Challenge from Radio Outreach

The island nation of Haiti is characterized by a daily struggle with human and spiritual poverty for seven million people. That's where the Gospel presents a shining hope.

Bill Evans of Men For Missions (MFM), the laymen's voice of OMS International, says that they are responding to a need created by a healthy radio outreach in Haiti.

OMS International began outreach in Haiti in 1958. Radio 4VEH (The Evangelistic Voice of Haiti) offers Christian programming in French and Creole and English to an estimated audience of 300,000.From that work came the need for discipleship.

Evans explains, "Those Haitians who feel as though the Lord would call them to pastoral ministry or continuing education, we hook them up with the seminary. So, we've seen our enrollment continue to grow, and now is in a challenging position of needing to grow, physically."

MFM is asking people to pray for Dr. Bill Cooper, who heads the seminary. There are more needs to accompany the growth.

"He's always looking for more professors who are wiling to give of their time to serve in Haiti teaching some of the classes, and for our missionaries, as they host the team that's going to come in and build this seminary."

As well as the seminary, there is also ministry from the Bethesda Medical and Dental Center and Cowman International School.

On Air in Kiev

Radio Emmanuel, one of HCJB World Radio’s partner stations, is on the air in Kiev, Ukraine, after five years of work and prayers, making Christian programming available to 3 million local residents for the first time.

Daily broadcasts officially began on Thursday, June 9, on the lower FM band (known locally as UKV). Broadcasts go out in Ukrainian and Russian, and plans are to add programming originating from the New Life Russian radio satellite network based in Moscow.

Initial response by listeners has “surpassed expectations,” says Mark Irwin, director of HCJB World Radio Euro-Asia’s Russia/C.I.S. subregion. “Viktor Radin, Emmanuel’s general director, reported that the station already has received thousands of calls and many visits by listeners who are thrilled with the station’s programming. Many Christians have called to voice their deep appreciation for the gospel message represented in the programming while non-Christians have also called.”

Irwin added that Emmanuel Mission Director Steve Weber expressed “great pleasure to know that the station is now up and running and broadcasting the gospel of Jesus Christ to Ukraine’s capital city. He and his entire team are immensely grateful for all those that have partnered with Emmanuel, including HCJB World Radio.”

Emmanuel is a diverse organization focusing on television production and broadcasting. The ministry is associated with the Christian Broadcasting Network (CBN), the U.S.-based ministry best known for its popular program, “The 700 Club.” CBN has a large ministry in Ukraine as well as much of the Commonwealth of Independent States (C.I.S.) which comprises the former Soviet states.

HCJB World Radio’s Euro-Asia team has been involved with the station since the initial application for a license was submitted in 2000. “We were advising them and helping them plan for the eventual station,” Irwin explains. “Once the license was granted in 2004, we got even more involved, supplying funding, providing a transmitter and other broadcasting equipment, and assisting with technical consulting and other help to start the station.”

In association with HCJB World Radio’s station relations program, two U.S.-based radio stations have also partnered with Radio Emmanuel to provide funds and assistance throughout the process. Staff members from World Radio Network station KBNJ in Corpus Christi, Texas, and WBNJ of Raleigh-Durham, N.C., helped with fund-raising for Emmanuel.

Several local churches in Kiev have stepped forward to assist Emmanuel with the radio ministry as well as a local counseling ministry to follow up listeners and help new Christians find local churches to attend in Kiev.

When asked about the many different entities that have cooperated to get this radio ministry going, Irwin replied, “The station represents the way we work -- that is, working with various ministries in partnership to launch and sustain a ministry. It has included training of personnel, technical advice and support, funding, programming and most importantly, prayer support.”

Radin added that the station already has applied for more FM frequencies in other cities throughout Ukraine in order to extend the reach of Emmanuel. In addition, numerous groups have called the station to see if they can retransmit the programming locally in their cities. Emmanuel hopes to develop a network covering the country’s major cities as well as some of the smaller towns.

(HCJB World Radio)

TV for Mongolia

For nearly 10 years Eagle TV operated as the sole voice of independent journalism on television in Mongolia, airing Christian programming and generating more than 10,000 contacts for evangelism.

Now the new Eagle Broadcasting Company (EBC) will begin broadcasting on terrestrial channel 8 in Mongolia’s capital city of Ulaanbaatar Saturday, Oct. 22.

The Christian-owned company has been operating as a cable news network through the cooperation of SANSAR Cable TV since last January, delivering live news around the clock from Fox News, Associated Press and the Eagle TV studios, along with Christian programming.

Eagle TV’s live news format quickly became a favorite with SANSAR viewers. Now the Eagle TV live news operations will be available for all 1 million residents in Ulaanbaatar.

“This is an exciting moment for our staff and all who have loved Eagle TV for so long,” said EBC Managing Director Tom Terry. “When the former Eagle TV, owned by Mongolian Broadcasting Co., closed down in April 2003, many Mongolians were heartbroken at having lost independent news through television. . . . Now that the new Eagle TV is being placed on channel 8, more people will have access to truly independent news and information than ever before.”

Books to India

Radio station WTGN and Christian Resources International (CRI) has teamed up to collect used Bibles, books and bucks for believers in India.

They called it the “Great Crate Project,” and Christian radio listeners donated Bibles, commentaries, and other Christian literature and raised money to ship the container to India.

“So many people are trying to get other materials out there that aren’t proclaiming Christ as the only way of truth and of salvation, so hey; we got to fight back a little bit,” said WTGN Station Manager Scott Young.

CRI’s Fred Palmerton added, “Each one of those books will get read over and over and it’ll get passed on and reused. . . . Each one of those people will have an opportunity to meet the Lord. It isn’t about growing radio stations, and it’s not about growing ministries. It’s about saving souls and reaching the lost. That’s my prayer, that we just reach the lost just effectively as we can.”

TV Network for India

Ashvin Dhyriam, director of GoodNews Television in India, announced a plan to launch a 24-hour “value-based” television network in India in 2007.

GoodNews Television is a production company that Dhyriam and his father started in 1995.

“The main aim and vision of GoodNews Television is to package and present gospel programs of the love of Jesus in secular stations so that people can reach out,” said Dhyriam. “We are currently buying time on 14 leading secular stations, and we produce on an average about 800 half-hour programs per month.”

GoodNews Television programs are produced for both Christian and non-Christian viewers. Dhyriam said one of the goals of the ministry is to train young people in TV production, “So GoodNews Television in collaboration with Loyola College, a premier institute of learning, offers a comprehensive practical training in TV technology” with 20 students now being trained.

He added that there are millions of viewers in the Gulf region, South East Asia, China, Myanmar, Malaysia, Brunei, Sri Lanka and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

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