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Frequently Asked Questions
- Does anybody really listen to Christian radio?
- Does anybody really listen to short wave any more?
- How is FEBC financed?
- What denomination is FEBC?
- What version of the Bible does FEBC endorse/use?
- Is FEBC "charismatic?"
- Does FEBC have any political/governmental interests/ties?
- Why does FEBC try to change other people's religion?
- Don't all religions lead more or less to the same place?
- How can Christianity say that God is loving when you read the Old Testament's bloody stories??
- How can you say God is loving when innocent people suffer?
- General statistics about the ministry?
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- Does anybody really listen to Christian radio?
Christian radio follows the pattern of all radio...it appeals to those
interested in the format. To put it simply, people who like classical music
listen to classical music stations, people who like rock listen to rock and
people interested in religion listen to religious stations. Since not that many
people are actively interested in spiritual things on a daily basis, it is not
surprising for listenership to Christian stations to be very low in a local
market, compared to secular stations. This presents a dilemma for the Christian
broadcaster who believes that all men need God and need to hear the gospel.
How radio can be used for this purpose is the answer to another
question, but it is enough to observe that most listeners to Christian stations
in America, for example, are Christians, or persons who have a high degree of
interest in religion.
But in many countries of the world, the situation is
quite different. A recent commercial marketing survey just completed in China
(1995), shows that 86% of FEBC's listeners claim to have "no religion at all."
The spiritual vacuum created by nearly five decades of atheistic teaching,
draws people toward the questions of existence, mortality and spiritual life,
and material success has not yet crowded these questions out. Because access to
churches is limited because of government control, millions of Chinese tune
into FEBC for insight into the "meaning of things." A very common thing is for
Chinese young people, raised entirely under atheistic teaching, to wrestle over
spiritual issues.
A 1995 BBC media survey done in China (the first ever
done), showed that FEBC had 200,500 listeners in the ten cities it surveyed
(representing 2.4% of China's population) Extrapolating that ratio over the
whole of China would mean around 8,000,000 listeners. Since we believe
listenership is even higher in the villages of China, it is likely that figure
could be significantly higher yet.
In Vietnam, 330,000 Hmong villagers in the northern
highlands have found an answer to millennia-old fears of evil spirits, in the
gospel as they heard it from FEBC Philippines.
BBC research done in 1992 showed that around 450,000
people in Indonesia listen to FEBC on a regular basis.
In another BBC-related survey, we learned that around
500,000 Russians listen to FEBC's Russian service on a regular basis.
In Manila, FEBC's local 40kw AM station DZAS draws
hundreds of thousands of daily listeners to its popular call-in counseling
program "Heart Line," and job-placement call-in show "Action Line" programs. In
fact, DZAS has ranked as high as #4 in this city of 10 million people and over
45 radio stations. Programs hitting specific, real needs in these areas of the
world draw big audiences. FEBC is not alone; other Christian broadcasters
working in non-Western non-evangelical, isolated, developing areas of the world
are having similar experiences. But the key is relevant, spot-on programming.
- Does anybody really listen to short wave any more?
Many people assume that the "missionary broadcasters" are mainly short
wave.
FEBC in China, Korea and the Philippines is best known
for its AM services. FEBC operates four AM and FM stations in Korea, ten in the
Philippines, in addition to the purchase of time on local stations elsewhere.
FEBC operates three major AM stations for China: HLAZ, 250kw from Cheju Island;
HLKX, 100kw from Inchon; DWRF 250kw from Iba.
Short wave is, without a doubt, "ancient technology."
But short wave technology itself has improved dramatically; in the years ahead,
we expect to see the digitalization of the medium. SW will continue to be THE
major means of mass communication in many places in the developing world for
probably another fifteen to twenty years. There are several conditions which
continue to make SW an extremely important medium.
- Where there is no other medium available. It's
hard to imagine, but there are still vast areas of the world where AM, FM and
TV do not reach. You don't have to be thousands of miles from cities for this
to be true; traveling into the highlands of Vietnam, or to one of the thousands
of small inhabited islands of Indonesia is enough to convince as to the reality
of why SW continues to be a major communication medium.
- Where satellite TV isn't available. There are
still huge areas of Asia where satellite TV is still only something you find in
hotels, if you find it at all. There are two reasons why satellite direct TV or
radio are not viable in some areas 1)the equipment needed to download is too
expensive for average people or, 2)the government of a country outlaws decoders
to the general public. It is our conclusion, further, that direct TV, even when
it does come into more popular usage, will function principally in major
languages, excluding millions of people.SW remains an unregulated medium for
broadcasting into other countries.
