After 41 years on the radio, the self-proclaimed “Mother of the Airwaves” plans to celebrate her anniversary with the Selma community Sunday.

Jannie Venter, the host of Sunday Night Gospel Training on WHBB AM 1490, is excited to celebrate her 41st radio anniversary Sunday at the Carl C. Morgan Convention Center.

“I didn’t think I would be in this career for even a year, but God gave me what I needed to continue,” Venter said. “It’s just in me. It’s just in my heart.”

Venter never expected what started out as temporarily helping with a radio church program, to lead to decades of ministering God’s word to her own radio audience.

Now that it has, she appreciates every chance she gets to spread the gospel.

“I love people,” she said. “I know people are hurting out there to hear a word from the Lord, and I try to give them the word from the Lord.”

Venter said the radio show is a great way to reach people whose circumstances may prevent them from making it to a church service, such as a severe illness.

“Some are confined at home,” she said. “They can’t get to church, so I try to bring the church to them through gospel.”

Among the long list of gospel entertainers set to perform at the 4 p.m. event are Camp Hill’s Holloway and Drake Singers, Jemison’s Christian Harmonizers and the Spring Hill Male Chorus from Prattville and more.

The admission fee is $15 for adults and $6 for children younger than 12. Advanced tickets are not available.