Mission Group Takes Easter Programs to Secular Airwaves
Partners of a global Christian broadcasting ministry will air special Easter programs on secular radio stations that reach millions of people - many of whom are not Christians.
This Sunday HCJB Global's partner in India will air two 30-minute dramatized programs relating to the life of Jesus on two major government FM channels that have the potential to reach up to 50 million people.
Meanwhile in the United Kingdom, HCJB Global will air two short programs on major secular stations in the Yorkshire area. Combined, these stations can be heard by almost 180,000 people.
HCJB Global-U.K. expressed that one of its key goal is to build relationships with mainstream stations and provide thought-provoking programming to secular radio.
"This is the sort of impact we've always wanted to achieve - not just isolated programs here and there, but a lasting relationship that changes the whole output of a radio station," said HCJB Global-UK director Colin Lowther.
According to HCJB, one of the programs airing in the United Kingdom, called "Final Answer," will take on the format of a spoof of a game show in which the contestant has four possible answers to the question, "What's going to be the number one goal in your life?"
The second program, called "Pearly Gates Duty," features the thief who died on the cross next to Jesus talking about the latest new arrivals in heaven.
In addition to the two HCJB Global partners that will air on secular stations, many of the broadcasting ministry's 350 media partners will carry special Easter programming on Christian stations around the world.
"The resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead is one of the most creative acts of God in all human history," said HCJB Global president Wayne Pederson. "We are committed to using the most creative radio programming to communicate this message.
"Our teams in India and the U.K. are great examples of this effort to connect the resurrection message with a new generation," he added.
HCJB Global is headquartered in Colorado Springs, Colo., and has for the past 77 years strived to be the "voice and hands of Jesus to the unreached" through its media and healthcare ministries. HCJB has ministries in more than 100 countries and airs the Gospel in more than 120 languages and dialects.