Christian Broadcasting To As Many People As Possible

Providing Christian television throughout the entire region of the Middle East and North Africa is a mammoth undertaking. Yet the Lord has made it possible. It’s not so much a technological challenge as a philosophic one.

Satellite television technology exists. It can be used to broadcast or to narrowcast. Channels may be aimed at a cross section of people and cultures. Or channels may be structured to speak to a segment of a region’s culture, or limited within a particular country. Either model may be appropriate and beneficial.

Determining whether a channel should be configured broadly or narrowly is a philosophic decision. Which you choose defines the breadth and maybe the nature of the channel’s audience.

Choosing to broadcast across boundaries has historically been SAT-7’s approach. SAT-7 began with Arabic and now broadcasts in Farsi with Turkish coming on board. Broadcasting is both a challenge and an opportunity.

Challenges: Different versions of the Arabic (or Farsi, Turkish) language spoken in different parts of the region—which one should be used for programming? Christian denominations within the region who wish to be represented in differing ways—which ways should be presented? Twenty-two countries comprise the Middle East and North Africa and they vary dramatically in politics, economic and social conditions, and certainly cultures—how should this variety be acknowledged, addressed, or actively shared on air? Dominant religion defines culture, affecting such things as individual names which in time become identified with one religion versus another—whether or how to use given names on air becomes a critical decision in order to steward the ministry’s identity. Viewer responses on screen—which ones should be permitted and which not, given references viewers may make to local culture?

Opportunities: Broadcasting the unity of the Christian Church—a testimony Jesus acknowledged when he said “By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another,” thus broadcasts can help de-polarize the Christian Church. Legitimizing Christianity in a region dominated by other religious persuasion—programming makes accurate biblical teachings accessible to people whose view of Christianity has been formed by limited or misinformation. Reaching millions in a financially efficient manner—one viewer may receive Christian programming for one year for about one dollar, which is remarkable. Sharing the Gospel—presenting a living faith in Jesus Christ to tens of millions in some places where Christians cannot safely go.

For many years SAT-7 has negotiated challenges and seized opportunities in order to present Christian truth to as many people as possible. Given the religious, social and economic, political, and cultural dynamics of the Middle East and North Africa, SAT-7’s story is a rather amazing one. The only explanation is “It’s a God thing.”

For more on this discussion, see SAT-7’s Ethos Statement here.

© Rex M. Rogers – All Rights Reserved

Opinions in this column are Dr. Rogers’s and do not necessarily represent SAT-7 or SAT-7 USA. Good News from the Middle East may be reproduced in whole or in part with a full attribution statement. Contact Dr. Rogers at rexrogers@sat7.org. Follow on Twitter at www.twitter.com/RexMRogers.

Date: 3/2/2010