Blazing New Trails in World Mission through Mass Media

Exclusive Interview with TWR President Lauren Libby

Wednesday, Jun. 24, 2009 Posted: 1:27:58PM HKT

(Photo: TWR)

Much has been written about the remaining unreached people groups or that portion of the world where most of those live who have not heard the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Thanks to the invaluable contributions of the late Dr Ralph D Winter, the unfinished task has been delineated in clearer terms than ever before.

Far less, however, may have been proposed in the way of an effective method of reaching these vast hundreds of millions of human individuals.

In an exclusive interview conducted on June 5 at the Trans World Radio-Asia office at Technopark@Chai Chee, new TWR president Lauren Libby spends a half hour opening up on the vast and astoundingly effective ministry started more than 50 years ago by Dr Paul E Freed and its incalculable potential as a world mission bandwagon for the Church in the developed and developing world to hop on.

The Christian Post: To start us off, for the sake of our readers, can you perhaps tell us what does TWR actually do in the places where it has a presence and where does it have a presence exactly?

Lauren Libby: TWR has a presence in 165 countries around the globe and we broadcast either by radio or by digital means or by satellite in 225 languages.

To put that in perspective the BBC broadcasts in about 65 or 70 languages, the Voice of America broadcasts in about 65 or 70 languages; we broadcast more than 220 languages at a budget that is far below that of those two organisations.

CP: And I understand that your ministry works with a very comprehensive range of people in many places and for a great variety of purposes. Can you give us some idea of the potential reach of your mass media, in terms of the percentage and number of unreached people groups and individuals being reached and could you perhaps enlighten us on the task that still remains?

Libby: Well obviously the task is still huge because Jesus, when He gave the Great Commission, He said to go to the whole world and so we take that very literally and very seriously. Our mission is to proclaim the Good News of Jesus Christ to the world by mass media so that lasting fruit remains. It’s not only to proclaim, but it’s also to help people, who once they have met Jesus personally, grow in their relationship with Him.

Mass media is changing dramatically, and what’s true today won’t be true two weeks from now. It’s the same thing with broadcasting. While many parts of the world still listen to radio – we broadcast from 14 locations around the globe – the internet has become a huge distribution platform in places like India and China. We are one of the few organisations that can cross-promote between those two platforms, so we not only broadcast to the listeners, but we can also provide resources through digital means.

CP: It is understandable that mass media methods may be able to spread information very widely, but how does Trans World Radio actually make converts and even disciples and what ensures that listeners respond to the Gospel. I am assuming that conversion and discipleship requires a personal touch to it so how does Trans World Radio achieve lasting fruit through mass media alone or do you rely on more than just that?

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Edmond Chua
Christian Post Reporter