FEBC ... All Systems Go!

Last week was an exciting week because after 4 years of planning, waiting and talking, we finally signed the contract leasing FEBC some of our land. The photo above shows me signing the legal contract along with Em Perez from FEBC and Pastor Laurence Nanglegan of the AoG District. At the bottom of Sefton Village a large radio antenna will be built. They will also build a studio building for recording all the radio shows.

We have had several meetings with FEBC Director Dan Cura and I have become good friends with him. The first time we met was in 2003 and it was a hoot. I never knew who Dan was but he was the new FEBC Director. He wanted to meet me and so when I was in Manila we planned a meeting. I decided to go early and sat at a small table across from a guy I thought I recognised. After ten minutes I asked him, "Aren't you the guy who reads the news on Channel 35?" He said, "Yes, are you Pastor Mark Ritchie?" Then I felt like a real twit. I had literally watched Dan read the national news every night for 3 years on the biggest TV Station in the Philippines and I still didn't realise that this was the same Dan Cura as I was going to meet. We still have a good laugh about that meeting!

There is a lovely couple called Em & Miriam Perez and they have worked for FEBC for 30 years. They have been assigned the responsibility of setting up the new radio station. They have had many training events for potential programmers here at Sefton. They have also been involved in a lot of the practical details of setting things up. There is a guy from FEBC called Peter MacIntyre and he is from Edinburgh ... and his wife from Tain just north of Inverness. He came to train our programmers once and couldn't believe that we were also Scottish and that Mary was from Wick! Small world!

The plan is that we will start to build in Jan/Feb. We hope to start recording radio programmes by Easter and go on air in June 2008. Many of our Cornerstone pastors & leaders (Winston, Marlou, James Bastian, August, Danny, Jane) are going to have their own shows and they have went through all the training. They all speak different dialects and will reach out to their own people groups. It is so exciting!

We have leased out the land on a 50 year lease at P1 per year! I want to make sure that the radio station will have no problems even when I am no longer at Sefton. So when I am 88, if I am still around, I can come to the Philippines to see how the new negotiations are going!!

You have to realise that there is absolutely no Christian Radio any more in the Northern Philippines. Many pastors and leader had their own shows on local FM radio stations but a false prophet (all self proclaimed messiah) bought up the rights for all local radio in the Philippines and the first thing he did was remove Christian Radio. So for three years there has been no proclamation of the gospel or christian music.


The Radio Station is called Cagayan Valley Missionary Radio an the frequency will be 1143 AM. It will reach out for hundreds of miles and most of Northern Luzon will hear that 'Jesus Christ is Lord' again! This is not a radio station to tick the ears of Christians ... its main purpose is to share the gospel for very people group in northern Luzon. That is about to change ...

In 1999 the Lord showed me in a vision that one day we would have a radio station at Sefton Village. At that time I had absolutely no idea how it would come to pass. But I knew what God had showed me and believed it with all my heart. And now, I have been amazed at the faithfulness and plan of the Lord in bringing this exciting project to pass.

Whatever the dream or vision God has shown you ... don't give up! You don't have to know how God will do it, when He will do it or even what he will do. Just believe. Hold on. Survive the storm. Don't give up ... the fulfillment is coming!

Here is a verse to encourage you today: "Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up." (Gal 6:9 - NIV)