By Michael Ireland
Chief Correspondent, ASSIST News Service
NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE (ANS) -- A recent three-day seminar-style workshop on the elements of Christian broadcasting is helping to boost the visibility and viability of Christian radio in the Central American nation of Belize.
My Refuge Christian Radio began broadcasting on September 18, 1994 from Roaring Creek Village, three miles west of the capital, Belmopan. Today they broadcast 24/7 from Roaring Creek Village and Belize City.
Once part of the Mayan, and very briefly the Spanish Empire, Belize was most recently affiliated with the British Empire, prior to its gaining independence in 1981. The country is bordered to the south and west by Guatemala, to the north by Mexico, and to the east by the Caribbean Sea.
 |
| Richard and Rosa Smith of My Refuge Christian Radio |
In an interview at the recent NRB Convention in Nashville, TN, Richard Smith of My Refuge Christian Radio, based in Belmopan, Belize, gave ASSIST News an update on the progress being made with My Refuge Christian Radio.
"We are definitely taking a leadership role in Christian broadcasting. In Belize it has been sixteen years since we have launched Christian radio. Today, we have sixteen Christian radio stations and one Christian TV station, which brings us up to fifty percent of the media in Belize," Smith said.
Smith told ANS that the Christian TV station went on the air about two or three years ago and has just recently, in the last year, been licensed by the government.
"Before that we were running on cable, but the reality is we are taking a major lead in the broadcasting field because, in terms of numbers because we have fifty percent (of the broadcast outlets). What has happened is that we have KTIS (from Northwestern College in St. Paul, Minnesota) and Sharing Ministry -- that's Dan Wynia and Chuck Pollack -- who have committed themselves to once a year come and sharpen us up in seminars, and they were in Belize in January. So that gave us a lot of push to get us equipped and mobilized," Smith said.
Smith said the seminar had forty attendees.
"That is we had (representatives from) four Christian radio stations and the television station. (For) the basic training of television they had sixteen members who came to learn about television, because the Northwestern College (people) sent their best to do training in TV. So that was a very good push for them to mobilize them to go farther."
How did or how will that workshop series in Belize help the people down there?
"Well, again, because we are Christian radio a lot of times the government tends to look at Christian radio with no respect. Christian radio they look at us like 'oh, just stay in your little corner,' that kind of deal," said Smith.
"Why is that?" I asked.
"That's the whole concept that is brought down from Westminster with the British system. The British system is like 'oh, we grew up like the church, the church (should) keep to themselves and the government to themselves.' It's like a separation.
"But with kids coming and doing the training they earn their first certificate. When we get that certificate, the government looks at it with greater respect, because now we are qualified, even though we're not fully, totally, qualified in a three-day seminar, (but) it still speaks of respect. They receive that as a credential to respect us in that regard."
What does this mean for the future of Christian radio and television in Belize?
"Basically, what we are looking at is a major push to network closer with other radio stations because, we have sixteen radio and one television, but everybody is doing their own little thing. So, at My Refuge, we have three links. What we are trying to do is get everybody to link together so that we can really truly portray the unity of Christ through Christian broadcasting," Smith said.
ANS wanted to know what are some of the things coming down the pipeline for Christians in both radio and television in Belize? "What does the future hold -- you're on the path to getting fully certified you're not quite there yet, but you are going to get that. What's that going to take?" I asked Smith.
"I think one of the things it will take is for us to form ourselves an alliance, a network organization, that can speak one voice. Normally, with the hostile move against nations and Christianity in our world today, we must link yourselves together. So four of us have talked about starting this network together. Let's show Christ's love and unity, and come together. If we are going to take it to next level, we will have to do that. Again one of the things we at My Refuge are doing is streaming on the Internet and that has taken us to thirteen different nations in Europe, Central America, South America, America, Canada Africa.
"We have listeners in Germany in Moscow, we have listeners in Taiwan and Japan, and all these countries are tuning into us I guess because of the English language, because we don't speak their language, but we definitely offer some attraction for them to tap into our network," Smith said.
I asked Smith what kind of responses they have been getting? "Have you been getting emails or letters or anything like that? What kind of response have you been getting?"
"I've gotten the opportunity with an offer from someone in Pakistan to come join my staff in working with the HIV and AIDS ministry, since that has been a major challenge in our country. Three members want to come and join me from there. We have a team who want to come from Africa from Christ For The Nations as a result of those streaming items," Smith explained.
How can people Christians in America pray for My Refuge Christian Radio in Belize?
"Well, first of all I would say that what we are looking at is to go more on the live streaming and the Internet radio. That means we'll have to cut down to fifteen-minute or two-minute messages with music and become more bi-lingual. We definitely would like to see somebody with a heart and a passion for that because you've got to understand you can see Internet radio, you can see nations, a passion to reach every language and bring them together. So there needs to be a more progressive approach to handle those streams that we're doing out there."
How can interested listeners and readers find out more about the Internet streaming?
"That is something we offer, if you go to our web page www.myrefugebelize.org ," Smith said.
"When you open that page and on the side it says click to listen live, when you click on that, it opens a window that allows you to listen in any country that has the Internet."
What sort of programming is My Refuge Christian Radio doing?
"Right now, we have some very good messages, preachers from America, such as David Jeremiah's Turning Point. We have Focus on the Family. We have Love Worth Finding with Adrian Rogers. We have Skip Heitzig from from Calvary Chapel Albuquerque New Mexico. We also have Leading the Way with Doctor Michael Youssef, and June Hunt's Hope For The Heart, from Texas. We also have programs like Unshackled, from the Pacific Garden Mission in Chicago."
Smith explained that his station started off at thirty minute programming slots.
"As we launch out into Internet radio, we will have to tailor our length of preaching to be more competitive for listeners," he said.
What about homegrown production programs that My Refuge is self-producing. What's the status with that?
"I am involved, I have done several talk shows such as one we call Blow The Whistle we have on Wednesday morning talking about current issues within our country, domestic violence and other programs like that. On Sunday, I do one called Family Home Builders a program on building Biblical foundations for families. I'm on the morning show and I try to challenge most of our local preachers who are not involved in preaching a message. They have not yet learned how to be consistent in putting on a show every week or every day. They are a little bit shy from that, so they say they can't afford to finance even though I come low, that has been a challenge. So we have lots of local programs we produce, but we would like to see the Belizeans take that leadership of preaching the message from the church."
Smith mentioned one prayer request he has in particular.
"Basically, you can pray like I said, I would like to see a radical station manager -- somebody who will be able to come because right now managing it really ties me down," he said.
What would he like to be freed up to do with a dedicated manager; what would he like to do with that time?
"My role has been in networking with pastors, networking with government agencies, networking with NGO's, and just trying to get the church to become an active body in the nation. I work with a Gospel band, trying to raise them up to the next level -- we have lot of Reggae Gospel bands -- teaching them the values of using their music for ministry, not (just) for the song. I am involved with a lot of HIV and AIDS outreach -- I represent He Intends Victory in Belize -- and so I've been doing a lot of support groups. So, if I am tied to station management for the daily affairs at home, it holds me back from my networking of relationships outside, as well as PR for the ministry."
So the one specific request then is for a 'spitfire station manager' who can 'grab the bull by the horns' and take the stastion to a new level?
"As I said, our goal would be to reach the entire nation with one voice. We have just condensed that to two stations from one location in Belmopan, we are reaching Belize City and Belmopan with two stations. And the entire nation -- we want to bring everything together so the Body of Christ will have a voice to the nation, a prophetic voice from one location."
ANS would like to thank Robin Frost for transcribing this interview.