homeland recording studios and Christian-man aged stations are beginning to affect definitely the pattern of current thinking in the Christian public. The old “bugaboos” and “ taboos” against Radio that concerned some earnest and many not-too-sym- pathetic stand-patters in the Church are fast fall ing away in the light o f fruitful, lasting results being reaped. Instead, on the part of many believ ers there has come an enlightened, even warm hearted awakening and appreciation of Gospel broadcasting’s place in and contribution to the evangelical community. One of the most gratifying evidences of this change in attitude is apparent in the increase o f churches and individuals who par ticipate in the Annual Day of Prayer for Gospel Broadcasting World-Wide, observed the second Sunday of June each year. This effort to challenge Christians to pray for all Gospel Radio and TV pro grams everywhere has caught the imagination of increasing numbers over the past 10 years. Spon sored as one of the service-agency activities o f the International Christian Broadcasters, the “ Prayer Day” continues to arouse interest in and focus attention upon the microphone and TV camera as essential aids, allies and adjuncts to all relevant Christian advance in and outside the local church. As Bible-believing, evangelical believers, con cerned with every implication of Mark 15:16, we must “ go into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature” by the effective means of Radio and TV. Television is here to stay along with Radio, and evangelicals must revise and upgrade their thinking about their spiritual application. The facts are that 93% of United States homes are reached by Radio today, and 87% are reached by Television. In Japan 96% of the homes are open to TV “ invasion” while Radio receivers abound everywhere in the land of the mighty “transistor.” The 435 million radio receivers extant in the world today constitute in themselves one of the greatest potential audiences ever given to the Christian Church. Now will we avail ourselves of the means at our disposal to reach many of them? This burn ing question o f the hour has to be faced far more seriously and actively than has been true generally up to now.
earth’s population, and to seek “ conquest” rather than complacency? Here a word to Gospel broadcasters themselves may be in order, as we contemplate the strategy needed by which properly and intelligently to “ en ter the land” (air-domain). Religious program mers must not fall back into their own “walled-off” studio “ castles,” isolating themselves in thought and content from the very society they are trying to penetrate and influence. How easy it is for Chris tian broadcasters to became “brass-hat” desk theo reticians, forgetting and by-passing the frenzied problems of the hour! By their very technical nature, Radio and TV are “ outgoing,” and our program-perspective must also be in the “ out-thrust” pattern, to meet con temporary life “ head-on” at all levels with real per tinent answers and Scriptural solutions. To do this, we must accept the rugged responsibility of digging into the nature of our medium to see what Radio is capable of doing with listeners, as well as to find its inherent limitations. We certainly dare not treat the growing “monster” of Television in an off-hand fashion, but rather ascertain, with a sense of respect for its demands and delights, how we can rise to the occasion of “ taming” TV for Gospel pur poses. The only proper answer of the Church to the challenge of this hour in communications is the training and preparation of personnel at a high, professional level, keeping all sincere spiritual ob jectives in view, but recognizing that only mature objective thinking and acting can finally meet the need adequately. Philemon 6 is our standard, no less: “That the communication o f thy faith may become effectual . . .” How much o f the millions- of-words barrage of the Gospel we broadcast is really effective? Serious thinking about this will have to begin with executives at the policy-making level among Christian broadcasters. Meaningful implementation needs to be carried on all along the program and technical chain-of-command until what we accept in principle as a desired result becomes indeed a working program reality in fact. Fifty-three missionary radio stations with one missionary TV station and scores of overseas and
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THE KING'S BUSINESS
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