New radio stations in Africa launched

Africa (MNN) — Have you wondered if your prayers would ever be answered? After a long journey, did God provide what you needed just in time?

Kurt Cole of HCJB Global spoke with us about long-term prayers being answered, and hard work paying off.

“In just the last couple of days, we’ve seen years of hard work and prayers and hopes and dreams come to fruition in the countries of Guinea-Bissau and Congo in Africa.”

Guinea-Bissau, located in West Africa, has a new radio station officially on the air. What’s so special about this new radio station? It’s a ministry opportunity like none before in the country.

Cole says, “This is one of those that we wondered if God would ever let it happen. We knew He would, but we didn’t know the timing. And it’s so exciting to see the first evangelical radio station ever in the country of GB and West Africa on the air.”

This first and only evangelical radio station has the opportunity to reach hundreds of thousands with the Gospel. It is located in the country of Gabu. The potential audience is largely Muslim or followers of animistic beliefs.

The radio station is owned and operated by Serving in Mission (SIM),  the group with whom HCJB is partnering to assist in their ministry.

“It’s this partnership with this group that has a team on the ground that will be owning and operating the station,” Cole explains. “We’ve been praying with them for many, many years [that] this’ll be the opportunity to really reach the people of that country.”

HCJB assists the group with technical knowledge, advanced studies that make going on air possible, and ongoing training to keep them on air.

“We believe strongly that local Christian entities within the countries are really the best equipped groups to reach their own people. So we strongly believe in locally-owned radio stations.”

Cole explains that establishing locally owned and run radio stations has become a priority for HCJB. “We have open doors in many places of the world right now: places like Thailand, Nepal, different countries in Africa as well, in the Sahel area that we’re focusing on now.”

It is a different approach than church planting or pastor training. “We are very active in many parts of the world with what we call radio planting.”

Another answer to almost eight years of prayer is the radio station planted in Impfondo, Republic of the Congo.

The connection there was a partner named Dr. Joe Harvey who runs Pioneer Christian Hospital

“In 2006, we invited him to a consortium, a meeting summit that we had in Ghana, to bring our radio and potential health care partners together to dream big about what we could do together with ‘Voice and Hands’ ministry in Africa. And Dr. Joe walked away from that with a dream of having a radio station as part of the hospital ministry.”

Along the nearly decade-long journey, the team hit many snags. But God was faithful to honor their hard work and answer prayer.

“[It] went on the air on the 14th of January at about 6:45 in the evening.”

Beautiful News Radio is broadcasting from the hospital.

Pray for HCJB Global and their partners, that their radio planting would be successful in preaching the Gospel and bringing hope to the poor and needy. If you would like to come alongside HCJB in this effort, click here.