- Where the only broadcasts available in one's
language is on SW. FEBC has dozens of languages on the air, which represent
the ONLY broadcasts in the world, in those language. When speakers of those
languages hear that a broadcast is available in their native tongue, the
listenership is assured. FEBC's experience is, in the 1990's that when new
languages are put on the air, speakers find those broadcasts from the very
first day, and word of mouth does the rest. There are hundreds of
millions of people who still rely on SW as a major communication medium.
FEBC currently transmits broadcasts to people groups, excluding major
languages, whose population in Asia alone comes to 290 million people.
- How is FEBC supported?
There are just two
main sources of income: 1)individual donors, people who believe in
FEBC's mission to take "Christ to the World by Radio," most of whom send
monthly contributions in to the various support offices of FEBC and,
2)contracting of air time out to compatible organizations who have the
same purposes and goals in mind. FEBC-USA, for example derives, 90% of the
income from donors. A very large percentage, exceeding 70%, of FEBC's whole
world-wide income, comes from our Asian organizations. Many FEBC offices are
fully self-supported.
- What denomination is FEBC?
FEBC employs,
works with, cooperates with, accepts quality radio programs from, any Christian
or Christian group who shares the Statement of Faith
and goals and purposes of FEBC. FEBC'ers come from a wide variety of Christian
backgrounds, many of whom have differing views on certain theological points
and Christian practices, but who agree that "Jesus is Lord," and that the world
needs to know and believe the gospel. For over 50 years, FEBC has never
experienced a significant internal difficulty or division based on doctrinal
issues. FEBC identifies in Christian viewpoint and purposes with well-known
organizations like the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, Wycliffe Bible
Translators, OC Ministries, InterVarsity Christian Fellowship, Trans World
Radio, World Vision, World Radio Missionary Fellowship, New Tribes Mission,
OMF, SIM, Christian Missionary Alliance, United Bible Societies, Salvation
Army, to name a few.
- What version of the Bible does FEBC endorse?
FEB International (FEBC and Feba RADIO) is broadcasting in over 150
languages, many of which have a single version of Scriptures in their own
tongue. As far as we know, none of these relate to English versions of the
Bible, having been translated directly from the original Biblical languages.
While we are aware that there are disagreements over versions of the Scriptures
in Latin America and other places, the major debate over versions of the Bible
is largely an American exercise, where radical proponents of the 1611 King
James Version of the Bible seem to wage a permanent war against any other
version. We in FEBC believe that disputes of this kind contribute nothing
whatsoever to the Christian cause and serve only to weaken and divide. We
believe that the strongest component of Christian witness lies not in
doctrinal, theological or textual argument, but in the transformed lives of
God's people. It has been our experience over 50 years, that our most
successful radio programs are those whose hosts' own personal commitment to,
and love of God comes through loud and clear in their programming.
- Is FEBC "charismatic?"
(Please see the
answer to the question of denomination above). FEBC works with any person or
group that shares our Statement of Faith and identifies with our purposes.
In much of the world, the term "charismatic" has little
of the same meaning as for example within the USA, where it is tied more
closely to doctrinal issues relating to the Holy Spirit. In other countries,
the term often describes a form of worship which is informal and involves
extensive chorus-singing and enthusiastic group prayers. We have found that in
many parts of Asia such practices are more a question of taste than doctrine.
FEBC allows broadcasters to discuss doctrine and
practice, but disallows continued focus upon denominational distinctives. For
example, a true Pentecostal or charismatic may describe or discuss his or her
own experience in matters relating to ecstatic tongues, but must present them
with clear Scriptural reference, and may not present them in any way that
criticizes those Christians who do not practice their faith in that particular
way. Neither may those broadcasters who do not practice their faith in the
"charismatic" way make critical comments about those who do. And most of all,
"denominational distinctives" may never be the subject of continued or repeated
emphasis. Again, for most listeners, what counts is the integrity of spiritual
commitment they sense in the broadcasters themselves.
- Does FEBC have any political/governmental
interests/ties?
FEBC has no connections to any government or
governmental agency. A few years ago a book out of Berkeley, California, titled
"Spiritual Warfare," by Sara Diamond, attempted to establish a
right-wing political conspiracy amongst Christian organizations, FEBC included.
The book actually suggested a subversive link between organizations like FEBC
and the U.S. Government.
