Religion on Records

"It was a market just waiting to be tapped," says Texan Jarrell McCracken. He can say that with a contented smile: at 35, he is president and chief stockholder of Word Records, Inc., the nation's largest producer of religious records.

McCracken first tapped the market twelve years ago, more or less by accident. A divinity student and radio sports announcer, he recorded a platter entitled The Game of Life--a hectic play-by-play account of a football game, with Jesus coaching the Christian team and Satan sending in plays to the Forces of Evil. Originally meant only for use by a Texas church group. Game proved to be such a galloping commercial success that McCracken decided to go into the business for good.

During his firm's early days, McCracken realized that religious music could not compete with pop tunes in record stores, set up a Family Record Club that now accounts for half his business. Members can buy a religious record every month for $3.98 (or $4.98 for stereo); if they buy two, they get a third free. Another McCracken plan is the Audio Record Program: 600 salesmen across the country peddle a five-album. 34-record collection that offers, according to McCracken, "everything a family needs for proper inspiration, worship and education"--all for $189.95. "When they see how we can answer their religious needs, price is no object," McCracken says. Net sales of Word and its companion distributing company last year came to $2,000,000.

Word Records has progressed far beyond The Game of Life, although it is still included in the Audio Record Program. Among Word's releases: Ethel Waters singing religious songs for children, the choir of New York's St. John the Divine Cathedral singing Episcopal Church music. Next month Word will offer a seven-LP, six-hour set of Theologian Karl Earth lecturing on evangelical theology. McCracken's current bestseller: the world-traveling Orphans' Choir from Korea. He recently started another record club, which will feature long-play sermons by Christian leaders such as Baptist Billy Graham, Los Angeles Methodist Bishop Gerald Kennedy, and Dr. Ralph Sockman, pastor emeritus of Manhattan's Methodist Christ Church.

Headquartered in Waco, McCracken's company is housed in a modern, $150,000 building, has an electronic computer for subscription lists; he owns a Beechcraft Bonanza, which he pilots himself to sales meetings. Son of a Baptist preacher, McCracken still finds time to do some lay preaching. "There is more than just a commercial reason for being in any business," he says. "I'm just lucky that I'm able to accomplish so much good in mine."

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