Pacific. When the hymn ‘Draw Me Nearer’ came over the radio this morning it had a very special appeal to me, I can assure you.” A New Zealand listener wrote, “HCJB is an oasis for us.” A Cana dian college student wrote, “ It is a treat to hear your broadcasts which are not concerned with waging ideological warfare but rather spreading the words of God and Jesus.” Missionary broadcasters such as HCJB, the pioneer of missionary broadcast stations, are poli tically uncommitted, preaching a Gospel that as sumes no cultural orientation on a spectrum of radio frequencies dominated by serious combatants in an ideological warfare. But the combined broadcast hours o f all mis sionary radio stations are only minimal when com pared to those o f the world’s political antagonists. The total amount spent for missionary broadcast installations, staff and operating expenses probably would not approximate that o f one installation of a major government shortwave broadcaster. In these “ last times” missionary broadcasters call upon the church in North America and other advantaged parts of the world to supply the finan cial and technical resources and communication specialists needed to make the forces that would use the still relatively untapped potential of Inter national Shortwave Broadcasting an increasingly potent and effective instrument in reaching the world’s exploding population for Jesus Christ. R eferen ces : 1. The Future of Shortwave Broadcasting, Vol. BC-14, No. 2. IEEE Broadcast Transactions, June, 1968.
Every strata of society is represented by those reached through missionary radio. Government officials, ranking military officers, wealthy business people as well as people from the lowest economic echelon, are among those who have received Christ in recent months and are being nurtured daily through the consistent visitation of missionary ra dio in an office or home. Letters arriving at HCJB from an average o f more than 120 countries each year tell fascinating stories. Take as an example, the young woman from Kingston, Jamaica, who wrote, “ I want to assure you that from the moment I found HCJB, when life seemed not for me . . . there you were speaking to this cold heart of mine” ; or the young intellectual from Kankakee, Illinois, who comment ed, “ Your religious programs make a person use his mind, and I commend you for it.” Letters such as one from an attorney in Madras, India are not unusual. He said, “Hearing the talks and music is a balm to me. Though a Hindu, I feel entranced by the sublime music.” An English listener enroute from Africa to his home by ship wrote, “Our ship is now out on the
2. Op. cit. 3. Op. cit.
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'loseup of HCJB’s compound, including on the left foreground, the Administration building, center, Engineering building and offices, ight background—the Radio building, right foreground, the Russian nd English Divisions. Not pictured are, the New TV complex, Print- ng and Publications building, The Bible Institute of the Air, Apart- tent building, Radio Circle building, Guesthouse and the Vozandes Hospital.
Thomas E. Steele is director of Broadcasting f o r HCJB wi th responsibility for the Radio Transmissions.
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