06/09/2020
Now an international story. Has Brother Stair finally expired, and did he do it whilst live on his radio ministry programme? Amongst listeners to shortwave (SW) communications, Brother Stair is well known. His fundamentalist pulpit echoes across the international airwaves courtesy of several religiously owned radio networks which are allowed by the US government to beam powerful signals across the globe with evangelical Christian programming. Most shortwave listeners are not terribly taken with his brand of God fearing fulmination, and he is known amongst regular listeners to shortwaves by the name “brother Hy-stair-ical” on account of his shrieking tone. When you combine his presentation with the fading one often gets on the shortwave bands, the effect is quite bizarre. The eighty nine year old preacher raised eyebrows even amongst his usual supporters on the US evangelical right wing after key members of his congregation broke with his self styled church and alleged inappropriate behaviour towards females beneath the age of consent. Nevertheless, his wealthy ministry continues to hire airtime on powerful shortwave transmitters. HF Underground, a communications forum, reported that in one lively fevered sermon at the end of August, Brother Stair had been talking about how he was being oppressed by the liberals, homosexuals and other religions when suddenly he seemed more and more ranting and disorientated than usual. Then came the sounds of “low gargling” and “choking” followed by dead air. Then pre-recorded music kicked in and the broadcast terminated with no explanation as to what had happened. People who heard the broadcast questioned whether the aged preacher had finally been summoned to meet his maker, whilst on the atheist web, people speculated as to what sort of reception (no pun intended) he would get when meeting the afterlife.