Christian Radio Reaching the Unreached in Nepal
Four unreached people groups in an area of Nepal with virtually no churches can now hear Christian radio programs through a unique partnership between Reach Beyond (www.reachbeyond.org) and a local broadcaster.
Christianity was outlawed in Nepal for centuries until the country became a constitutional monarchy in 2007. Today, of the 30 million people who live in the mountainous country, only a small percentage identify as Christians. The change in the political climate has allowed Reach Beyond and its partners to be the “voice of Jesus” to those who for centuries were prevented from hearing the gospel.
“These new radio programs are an incredible opportunity to communicate the love of Christ in a country where Christianity was outlawed for so long,” said Ty Stakes, executive director of Reach Beyond’s Asia Pacific Region. “This is just a start, however. We hope to have many more radio stations on the air across Nepal — each one broadcasting Christian programming to tens of thousands of people.”
Three additional partner radio stations are planned for this year, as well as two water projects and other community development efforts. The station is considering adding a medical element to its outreach as a way to build bridges with the community.
Reach Beyond and its partners have trained village health workers — especially in areas where no workers are available — to provide basic medical treatment. By demonstrating love for villagers’ physical needs, Reach Beyond and its partners have gained opportunities to care for spiritual needs and communicate the gospel of Jesus Christ.
The new station, which is located in an adobe brick house that underwent extensive renovations, conducts in indigenous languages devotional programming with an evangelistic slant during the mornings. General entertainment programming is also part of the schedule, along with agricultural and medical topics.
“This new radio station is exactly what we are trying to do around the world,” said Wayne Pederson, president and CEO of Reach Beyond. “We want to seamlessly communicate and demonstrate the gospel in countries where Jesus’ name has yet to be heard. We’re eager to see what God is going to do with this new partnership in Nepal.”
Additional information about Reach Beyond and its efforts to plant radio stations around the world is available at www.reachbeyond.org.
For 83 years the passion of Reach Beyond (formerly HCJB Global) (www.reachbeyond.org) has been to make disciples of Christ.
(Source: Christian Newswire)
