Chapter
41
“Hour of Discovery” in Retrospect :A Letter to Rev. Olof
Lindstrom
In
April 8, 2000. I wrote a letter to Rev.
Olof Lindstrom, Baptist Union of Sweden, reporting our Radio Ministry “Hour
of Discovery”. By this time, HOD was on radio broadcast ministry for 7 years from, 1992 to 1999 with Farsta Centrum Kyrkan.
We
were on the air over the following stations and time. In Iloilo City, we were at
DYFM-Bombo radio at 5:45 PM every Sunday. We’re over GMA-Radio,Iloilo every
Wednesday from at 4:30-5:00 AM. In Roxas City, we’re On the Air, at Station
DYVR, at 2:30 PM every Snday.
In
Mindanao, were On the Air, on Wednesdays at DZMM in Bukidnon. Rev. Librado Repolidon spoke 2
Wednesdays On the Air, every
month. I spoke also two Wedensday every month I sent a recorded tape
message. In General Santos City, we were heard over DYFM Bombo Radio every Sunday afternoon at 4:00
PM. Rev. Eddie Sancho spoke two Sundays a month. I spoke to Sundays. In
Mindanao, they spoke using Ilongo, Cebuano and Tagalog to
listeners who udrd these three Filipino dialects. My letter to Rev. Olof Lindstrom in retrospect.
In
Iloilo City and Capiz, every week we were on the air in 3 radio stations in
Western Visayas. We tried a new approach
in our Bible reflections. Often, we
start with current issues on the national
interests during the week. The situationers were used as
illustrations to drive some points in
the Scriptures that speaks on similar situatios prevailing at the time. The
Bible reflections contextualized
Scriptural events in the life of
our people and society today.
Some
pastors and laymen/laywomen were involved in our Radio program as Resource
Speakers. We have Resource Speakers once a month. In the two Radio programs in
Mindanao, we have two pastors who helped
coordinate and monitor our broadcasts and served as Speakers for the program.
They spoke on the air. These was a way for “Hour of Discovery’ to expose and
train some our Pastors and lay leaders
in broadcast ministry and encourage them to explore radio ministry as part of
their ministry in the future.
In
Iloilo City and Roxas City we have three Pastors who served as Resource Speakers
every 2nd Week of our scheduled broadcast time. In April 2000,
during the Resurrection Sunday &
Ascension Sunday, Dr. Domingo Diel, Jr.,
President of Filamer Christian College and President of the Convention
was the Resource Speaker.
We
taped his message, Saturday April 9 at our Recording Room. Then the message was
reproduced, mixed with music and
announcements and reproduced in six
Cassette Tapes and sent to 7 radio stations where “Hour of Discovery” was aird.
The
Contents of our Broadcasts
The
messages, Bible reflections and commentaries we air were designed
to make people reflect on th meaning of their faith in relations to
daily life. It works on the Scriptures and its contemporary messages for us to
think today. We have discovered that the
Scriptures have very rich stories that speak on different subject and courses
affecting life, We are trying to ”mine” and discover from its pages truth that most often were hidden from us,
since many of our mentors of the past
has “spiritualized” many of Jesus teachings.
“Hour
of Discovery” tries to contribute to change
in society by helping change the
frame of mind, the thinking of or people. It works on messages with
direct bearing on the need and problems directly affecting people. It was sensitive to
denominational bias and addressed the wider ecumenical community. The
programs also put itself on the side of the people against the existing elitist
powers. It stood on the side of life
against death. On the side of the poor sttuggling peasants against the powerful and rich landlords, the
workers against the powerful industries.
It
seek to give power to the weak by providing the tools of educations, skills and
instruments that would enable them to
think on the “whys” of happenings
together make actions to help
slowly make some little change.
The
analysis of the current situations, problems and issues affecting the people
and the society and what the Bible say on similar situations has made “Hour of
Discovery” broadcast acceptable to wider communities. Hour of Discovery radio
broacasts crosses denominational lines and was working to become a religious
radio broadcast for the people.
What
were our subjects? It’s varied. We reflect
on the love of God that continue
to seek to continue waiting for the son
whose life was wrecked and destroyed by wines, drugs, vices and crimes and how
the church could be the arms of the church in the task of human redemption.
In
the hit in our country’s debate on capital punishment and executions of those
considered criminals, we reflected on Jesus efforts to save a woman condemned
to death for a crime of adultery by the angry crowed while the man who was her
partner in the crime, was not touched. We took Jesus position that to fight
against death penalty and stopped executions of considered criminals.
In
the midst of students demonstrations and people’ marches and strikes against
abuses of the government leaders and powers and abuses of the oil cartel, big
businesses, devastations of the natural resources by irresponsible mining
firms, we reflected on Jesus march to Jerusalem and the temple and how he
exposed and lashed at the powerful who corrupted the temple of Jerusalem
and took advantages of the simple faith of the people.
Jesus
has encouraged people’s marches in his
time, to demonstrate anger against abuses by those in power.
He
also often touched on the power of faith and prayer, the ability of these and
ordinary plants to heal sick bodies,
weakened minds and ailing hearts,
witnessed healed by their will power, positive thoughts and the power of God,
working miraculously anong many
surrendered lives.
Production
of Cassette Tapes
To
maximize the effectiveness of our radio programs aired in six radio stations in
Western Visayas and Mindanao, we reproduced the weekly messagesin
Cassette
Tapes and VCD’s , provide this Cassette Tapes and VCD’s to some of our pastors
in churches, community leaders and leaders of some communit organizations. These
Cassette Tapes and VCD’s were given them, in
limited numbes, here in Panay,
Negros Occidental and Mindanao to replay in their churches, homes and organizations. Through these, we reached out to wider
coverage with our simple and practical
message on life, faith and God’s
presence on our lives.
