STEPHEN WORTHEN

As the middle child and only son of a Chicago minister and his wife, Steve learned the power of music at a very young age. His family is very musical, and encouraged their son's interest in playing the drums and bass guitar, with a few piano lessons thrown in for good measure. During his teenage years, he assembled and sang with several groups, including one with his two sisters.

His love for Southern Gospel as well as Country music led to dreams of one day becoming a professional singer or perhaps a gospel disc jockey. As a child he would often pretend to be a disc jockey with his sisters. Nighttime would invariably find him listening to country music on a radio stuffed under his pillow. His favorite show was called, "American Country Countdown".

In 1976, the Worthen family left Chicago and moved to Valparaiso, Indiana, where Steve's father became a full-time pastor. After high school graduation Steve moved to Stone Mountain, Georgia where he began playing bass with a group from his church that ministered in prisons throughout the state.

He followed his parents when they moved back to the Chicago suburb of Naperville, Illinois in 1982 and in 1985, enrolled at a local college to earn a degree in Communications. It was during a field trip to a radio station that Steve playfully asked the question "Do you need anyone to spin your country platters?" Well, the station was WDCB and, in fact, they did. After reviewing his credentials, he was hired as co-producer of the weekly radio show "More Than Music." He quickly became an engineer and on-air personality.

In October of 1986, Steve proposed that the station air a Southern Gospel program. His show, "Southern Fried Gospel" debuted in November of that year, and he acted as both producer and host. Even though he moved on to other projects, his legacy continued, as "Southern Fried Gospel" became a long time staple of the WDCB program format.

Six months after his college graduation, Steve moved west to begin building a professional career in the City of Angels. Three weeks after arriving he applied for, and was accepted to Los Angeles Broadcasters, a highly competitive broadcasting school which only accepted 8% of all applicants.

Five months into his training program he was offered an internship with the ABC Radio Network. The show was called "American Country Countdown" with Bob Kingsley. It was during his meeting with ABC that Bob Kingsley was called in to interview the prospective intern and hired him.

In 1990 Steve felt his call into the ministry and after much prayer and study, he followed that call in February of 1991.  It was also in 1990 that he met the lady who would become his bride.  Steve and Nikcole were married in Elk Grove, California in September of 1992. Together they began to minister in various churches both on the West Coast and the Midwest.

The year 1996 provided another milestone in Steve's life as he and Nikcole welcomed a handsome baby boy, named Austin, in July.  They were blessed with a beautiful baby girl, whom they called Alysha, in July of 1999 and welcomed yet another daughter, Ariana, in September of 2002.

Steve and his family currently reside in Cedar Lake, IN where they pastor the Apostolics of Cedar Lake.