Gospel Recordings Incorporated

Gospel Recordings (GR) was begun by an American missionary to Central America, Joy Ridderhof, in 1938. The purpose of the organization, initially called Spanish Gospel Recordings, was to manufacture recordings of Scripture verses and gospel messages in Spanish and various dialects for distribution on the mission field. The goals of the organization were very quickly expanded to include recordings in many languages and the name was consequently changed to Gospel Recordings. From its international headquarters in Los Angeles, GR maintained contact with hundred of missionaries and gathered information on approximately four thousand languages and dialects. Millions of records were given without charge to missionaries in 165 countries. GR also developed various kinds of hand or battery-powered phonograph and tape recorders for use in areas remote from electric power sources, and offered seminars for missionaries in the technical, electronic, and linguistic aspects of cross-cultural communications. GR had affiliated offices in Canada, Mexico, Australia, India, Great Britain, Hong Kong, and South Africa.