Christian radio HCJB in Pifo, Ecuador, one of the largest radio stations in the world, has signed off…for the last time.  For nearly 60 years, this broadcasting giant has beamed the gospel from high in the Andes mountains into every country in the world. HCJB was a technological marvel. On September 30, the station yielded to global change and new communication technologies.

Writing for the ASSIST News Service, Kenneth MacHarg, a missionary journalist, described HCJB’s great engineering accomplishments and even greater spiritual triumphs in his article, “From Ecuador to the World.” MacHarg said, “There are entire communities and nations and people groups that proudly bear the name Christian because listeners heard the message emanating from Pifo.”

HCJB has always held personal significance for me. My introduction to Christian radio began through one its leaders and a serendipitous meeting in 1981.

I had been in secular broadcasting for 12 years and was working in Brownsville, TX. A mentor had suggested that I look into Christian radio. I knew nothing about the industry, its leaders or personalities.

One day, while waiting to get my children at the church school they attended, I picked up a Sunday bulletin to kill time. I noticed a man named Abe Van Der Puy, then President of HCJB Radio, was scheduled to speak during an upcoming evening service. He was coming to raise awareness for a new network of FM stations being formed to make the gospel available all along the U.S.-Mexican border. (Van Der Puy ultimately became President of The World Radio Network and its 23 FM stations.)

An event about Christian radio seemed like a logical place to start my investigation.

After the service ended and everyone had departed, I introduced myself to Mr. Van Der Puy. I told him my purpose and asked if he could spare a few minutes. I was surprised at how readily he agreed. We sat down to talk, following an introduction to his wife (Marj Saint, the widow of Mission Aviation Fellowship pilot Nate Saint who was martyred along with four companions by Ecuador’s Waorani Indians).

Pew talk

Perched side-by-side on a front row pew, I fired off my questions to Van Der Puy. He answered every one of them. It struck me that he must have been tired but wasn’t in a hurry to leave.

Though not recognized at the time, one of his answers would have a defining impact on my future.  I asked Van Der Puy how he would define Christian broadcasting for someone who didn’t know what it was. I still have my notes.

He talked about the different management philosophies and programming strategies. Then he said, “Christian broadcasting {as contrasted with ‘Religious’ broadcasting} is where programming is selected on how well it adheres to the heart and center of the gospel. If a station, or program, does not stick to a clear presentation of the message then the listeners will get a confused picture.”

It wasn’t until much later that I understood the significance of his statement. For Abe Van Der Puy and HCJB, radio was a tool to help the Church fulfill its mission in reaching the world for Christ. God used this distinction of purpose to help me see His plan. My destiny as a Christian was getting ready to converge with my career as a communications professional.

The door to Christian broadcasting opened three years later.

Changing of the guard

Now, HCJB has ceased broadcasting. It’s the end of an era. New communicators are moving into place. God is bringing forth powerful technologies and leading churches, ministries and others to use them for His purposes.

If Abe Van Der Puy was speaking at a nearby church today, I would jump at the chance to spend a few minutes sitting on a pew with him again.  I’d ask a similar question to the one posed during our first meeting.

How would you define the role of Christian communication today?

In 1976, Van Der Puy, then President of the National Religious Broadcasters, wrote an open letter to fellow broadcasters titled “Light in a Very Dark World.” It was published in the September issue of NRB’s Religious Broadcasting.

I could imagine his answer to my question sounding a lot like the following portion of his letter. There may even be a hint of destiny calling for some hearing his words.

We are living in a dangerous, corrupt world. Great forces are dragging people down everywhere. More than ever men and women need to hear the call of God–a call to righteousness. (Everyone involved in Christian media and communication) currently has a great opportunity and responsibility. We can be shining lights in a very dark world. This demands of us excellence in content, quality in technique and humble dependence on the Spirit of the Lord. — Abe Van Der Puy

Postscript: In 2005, I received an unexpected invitation from HCJB to join a group of broadcasters visiting the station’s global facilities in Ecuador. This was an opportunity to experience the ministry and region firsthand. Yielding to a busy schedule, I didn’t go. I regret that.

Question: Could using technology and media to proclaim the gospel possibly be part of your destiny?

(Tall antennas and towers at Radio Station HCJB’s international transmitter site in Ecuador. Photo Source: HCJB Global)