Christian Broadcasters Urged Not to Lose Media Battle

By Lillian Kwon, Christian Post Reporter Thursday, February 12, 2009

Thousands of Christians media professionals came out of the National Religious Broadcasters Convention with a challenge to keep fighting the media battle or risk losing millions of souls.

And the battle is fierce more now than ever with Christian media ministries fearful of the change in the political landscape and threats of the government restricting their message delivery.

"If we lose the media battle ... there will be millions of people who never hear the Gospel ... there will be millions of people who never understand what life is really all about and why Jesus Christ came," well-known pastor Dr. Charles Stanley told thousands of media representatives at the close of the NRB Convention on Tuesday.

Stanley, president of In Touch Ministries and senior pastor of First Baptist Church in Atlanta, delivered the message at the final session of the Feb. 7-10 event, challenging the attendees with powerful yet humbling words.

The way to win the battle, Stanley told them, is to get on their knees and seek God.

"This isn't our battle. This is God's battle because it's God's word, it's God's message, it's God's church, it's God's world and He desires the message to continue," he emphasized.

"I think the reason ... we lose great battles is because we forget to view God properly in the midst of it because you can be so overwhelmed ... with fear and so discouraged by the way you think the battle may turn out that you can forget the fact that your sovereign God who lives inside of you has all the power," Stanley pointed out. "And there's not a single battle that you and I fight and you and I face that Almighty God cannot handle, not a one."

Among other concerns, Christian broadcasters fear Democrats will bring back the Fairness Doctrine, which requires broadcasters to provide equal representation for both sides on controversial issues. For Christians, that could mean giving airtime to pro-abortion voices and other views contrasting with their beliefs.

Although Acting Federal Communications Commission Chairman Michael Copps stated this week that he doesn't support bringing back the Fairness Doctrine, he said he believes government has a role in enforcing media diversity and making radio broadcast more "reflective" of the public, as reported by Cybercast News Service.

As Stanley noted, the battle Christians face extends far beyond the media to Washington, especially as the country tries to fight a recession.

"We're battling in this country as to whether we're going to remain a true democracy or will we just live by ... the new socialism which some people, it appears, are willing to move there for the promise of a monthly paycheck," Stanley said.

The internationally renowned pastor believes what's currently happening in this country will drive Christians – who may have been too proud – to their knees in prayer.

"We're in God's business," he reminded the ministry representatives. "We're in the most important work in the entire world and we have access to the supreme sovereign ruler of the whole universe."

"When you fight your battles on your knees and you submit to the will of God, God will turn that around in ways you never dreamed of," he assured, speaking from experience.

The NRB Convention is the world's largest gathering of Christian broadcasters. This year, more than 6,000 people attended the annual event at the Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center in Nashville, Tenn.