WITH BELARMINO "BLACKIE" GONZALEZ
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SFR: KCHF TV-11, the Santa Fe television network you run and host, is the first Christian television station in the country? I didn't know that.
BG:
Yes. The first one in New Mexico and the first VHF Christian station in the nation.
And how did it start?
Actually what happened, before it started I felt like God was saying he was going to give me a 30-minute program. And as I started testing the spirit, I felt like God was saying not only am I going to give you a 30-minute program but a television station as well.
Now, were you a religious person before this?
Not really. I used to be in a partnership with the governor of the state of New Mexico. I used to own the Spanish radio station here. But then when I went to Albuquerque, that's when I came to have a real relationship with the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. That's where I received Yeshua, which is Jesus Christ, into my heart. I guess my walk really started in 1975. I felt like God was saying, 'If you take this radio station and glorify me every second of the day, you'll never have to borrow money again.' I used to borrow money from every bank. God changed my thinking. It took me seven years to get out of debt. And since 1975, I haven't had to borrow money to run the radio station or the TV station.
How did you get the name Blackie?
One of the nuns at the Christian school I went to, I fell in love with her. She couldn't pronounce Belarmino, so she used called me Blackie, and I liked it right away. I was in the first grade.
I assume nothing ever happened between you two?
[Laughs] No! You always think the best of your teachers. It was just a great relationship.
Tell me about the national group, The Ten Commandments Commission, and your new role as chairman.
Ron Wexler was really the founder. He's a Jewish man who's been working with bringing Christians and Jews together for the past 20 years. He called me up and asked me if I would consider having him on his TV station so I told him yes. And he came and as he was sharing about the importance of the Ten Commandments I felt that this was a project I would help him with and in the meantime I felt like God was telling me to buy some [Ten Commandment] pins. So I think I invested close to $5,000 in pins that I bought from him just to give away for charity. Later on he called me and asked me if I would be chairman of the board.
What commandment do you think gets broken the most?
Gee. All of them. All of us are slaves to sin. When we receive Jesus into our heart, we truly become a new creation. You start loving God with all your heart and you start being able to overcome temptation.
What did you think about the debate in Alabama over whether or not to place the Ten Commandments in the state courthouse?
The Ten Commandments is the very foundation of God. When they started taking prayer out of schools, when they started allowing same-sex marriages, when all this started happening, when all the drug problems started happening, all these things is because we have gotten away from the foundation that God has given us. So we have to get back to the foundation that God gave the Israelites.
Speaking of same-sex relationships, the Oscars were on the other night. I was curious if you've seen Brokeback Mountain?
I haven't seen it. But again, the whole idea you have to realize is that when you don't have a relationship where you're going to get involved with God, you're going to get involved with homosexuality because you're really a slave to sin. There's only one way there can be any relationship with God, you're going to have to be born again.
Do you ever get angry with God?
No, never! I'm so in love with him, I don't have to get angry with him! He answers my prayers all the time. But there's nothing wrong with getting angry.
You're a member of the well-known Gonzalez family. It seems like a lot of your family is involved in politics, or at least your nephew Javier is.
I am still very much involved in politics. I make sure I go and vote all the time. I pray for those who are running for office. I make sure I keep a relationship with all of them. I bring them in, the governor, the senators, the congressmen. I interview them on our program. My job is to pray for them.
What would you say to people who are skeptical about Christian television?
I've had the station for 21 years and my walk is the same every day. In other words, if the fruits aren't there, then where's your Christianity? If you're telling people you love Jesus on TV and acting like a fool the rest of the week, what kind of a person are you? The most important thing is how God looks at me.
