The First Televised Easter Service (March 24, 1940)

On March 24, 1940, an Easter service in New York City became the first religious program ever broadcast on television. Officiated by Dr. Samuel Cavert of the Federal Council of the Churches of Christ in America, the service was carried locally on NBC’s experimental station W2XBS. In an era when television sets were rare and reception uncertain, the message of Christ’s resurrection nevertheless crossed a new threshold—entering private homes through a flickering, unfamiliar screen.

The broadcast was a quiet kind of heroism: not the courage of the battlefield, but the courage of witness. It affirmed that the gospel does not retreat from new frontiers. The proclamation remained the same: “He is not here; He has risen, just as He said.” (Matthew 28:6)

Dr. Samuel Cavert

Dr. Cavert was known as a churchman and organizer, laboring for cooperation among Protestant bodies in a rapidly changing America. In this service he acted as a public steward of Christian proclamation, taking responsibility to speak plainly of the risen Christ in a medium still being tested by engineers and broadcasters. His role highlights a steady, pastoral confidence: that Christ’s lordship is not confined to sanctuaries, and that reverent worship can be carried wherever people can hear and see.

W2XBS and New York’s Experimental Screens

W2XBS was not yet “television” as most would later know it. It was experimental—local, limited, and watched by a small audience, often the technically curious, the well-connected, or those near demonstration sets. Yet the setting mattered: New York City, a center of media and commerce, became a proving ground for whether the airwaves would carry only amusement—or also truth. This early Easter broadcast showed that believers could use every lawful means to make Christ known without surrendering the message to the spirit of the age.

Enduring Lessons

The event still encourages faithful boldness. The resurrection is not fragile, and the church need not be timid. “I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes.” (Romans 1:16) Every medium is temporary; the risen Lord reigns forever.