Troy Kriechbaum is the captain of the ship, the leader of the pack, the chief of the tribe, the... well, you get the point. If there are questions to be answered, decisions to be made, or meetings to be met (?) Troy's the man!

Ten Questions with Troy Kriechbaum

1. When did you join Encouragement FM?

The Lord led me to Encouragement FM in January ’08.

2. What do you do here?

I have the privilege of leading the team here as President/CEO.

3. Where else have you done similar work?

The majority of my ministry (17 years) has been at KCBI, a Christian radio station in Dallas/Fort Worth. I’ve also served with Dawson McAlister Ministries and Revive Our Hearts with Nancy Leigh DeMoss.

4. Where did you go to school?

Graduated from Baylor University in ’90 with a degree in Radio/TV/Film.

5. Describe your family.

My lovely wife Teresa is an amazing, godly woman! We met at Baylor and have been married nearly 18 years. She is a tremendous blessing to me and to our family! My wife is a excellent stay-at-home Mom and does and outstanding job home schooling our 4 children:

Rebekah (14) is an incredible girl who is fun, smart, organized and has a God-given heart for serving younger children.

Caleb (12) is athletic and loves everything about the outdoors…guns, knives, climbing, fishing, swimming, boating, skiing, biking, etc. He’s a fine young man with a passionate heart for the Lord.

Joshua (9) loves building new and creative things with Legos. He is also very adept at getting around on the computer. If he could have his way, he’d spend a ton of time playing online web games for kids. (Unfortunately for him, he has a time limit!)

Levi (5) is our entertainer! With so much going on in the house, he’ll do anything to get a laugh and to be heard. He says the funniest things too! Once he pretended to have a concussion so that he could get out of bed. He feigned that he couldn’t remember my name, what city we live in, etc. I quickly picked him up in my arms, rushed out the door and told Teresa that we were headed to the doctor to get Levi fixed up… he snapped out of his concussion pretty quickly!

6. What do you enjoy most about working here?

The best part about being involved in this ministry is hearing how God is using the radio stations in the lives of listeners. We’ve heard so many stories: One lady said she was about to commit suicide, then turned on our station… another said we provided hope in the midst of life-threatening illness… still another said that we provided encouragement to live for Christ while he was in prison. We know there are many more stories like this, but we won’t know them all ‘till we see Jesus face-to-face!

7. Why are you working in this ministry rather than in the for-profit/secular world?

I feel called to work in Christian radio and specifically am called to be here in Tyler/Longview. God has ordered my steps, worked through dramatic circumstances and opened doors at just the right time so that he could place my family here in East Texas. He has put a burden on my heart for our stations to be the best in East Texas so that we can provide encouragement and shine His light to our community. I’m so grateful for the people in the for-profit sector who donate each month to keep our ministry on the air and on the web!

8. Share a funny story about working here?

(Troy takes "funny" very seriously and said he would get back to us on this one!)

9. What is your best memory or proudest accomplishment from your time here?

My best memory to this point is hearing listener stories on the air during our fundraisers. From a man who was giving up smoking so he could make his monthly pledge, to a young father who called to donate and say that he gave his life to Christ after listening to KVNE, to a family who gave a donation and wrote to say they are having health problems and are soon-to-be unemployed. How God uses this ministry is amazing!

10. What do you hope to accomplish here?

To encourage Christ-followers to live for Him. To provide a spiritual uplift for families here in East Texas through our daily broadcast. To see the body of Christ come together across racial and socio-economic barriers and truly impact our community for Christ. To be actively involved in our community and to be the best broadcast stations in East Texas.

Vital Statistics

Name: Troy Kriechbaum

Position: President/CEO

Birthday: July 4

Originally from: Dallas

When I was a kid I wanted to be: Veterinarian

Favorite Verses: Isaiah 46:3-4

Favorite Artists: Phil Keaggy, Fernando Ortega, Crystal Lewis, Kirk Franklin, Sara Groves, Toby Mac and Leeland.

Favorite Pastime: Playing football or basketball with my kids. Reading. Mountain biking.

Favorite Food: Chicken Fajitas… Chicken Fajitas are a great perk of being a life-long Texan!