On this, the first episode of Practicing the Art of Faithful Presence, meterologist Chuck Lofton joins host David Wright in dialogue about his career, his faith, and much more. To start their conversation, Lofton provides details about his background growing up in the suburbs of Chicago. His parents, who were both born in the South, moved to the Chicago area just before he was born, and he looks back on his childhood extremely fondly. Growing up watching Chicago news, weather, and sports, he knew even as a young boy that he wanted to follow a career in broadcasting. He describes broadcasting as both the desire of his heart and his life’s purpose. Throughout all of this, his Christian faith has played an important role in his journey. When his mother had children, she made the decision to rededicate her life to God in order to set an example for her children. Growing up, he was avoidant of making a personal decision to follow God himself, and it wasn’t until he was 17 years old that he accepted the Lord after watching a televangelist. His faith grew tremendously as he began attending college. He believes that each believer has watershed moments that define their relationship with God. In life’s struggles, there are times when people pull away from God and times when people draw near to him. In his life, these moments have been losses of loved ones and the experiences of broken relationships. In all of these moments, Lofton has leaned on God for comfort and guidance. He references John 14:6 as the passage of scripture that he always comes back to in times of trouble for a reminder of who his comfort comes from.

From here, the conversation shifts to Lofton’s career and his history with WTHR. He was recruited to WTHR to start the Sunrise show in 1985 and has been doing the show ever since. As he’s grown in his career, his responsibilities have broadened, and he’s been able to go new places and meet more people than he ever thought he would have the privilege to. On any given day, his show averages about 100,000 viewers, and he considers himself very lucky to be a part of the show and the organization. He views being a follower of Jesus in the public sphere as an incredible opportunity to share his faith with people from all walks of life. He believes that, no matter their background, all people have needs and hurts in their lives, and they need outlets to be supported. He loves the opportunity to bring them support and answers through Jesus Christ. He has found that these conversations and dialogues only come from genuine relationships and trust, and when these conversations do come, he views them as a blessing and opportunity to share his relationship with Christ and speak into their lives. As a member of the media, he is very aware of the way media is viewed and perceived in today’s climate, but he is confident in the work that WTHR does and the way he presents information. He truly views his occupation as an offering to the Lord and has a desire to work hard with integrity to represent God and his faith well. He encourages any young person who is interested in being a part of broadcast media to ‘go all in on it’, while trusting and relying on God.

Learn more about Chuck Lofton.

Learn more about WTHR.

Learn more about Practicing the Art of Faithful Presence.

Learn more about host David Wright.