Have you ever considered the impact of Adventist and Christian radio on believers worldwide? Today, in addition to the thousands of Seventh-day Adventist radio stations in all continents of the world, there are also countless Christian radio stations available worldwide. This means that members and nonmembers—followers of Christ and those who do not yet know Him—all have the possibility of being reached by the voice of hope brought over the radio airwaves.
Adventist World Radio (AWR) is one of the most well-known Adventist radio broadcasts. Their mission is to broadcast “the Advent hope in Christ through the most effective media to the people of the world in their own languages. Radio overcomes the barriers of government restrictions, cultural opposition, illiteracy, and geography”[1]. This is done through the use of “shortwave radio, national radio networks, local FM stations, on demand, podcasts, and solar audio players with pre-loaded content”[2].
However, AWR is not the only Adventist radio station. There are many others, including
- Baraton FM in Kenya
- Radio WZOL in Puerto Rico
- VOAR-FM in Canada
- Hope Channel Philippines
- KSDA-FM in Guam
- Radio Salvation in South Sudan
- Ebenezer FM in Uganda
- Radio Maranatha in Zambia
- Adventist Radio Australia
No matter which radio station is being utilized, the importance remains the same: this form of media allows people to listen privately to the good news of the Gospel in places where evangelism is prohibited by law and, in some cases, punishable by death.
Adventist Radio Broadcasts
Participants in the 2017–2018 Global Church Member Survey (2017–18 GCMS) were asked how often (most of the time) they listened to any Adventist radio broadcasts. Over a quarter (29%) of the respondents reported that they did so more than once a week, while another 12% listened about once a week. Two out of five (42%) survey participants admitted that they never listened to Adventist radio broadcasts.
When the data was analyzed by Division, respondents from the East-Central African Division reported the highest level (31%) of daily listening to Adventist radio broadcasts, followed by the Inter-American Division (24%). In addition, more members do so daily or more than once a week in the East-Central African Division (48%), Southern Asia Division (41%), or Inter-American Division (39%) than in any other. However, in five Divisions, over half of the respondents reported that they never listen to Adventist radio broadcasts. Further research is needed to determine what factors impact survey participants’ listening habits, as the 2017–18 GCMS does not reveal this information.
Other Christian Radio Broadcasts
The 2017–18 GCMS participants were also asked how often they listened to other Christian radio broadcasts. One in five (21%) respondents reported that they listened to other Christian radio broadcasts more than once a week or more often. Half (50%) of respondents shared that they never listened to other Christian radio broadcasts.
Again, when the data was cross-tabulated by Division, respondents in the Southern Asia Division reported—by far—the highest level (30%) of daily listening. Half of the respondents from this Division (51%) also listened to other Christian broadcasts. However, in five Divisions, 60% or more of the respondents reported that they never listened to other Christian radio broadcasts. Further research should be conducted to learn more about the impact of culture/environment on members’ listening habits, as the 2017–18 GCMS does not reveal this information.
While these numbers may seem to indicate that Adventist/Christian radio is under-utilized by Adventists around the world, for those who do tap into this resource, it is a constant source of joy and hope in a world that, at times, seems very dark. As a world Church, we must continue to support radio stations that courageously proclaim the gospel to every nation, tribe, and tongue (Rev. 7:9).
If you would like to learn more about the listening habits of Adventist church members, please read these previously published blogs on this topic.
For more information regarding AWR, please visit:https://awr.org/about/
For more research findings regarding church members worldwide, please see the Meta-Analysis report.
Created in collaboration with the Institute of Church Ministry
Published by ASTR on 11/9/2022
[1] AWR360, n.d.
[2] AWR360, n.d.