LA MIRADA, CA – “With nothing more than a heart to reach the lost and an understanding of radio’s ability to reach far and wide,” Bob Bowman and John Broger incorporated the Far East Broadcasting Company (FEBC). Their passion was to reach the world for Christ. Their divine direction was to minister to the people of Asia through the medium of radio.
From their original base in Manila, FEBC now broadcasts in 124 languages from 149 stations and transmitters to 49 countries in Asia, Eastern Europe, and Africa. With an unrelenting commitment to boldly share the Gospel to a potential listening audience of four billion people, the impact of FEBC’s ministry can be measured, in part, by the 2.6 million text messages, emails, phone calls, and letters received from listeners. More than 5.2 million listeners contacted FEBC via their website and social media.
According to the impact statement on their website,
“The common thread running through these responses is hope found in Christ, a hope that is transforming lives.”
It takes determination to stay focused on the main thing. Proclaiming the Gospel is the main thing for all believers. Proclaiming it boldly is the main thing for FEBC – and should be for all believers.
Despite rapid advances in technology, 42% of the people in the world do not have access to the internet. That’s nearly 3.25 billion people. But many of them have radios. Radio is the leading media resource for many of those within reach of FEBC broadcasts. It is, therefore, still the most effective means of ministering to the millions of unreached. In many cases, radio may be their only means of hearing the Gospel.
FEBC makes every effort to stay abreast of the profusion of technological advances that can be utilized to enhance the Gospel’s reach and to win new generations to Christ. The ministry that began when radio was king has progressed from shortwave to AM to FM, to digital streaming, and mobile device programming.
The FEBC staff is not intimidated by threats and the real dangers of persecution. Their shared seven-fold commitment underscores their passion and boldness.
- Focus on meeting the spiritual needs of our listeners.
- Strive to reach the least-reached people.
- Seek to reach the most strategic population centers.
- Commit to the Bible as God’s inspired Word and to the primacy of Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord.
- Make decisions based on God’s leading and Biblical principles, not on human wisdom.
- Trust the Lord to provide for all the ministry’s needs.
- Glorify God through their work.
“The challenge in today’s turbulent world is not only to proclaim the Gospel, but to proclaim it boldly – even in the face of persecution. For the people of FEBC, that means being brave in places where sharing God’s Word might cause you to be shunned – or get you killed.”
May we all be willing to proclaim the Word boldly, regardless of the cost.
To read more news on Radio Ministry on Missions Box, go here.
Sources:
- ECFA, Far East Broadcasting Company
- FEBC, Official Website
- Statista, Global digital population as of October 2019