A Feature Article About Increased Opportunities Through Radio (from Issue #483)
Twice a week, by mid-morning, Carl Epp was down at the radio station. Sitting in front of a mic, he read Scripture, adding explanation and life application. There was no fancy audio mixing and editing. In fact, it was too late for that — this was a live broadcast.
And people were listening. That’s why Carl and Naomi made radio part of their ministry for several years at Pinehouse Lake.
For long-time Northern Lights readers, there was a several-year gap when you didn’t read much about “radio.”
NCEM’s radio outreach began with the “Indian Gospel Broadcast” from CKBI Prince Albert (SK) in 1958. Missionary John Unger coordinated production of the 15-minute Cree language broadcast and initially did a lot of the preaching. (In fact, because of John’s fluency in Cree, many listeners were unaware that they were listening to a white man each week.) Cree missionary/pastor Bill Jackson became a regular speaker on the broadcast later.
Then missionaries Stan (& Margaret) Williams began an Ojibway-language broadcast in Ontario, followed by a Dene (Chipewyan) broadcast by Bud (& Marge) Elford in the late 60s.
NCEM radio peaked in 1978 when 16 programs were aired weekly. Through radio the Gospel was penetrating barriers of literacy, race, religion, language and geography.
By the late 1970s, though, among the Mission’s various ministries, radio did fade somewhat into the background. But it wasn’t because it had been ineffective.
Financially, it had always been a struggle to pay for commercial air time. More of a factor was that most NCEMers involved with radio had increasing responsibilities on the field and in administration. No new workers came forward, so the Cree and Chipewyan broadcasts were dropped — only the Ojibway program carried on.
Even though television was being introduced to northern communities about this same time, radio wasn’t about to disappear. It may have been on a smaller scale, but throughout the 80s and 90s NCEM’s radio outreach continued — in a new direction, and with some significant advantages!
Missionaries found that it wasn’t necessary to broadcast on high powered (and priced) commercial AM stations. Many northern communities were getting their own FM stations, and were looking for programming.
Tim and Ginny Gradin had already realized that it might only be through language-learning that they would find open doors among the Denesuline of northern Saskatchewan. While stationed in La Loche, a local fellow asked Tim to consider starting a Dene language broadcast. The result was a weekly half-hour mixed language broadcast, aired free of charge on the local FM station.
Today Tim helps produce a Dene language radio program with Native missionaries Gilbert (& Laura) Bekkatla and Bobby (& Veronica) Moberly as speakers. Every Sunday it is aired on MBC as part of the Cornerstone program (produced by Bob Norman of Meadow Lake, SK). The impressive part of this arrangement is that the Missinipi Broadcasting Corporation is not just one station, but a network of FM stations covering the city of Prince Albert and over 50 other northern communities. (Some of these communities broadcast their own local programming part-time — as in Pinehouse.)
Besides these weekly broadcasts, Gilbert Bekkatla is now also a regular guest on a popular MBC afternoon show. Dene announcer Kevin Herman surprised Gilbert with a phone call saying, “We want encouragement from God’s Word.” Now, several times a year, 7 to 10 minutes Gilbert gives biblical answers on the air to questions on a variety of subjects. The station even granted Gilbert’s request to have his interview followed by a Gospel song.
On Canada’s northeast coast, NCEM is reaching out through radio, too. Several years ago, Carl (& Laura) Sonnichsen initiated a weekly radio program on a community AM station. Airing is free, and the broadcast is heard not only in Nain, but also throughout most of Labrador.
“People have responded very favourably,” says Carl, especially because he uses both English and the Inuktitut language (his messages are translated for him to read). Listeners have also expressed appreciation for God’s Word being explained “in a way we have never heard before.”
And lives have been touched. “One day as I was finishing up a radio broadcast” (this one live on FM), says Carl, “three teenage boys came to the station to request that I come talk to their grandmother … As a result, all three boys made a decision to receive Christ into their lives.”
Across Canada other NCEMers are involved in radio, too. For some, it’s not so regular, but the increasing number of community FM stations has definitely increased the opportunities.
Is all this radio outreach worth the effort? While reports trickle back of listeners finding Christ, missionaries believe that, besides being an important encouragement to believers, radio is also laying an important groundwork in the hearts of unbelievers.
Tim Gradin recalls people saying they “liked” his radio program. Some people were pretty antagonistic to missionaries at that point, explains Tim, so even saying that was significant.
Gilbert Bekkatla knows that radio has opened closed doors. “We do not have enough staff to live in all these villages,” he says, adding that, though peer pressure keeps many Native people away from contact with evangelicals, at home they will listen.
Back in Pinehouse, Carl Epp met a boy on the road who told him he’d just heard him on the radio. “Anyone else in your house listening?” asks Carl. “Oh, yeah,” he replies, “everyone.”
Adapted from our Northern Lights magazine (Issue #483). Note: some of the locations and involvements of our missionaries may have changed since the original publishing of this article.