There
were numbers of request of these Cassette Tapes and VCD’s. amd we try our best to reproduced these,
though we have difficulties in
reproductions, as we use a simple duplicator which toke more time to duplicate. We continue this efforts
for it ‘s one way , we could replicate and reach more people in our provinces.
Pastors,
church and community leaders, replays these
in their churches, homes and
communitiies. From these tapes, the also get materials for their Bible Studies,
sermons and lectures.
Our
tapes are in our own dialect – Ilonggo or Hiligaynon. These
English Titles. It carry two
messages per Cassette Tapes. These were for 30 minutes broadcasts for
DYRI-Iloilo GMA Radio-Iloilo, DYVR Roxas City, DZMM-Bukidnon and Bombo Radio-GeneralSantos
City.
Cassette Tape 1. The Promise of a New Day/ Mining
Act of 1995: Dangers to Ecolog
& the Future
Cassette
Tape 2. A Call to Live for the Future / The Power to Reach Beyond
Cassette
Tape 3. Conflicts: Causes/
Reconciliations
Cassette
Tape 4. The People’s March to Jerusalem / Ninoy Aquino & the People’s
Search for Justice.
Cassette
Tape 5. Search for Real Riches/ Death Sentence and Jesus Call for Life
Cassette
Tape 6. The Call of the Heights / Celebacy & the Married Catholic Priests
Cassette
Tape 7. Wonan You are Wonderful / Men & Women: Partners in Life
Cassette
Tape 8. The NDF & the Peace Process / Gen. Fabian Ver & the Loneliness
of Death
Cassette
Tape 9. A Call for New Priority / Lazarus & Feudalism in Jesus Time
Cassette
Tape 10. Hope for Peace / May 1 & the Filipino Workers Struggle for Life
Cassette
Tape 11. The Prodigal Son / The Searching Father
Pamphlets,
Leaflets & other reading materials
Some
fo the radio messages, lectures and commentaries we also produced in written forms –pamphlets and leaflets.
These were distributed free in limited
numbers to some church leaders, pastors and community leadedrs in different
areas. The reading materials were useful for some pastors and lay leaders in
their Bible Studies. Some alsoused
these in their preparations of their
messages on Sundays. Books were
expensive and some pastors and church leaders do not have resources to buy much needed books.
These
reading materials, which were products
of hard studies were useful tools for someof them. We produce these materials
to fill the need and reached wider group of people. These pamphlets and
leaflets, were first produce in photo copies. Later with our Rizograph Printing
machine, we can duplicate fast the needed reading materials.
Some Feedbacks’
We
also develop a way to get feedbacks of our works. We need to know how our
efforts affect our listeners and
readers. We need to get some reactions from them Often we do these by interviews. Some were
came spontaneously during some meetings and sharing.
We
have here some feedbacks to gauge reactions and responses to from our listenrs
and readers. Thru this simple means, we can gauge a little of responses to our works.
:
Ms.
Rosalina Diaz, Ipil, Zamboanga del Sur: c”The radtio program is good and very
interesting than other religious
programs in the radio.It encouraged us to listen and our faith
strengthened thru hearing God’s messages
from the Bible. The broadcast is very relevant.”
Dr.
Andresito Millamena, President, Church Council, University Church, CPU: “I
often listen to your radio program ‘Hour of Discovery” in my car on
Sundays. You preached a very relevant
messages.”. He shared these to me verbally when we have a meeting with in the Steering Committee of CPUlast February 2000.
Mrs.
Francisca Sanches, Purok Caimoto, Ipil, Zamboanga del Sur, a member of Christian Alliance Church; ”I can say that
religious programs are most important.
This isone way to evanvelized and bring
the Word of God, specially to those who were living in secluded places.
“Hour of Discovery” messages were remineders
to everyone, with wrong desirs in
life and those who have wrong goals….In our sitio (small part of the village),
perhaps there are 30 families listening.”
Mrs.
Jovy Aguilar, Batayan, Kalawit, Zamboanga del Norte. “The radio program is very helpful to our
spiritual, moral and social needs. It’s
messages are relevant to the present situations. Most of the church members in our church and some catholics
are listening.”
Dr.
Juanito Acanto, President, Central Philippiine University, Jaro, Iloilo City.
We were both members of the Board of Iloilo Mission Hospital. When we met April 7, 2000 before the hospital Board
meeting he said: . “I often hear you in your radio program You are so good in
Ilonggo preaching, Very relevant messages,”
Melchor
Lariza, Olaga, Sibalom, Antique. “The radio programs were avenue for
information of oru CPBC activities. They were source of relevant and up-to-date issues affecting our nation in
general and the basic sector in particular.It is a way to reaching on church
members eveninthe far-flung villages.”
Messages
of “Hour of Discvoery” discusses
current issues and provide Biblical
basis for Christians’ response in a particular
issues and concerns.
Majority
of the church members in Antique as well as nonchurch members were listening to
DYFM, bombo Radio broadcasts. Feedbacks
and reactions were favourale. It has a captured group of listeners.
Olof
I will come up again with some other
information, Please gave a copy
of this report to Ms. Haggan, Information Secretary, International Ministries,
Baptist Union of Sweden, She may be able to get some information she needs. It may be helpful, if
you could share with her a Map of the Philippines and show her the coverage of
our radio ministries.
We would like to thank our sisters na
brothers in the Baptist Union of Sweden
who have helped and shared to make the radio ministry possible. Thanks.
– Rudy Bernal
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