Sara Diamond is not alone. During the cold war many
articles appeared in the Russian press and radio, condemning FEBC as an arm of
the CIA. Likewise, numerous articles have appeared in China over the years,
claiming the same thing. As late as 1996, articles are still appearing in the
Hanoi magazines and newspapers, condemning Hmong and Vietnamese broadcasts as
efforts of the C.I.A. to "undermine the revolution." We have often wondered if
this sort of thing is an intentional attempt to discredit the work of the
gospel, or whether it is some kind of paranoia.
The simple truth is that FEBC is an ordinary,
"plain-Jane" evangelical, missionary organization, whose only ties to
government are only required by law, as with any other business or enterprise.
Moreover, FEBC is well known in many places in Asia for
being both theologically AND politically "neutral."
- During the "Peoples' Revolution" in the Philippines,
FEBC's local stations were the ONLY non-government stations allowed to continue
broadcasting during the crisis. In fact, the Philippine army (at that time a
neutral entity) sent troops to FEBC to guard the station, to prevent its
takeover by one side or another. FEBC sent broadcasts from the heart of the
revolution, trying to help people deal with the crisis in a prayerful,
Christian way. FEBC took neither a stand against or in support of Marcos, or in
favor of the Aquino movement, despite the fact that the FEBC Filipino staff
were personally split on the issue.
- In meeting with Chinese officials to discuss the 1997
reversion of Hong Kong to China, we have learned that FEBC's broadcasts to
China are not interfered with because we stay strictly away from political
issues. This means among other things, no hard news broadcasts in Chinese,
because news broadcasts are a threat to Chinese control of information. China
still jams radio stations it considers a threat to Chinese "stability," but in
the last twenty years FEBC has not been jammed.
- FEBC also has rejected requests to air programs of
human rights organizations, because these are considered "political" by many
governments. While human rights issues are in many cases humanitarian and
Christian in principle, FEBC sees its role of preaching a spiritual message as
a higher priority which we must protect, even to the exclusion of other issues
we may believe in. Another way of looking at the priority is that attacking
human rights violations deals with the symptoms of human evil, whereas the
Gospel gets at the root of it.
Finally, it should be noted that FEBC's Asian
organizations are autonomous, having local boards, and coming under the
jurisdiction of their own national government agencies.
- Why does FEBC try to change other peoples'
religion?
We Christians think the answer to the meaning of life
and death is worth hearing about. Nobody is forced to accept what we say, but
we want to be sure people hear it, truly understand it, before they decide
whether they can believe it. The last thing Jesus said before ascending to
heaven was, to share the Gospel of the Kingdom with other people. Our
experience is that many people are eager to find God, and you can read what
they say in our Who's Listening section here on the
Web. If listeners tune across the dial and find FEBC, and hear things they
don't like, they can "turn us off" in the blink of an eye. It's not like they
are forced to listen or to accept. But if they hear something that makes sense
(and we believe the gospel is Sense itself) and want to follow Christ, then
that's why we're here. We don't cram the gospel down the throat, but we do try
to get it in the ears.
- Don't all religions lead more or less to the same
place?
Usually people who suggest all religions are more or less
on the same track, have only the vaguest idea about what different religions
are really saying. While there may be some superficial similarities, or even
shared truths, the basics are fundamentally different. The fundamental
Christian belief lies in God as Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
| Christianity |
Islam |
Buddhism |
Animism |
| One God in three persons (Father, Son,
Holy Spirit) created everything. |
One God created everything, but the idea of
three-in-one emphatically rejected. |
Considers this a false teaching. |
Legend often includes the belief in an original
creator of the world. |
| God is approachable, knowable |
God is remote, unknowable, mysterious,
unfathomable |
No such person as "God." |
A creator God, if mentioned at all, has no contact
with humans. |
| Jesus is God Himself, in human form. This is what
distinguishes Christianity. |
Jesus was a prophet.
|
Since there is no God, Jesus, would be only a good
teacher; his claim to divinity would be false. |
No knowledge of Jesus, but there are legends that
include a savior-king. |
| A relationship with God depends only
upon receiving God's ready forgiveness for our sins (grace). |
Since God is unknowable a relationship in this life
is impossible. Such an idea would be blasphemous. |
There is no such person with whom to have a
relationship. |
Appeasing the evil spirits may prevent bad things
from happening. |
| God loves, and works incessantly to draw people
into relationship with Him. |
God is remote and sends no signals to anyone except
his prophets. |
Since there is no God the idea is impossible. |
In some legends, God had a relationship
with men, but was angered by their actions and has withdrawn
permanently. He allows demons to oppress humans in punishment. |
| Upon death, the believer joins in face to face,
conscious relationship with God. |
Heaven is a paradise of earthly-style pleasures.
