Manna newspaper and on the internet), as God directs, until He comes. Maranatha is overseen by a voluntary Board of Directors and operates as a non-commercial not-for-profit organization.

The specific mission of the Manna is to carry out the vision of Maranatha by producing and distributing a free publication (by mail, from newsstands and from the internet) that targets the unchurched and appeals to believers.

The specific mission of WOLC – Joy! 102.5 is to use the broadcast and internet media to proclaim the Good News of Jesus Christ, serving the community through music with a message, programming with a purpose, and to glorify God in everything.

Maranatha relies on the financial support of its listeners and readers and covets the prayers of our regional audience as we endeavor to continue lifting up Jesus, no longer only to Delmarva, Southern Maryland and the Northern Neck of Virginia, but to the world!



WOLC Joy! 102.5



Maranatha strives to identify both music and programming to minister to those that do not yet know Christ or the young in Christ and to those that already know Christ as Lord and Savior.

The 50,000 watt 102.5 FM listener supported signal has been broadcasting Christian music and programming since December 24, 1976, serving the greater Delmarva Peninsula (from Dover, Delaware nearly to Cape Charles, Virginia; from Ocean City to Easton), Southern Maryland and the Northern Neck of Virginia. WOLC is also a global effort, serving the world by way of its webcasting of music and programming ministries.

Joy! 102.5 is intended to under gird the local church, not to be a substitute for it. It is our desire to provide ministry throughout the day and throughout the week to those that know the Lord and desire to listen to music and programming that glorifies Him; and to draw unto Him those that may be seeking His presence in their life (often times when they haven’t even consciously recognized that is what they seek).



The Manna



The Manna is a Christian newspaper which began as an in-house newsletter in 1976 to keep thousands of people informed about the progress of the soon to be operational Joy! 102.5 signal – a project which had begun almost seven years earlier. In 1984 the Manna transitioned into newspaper format, providing Good News to the Delmarva Peninsula.

Over the past several years, Maranatha has committed to enhance the Manna as both a visual and narrative tool to reach those that don’t know Christ and, of course, to provide support and inspiration to those that do. The Manna now reaches people well beyond the Delmarva Peninsula by direct distribution or on this website.

As of 2005 over 500,000 copies of the Manna are distributed annually by mail and from over 1100 locations throughout the listening area.



How is Maranatha funded?



Joy! 102.5/Manna is a listener/reader supported ministry. For the past several years an annual fund-raiser has been conducted to raise listener/reader awareness and to raise operating funds.

Also, while Joy! 102.5 is licensed by the FCC as a commercial station, in 2000 the Board of Directors of Maranatha, Inc. opted to operate the signal as if it were a non-commercial signal. Revenue, therefore, is derived from business sponsors and underwriters; for-profit businesses may not “advertise” but may sponsor segments of the broadcast. Revenue is also derived from ministry and non-profit advertising as advertising, per se, is allowed by the FCC for ministry and non-profit organizations.