[HCDX] Interview with HCJB President Dave Johnson

["Alokesh Gupta" <alokeshgupta@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Interview with HCJB President Dave Johnson

Where is HCJB World Radio going in 2005?

More than ever, God is calling us to play a key role in reaching those who
have not had the opportunity to hear the good news of salvation in Christ.
In part, this will be through our own broadcasts and healthcare ministries,
but it will also happen through our partners worldwide whom we are training
and equipping to use these same tools. We are privileged to be involved in
mobilizing Christians worldwide in the use of mass media, healthcare and
education as effective tools for evangelism, discipleship and the equipping
of others for building God's kingdom.

What do you see as the biggest challenge facing the mission?

The biggest challenge we face in the mission is staffing key positions in
our various regions. We need people such as project managers, engineers,
finance people, trainers and healthcare workers who are willing to move into
new areas where we sense and see God opening doors. The words of Christ in
Luke 10:2 are so true for HCJB World Radio: "The harvest is plentiful, but
the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out
workers into his harvest field." We need to obediently pray that specific
prayer.

What are the biggest opportunities?

God has allowed us to be involved in some restricted countries where gospel
penetration has been minimal. What a thrill it is to see God's church
established in these areas! I also think God is allowing us to play a key
role in preparing and equipping people in both old and new ministry sites to
be involved more directly in reaching their countrymen for Christ.

What additional resources will be needed to meet these new opportunities?

Besides finding the right people to fill key positions around the world, we
need to strengthen our recruitment and short-term service opportunities as a
part of our mobilization efforts. Pray especially for our personnel
development office as the staff seeks creative ways to expand and strengthen
these areas.

How will technological changes affect the mission in 2005?

Perhaps the areas of greatest change affecting our work will be the
development of digital radio technologies and the shifting media habits of
the populations we seek to serve. HCJB World Radio engineers have
participated in the evolution of digital shortwave technology in cooperation
with the Digital Radio Mondiale (DRM) consortium. As DRM, the Internet and
other technologies affect media markets, we can no longer assume that we
know a given population's medium of choice, apart from research that was
unnecessary just a short time ago. This drives us to stay closer to our
audience. Likewise, despite great advances in medicine, healthcare needs
around the world continue to grow due to factors such as political unrest,
lack of proper training, the spread of communicable diseases due to
globalization, and breakdowns in the family and moral standards.

What other trends are having an impact on HCJB World Radio?

A major trend is the changing source of missionary staff. More and more
missionaries are coming from the Third World, and we've seen an increase of
candidates from this part of the world joining our orientations. I think
this trend will continue. I also see foreign missionaries serving and
empowering nationals much more than before. The missionary task force is
becoming increasingly international, and the roles of missionaries are more
diverse than in previous generations.

Why are you excited about the future?

Jesus said in Matthew 16:18, "I will build my church, and the gates of Hades
will not overcome it." It's such an exciting privilege to be involved in an
enterprise that will culminate with the return of our Lord and a new heaven
and new earth! Our hope is not a pie in the sky, but the truest, most
wonderful future one could ever imagine. How can we not be excited about
that?

How can people pray for HCJB World Radio this year?
Pray that we would seethe fulfillment of Philippians 4:19, "And my God will
meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus." Amen!

http://www.hcjb.org/Sections+index-req-viewarticle-artid-337-id_link-49.html

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