In the late 90’s, I was pastoring a great missions-minded church in upstate New York. During one of our annual mission festivals, we invited Ron Cline (then president of HCJB World Radio) to come and speak to our congregation. After listening to Ron, our people became captivated by the vision of World by 2000. In response, our Elders decided to tithe the funds we were raising for our new worship center toward planting radio stations among the unreached instead. Our people gave more than a half a million dollars towards radio planting through that initiative. The reports we heard from the places where we had helped to start radio stations were exhilarating!

God did some amazing things through the World by 2000 collaboration! Untold millions of people heard the Gospel. Countless numbers responded. Hundreds of thousands of people were discipled in the faith and many churches were planted. We’ll never know the full impact of World by 2000 until we join the great crowd from every tribe, tongue and nation as they stand before the throne in worship (Rev. 7:9-10).

World by 2000 was a wonderful Kingdom win … but the job isn’t done yet. In spite of the amazing progress of the Gospel in the last few decades, there are still some three billion people that need to hear the Good News in their heart language. Amazingly, radio continues to be one of the most powerful tools to reach them. Whether it’s on the edge of the Sahara in northern Benin, in the booming cities of southern Thailand, or high in the Atlas Mountains of Morocco, people are still listening to radio. In addition to continuing with our long-standing shortwave broadcasting, Reach Beyond has helped launch over 600 local FM radio stations around the world! Through these radio stations, our partners are proclaiming the Gospel to millions of people every day. As a result, people are coming to know Jesus, they are being discipled, and new churches are being formed. Your giving toward radio planting has helped to make all of this possible!

Reach Beyond is committed to planting as many radio stations among the unreached as we possibly can. We believe in radio! The need and opportunity continues, but it is getting harder and harder to start radio stations. Governments are laying down onerous regulations and restrictions, and getting permits is becoming a major challenge. In many places where we want to plant radio stations, religious opposition has become much more focused and militant. In some places, our partners and staff are literally risking their lives by engaging in evangelistic radio. Some have to work in underground studios. Others have had to move away from traditional radio in favor of internet radio, digital media and smart phone apps. This is the nature of global evangelism today: methods change, but the message stays the same.

Celebrate with us as we look back at World by 2000 and look ahead to the future. As has often been said, “The future is as bright as the promises of God!”