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Asia-Pacific
Twenty-two countries, three island chains, and more than 2 billion people
speaking 200 languages and hundreds of dialects comprise the Asia Pacific
region. Stretching from Mongolia and China southeast to New Zealand and as far
west as Myanmar, Asia Pacific's geographical span measures 8,000 miles—almost
from Alaska to Argentina! Although the people of Asia Pacific are very
religious—practicing animism, Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, Shintoism,
traditional superstitions, or other beliefs—less than 5 percent are professing
Christians. Ten of the Asia Pacific nations either do not allow Christian
missionaries or severely restrict Christian evangelism for political or
religious/cultural reasons. Also, while countries such as China have experienced
a stunning increase in numbers of people turning to Christ, there are still few
trained pastors and teachers equipped with adequate materials. Missionary radio,
therefore, plays a strategic role in reaching and discipling people throughout
the region with the Good News of Jesus Christ.
coverage area
Asia Pacific is home to more than one-third of the world's population!
Two-thirds of the population is under the age of 24, and the urban population
has climbed to more than 768 million.
China alone has 42 cities with over 1 million people, although 80 percent of
China's 1.2 billion people still live in rural areas.
Numerically, Seoul has the largest church in the world, and South Korea sends
out more Christian foreign missionaries than any other Asian country. Still only
4.4 percent of the entire population of the region are Christians. Three of the
world's poorest countries–North Korea, Myanmar, and Cambodia–are in this region.
Asia Pacific as a whole is still recovering from a major downturn of its
economy. People suffer from economic, political and social instability in many
of these countries. This has heightened the need for hope, a spiritual
perspective, and soul-strength which comes through believing in Christ.
technology and languages
Using five 100,000-watt shortwave transmitters on the island of Guam in the
Pacific, Trans World Radio's station KTWR broadcasts more than 240 hours in 15
languages each week to the Asia Pacific region, along with 5.25 additional hours
in four languages to India.
These broadcasts help evangelize the lost, nurture new believers, and equip
Christian leaders.
partners
TWR cooperates with different partner organizations in areas such as Hong Kong
and Taiwan, as well as TWReachout in Singapore, TWR-ANZ (Australia and New
Zealand), and TWR-Korea. It also works with offices and studios (Japan,
Indonesia, and Myanmar) in the region. Several programs and follow-up ministries
to northeast and southeast Asia are being developed in participation with
churches, individuals, and media ministries from the region.
programs
KTWR broadcasts emphasize evangelism and discipleship, and feature programs for
the family, women, and children. Other programs teach seminary courses to
pastors and lay leaders. Through TWR's Chinese ministry's unique "Radio Church
Planting Project," a radio, Bible, and program course curriculum as well as
other relevant literature are distributed to Christians in China. Believers then
invite five or six other people to listen to specific Bible teaching programs on
the radio and to study and worship together for the purpose of planting the seed
for a church.
As part of the World by Radio project, KTWR has recently expanded its broadcasts
in the Balinese and Madurese languages, and it continues to broadcast in
Torajanese, the third Indonesian language for which they have stewardship.
Besides these World by Radio languages, TWR also broadcasts in Javanese and
Indonesian for a total of 5 ½ hours of programming across the region daily to
this, the world's fourth largest country. Besides these broadcasts via shortwave
from Guam, TWR is also cooperating with several other ministries to put
Christian programming on local stations and in hospitals throughout Indonesia.
Local stations in Thailand and Cambodia are also being used to air TWR's
programming, including Women of Hope, which started as a pilot program in the
Asia Pacific region several years ago. By using a dual approach of local
stations and shortwave super power broadcasts, TWR aims at making use of the
best possible media for reaching people where they live.
future goals
• Improving our program content and developing better follow-up is of highest
priority in all of our Asia Pacific languages. This, alongside the technical
improvements that come with using digital audio and a strong emphasis on getting
the best frequencies possible, should ensure that our listeners not only get
improved reception, but also the kind of message they need to help them in their
daily walk with the Lord.
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