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There is no heaven. Breaking out of the physical
life-cycles is impossible. |
"Heaven" may be where God lives, but is
inaccessible. Appeasing the evil spirits may assure a lesser hell. |
Even superficially Christian religions such as
Mormonism and Jehovah's Witnesses and sects deny the fundamental truth of
historic Christianity: that Jesus Christ is God incarnate, Lord, and that
through trust in his atoning death on our behalf, we can enter into the Kingdom
of God in this life and in the life to come. We believe that the crucial issue
is Jesus Christ and who He is. All other religions deny that Jesus Christ is
who he said he was.
--Jim Bowman, Chairman Emeritus of IC, FEBC
- How can Christianity say that God is loving when you
read the Old Testament's bloody stories?
The first thing I always
ask a person who brings this up, is: "Have you read the whole Bible, to gain
perspective on the big picture?" It seems critics sometimes pan the show
without having seen it. Or they have skipped around from place to place in it.
For example, many have not read the book of Job carefully to see how the Bible
itself deals with the ostensibly arbitrary nature of suffering.
Nonetheless:
- God is portrayed in BOTH modes in BOTH Testaments.
Jesus many times refers to a hell where the self-righteous spend eternity in an
unquenchable flame. Conversely, God is portrayed in literally hundreds of
passages in the Old Testament as an understanding, loving, forgiving God.
- The Old Testament majors (in places) on the severe
side of God, i.e., how He acts when He wishes to demonstrate His attitude about
the seriousness of sin. When people don't pay attention to his warning about
how sin corrupts and destroys life itself, He often acts with terrifying
violence. But the New Testament says exactly the same thing!
- Regardless, God is not severe arbitrarily. His
severity usually relates to men's evil choices, and is for their good.
--Jim Bowman, Chairman Emeritus, ICC, FEBC
- How can you say God is loving when innocent people
suffer?
This question is as old as humanity itself. And it is very
difficult. Although they may not satisfy everyone, these points
have helped me:
- Assuming the universe in all its complexity was
created by God, it's probably beyond my own intellectual capacity to grasp the
full picture of reality. Even the intellectually brilliant St. Paul admitted we
"see through a fuzzy lens." (I Corinthians 13)."
- We do tend to make God into our own expectations of
Him. We say, "You have to be this way, act this way." "I can't believe in a God
who allows suffering of innocent people!" The writer of the Old Testament book
of Job may have hit on it when he said that the issue it not
understanding God, it is knowing Him more fully. When knowing
God, then we are more apt to trust him, i.e., that He knows what He is doing.
- The Christian belief is that when all the smoke
clears away and we see the whole picture, justice will be served. This assumes,
however, that there is another life, another dimension, another place, where
God sorts everything out.
- The question is, then, what about children who die of
cancer, and that sort of thing? Certainly they are not deserving of this, are
they? But here is the assumption that suffering is deserved or not deserved,
which is doubtful. This, too, falls under the heading of trust in God. If we
believe He is just, then we also believe that these painful things, too, will
somehow be reconciled. How such awful things can ultimately be reconciled seems
impossible, and it is for us. But for God, no.
- Is this a simple way of coping with pain? The options
are limited; if we don't believe in a Just God, then we must of consequence
believe that nothing has ultimate meaning. Christians believe, on the contrary,
that everything does have meaning, from the acts of men upon others, as well as
the apparently impersonal tragedies of nature and happenstance. I believe it is
a realistic way of facing pain, not simply "coping" or "denying" it.
- Our definition of "loving" is only as complete as we
ourselves understand love. God's love, on the other hand is perfect, and is
connected to perfect justice and absolute power, none of which lies within
either our capacity to understand or to perform. We in essence can say, "I
understand nothing, but I can trust God, because He will make it right."
- Finally, I would be so bold as to say that the
question is not one of analyzing God's behavior or responsibility for pain, but
of determining where we stand with Him. God never answered Job's questions. He
simply said, "I am God." When Job accepted that, then everything straightened
out. Perhaps that is why Jesus said, when asked for an explanation of the way,
"I am the way."
Jim Bowman, Chairman Emeritus, ICC, FEBC
General Ministry Statistics?
The following offer a general overview of FEBC's worldwide ministry.
- Number of languages: 150
- Total population of people groups we serve: 2,874,115,000
- Total broadcast hours per day: 562
- Broadcast hours per week, local stations: 2,979
- Broadcast hours per week, World by Radio languages: 77
- Number of regions/countries to which international broadcasts are aimed: 54
- Total number of transmitters/stations utilized by FEB: 123
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Missionaries