Liberia Conference close to establishing radio station
Jun. 9, 2006 News media contact: Kathy Gilbert * (615) 7425470* Nashville {344}
NOTE: Photographs and related stories are available at http://umns.umc.org.
By Kathy L. Gilbert*
MONROVIA, Liberia (UMNS) - Bishop John Innis is looking forward to being the first broadcaster on United Methodist radio in this war-torn country because he has good news to share.
"Our church is a very wonderful church, well loved, well respected in this country," he said. "What we engage in always gains spiritual popularity. It will be great news to hear the radio station has begun."
The Liberia Annual Conference has been dreaming of a radio station for the last two years. Funding for a community radio station in Liberia will make that dream come true soon.
Contributors to the radio station include the Illinois Great Rivers Annual (regional) Conference, Memorial United Methodist Church in White Plains, N.Y., and Church of the Resurrection in Leawood, Kan., said Elizabeth Hunter, executive director of the United Methodist Communications Foundation.
The foundation is helping raise funds to establish conference communication centers in Africa. It supports United Methodist Communications in its mission to tell the stories of the church and its people.
Liberian church leaders met with a team from United Methodist Communications in 2005 to talk about their needs. The meeting was part of the Central Conference Communications Initiative, approved by the 2004 General Conference to develop communications structures in the denomination's conferences outside the United States.
Working in partnership with central conference church leaders, United Methodist Communications is helping those areas not only meet their own needs but also the needs of the larger church "for hearing, embracing and sharing life-transforming stories," said Barbara Nissen, Communications Resourcing Team director at the agency.
Recovering from war
"Communication needs have been hampered by war," said the Rev. Konah Parker, communications director for the Liberia Conference.
A 14-year civil war ended in 2003, leaving the infrastructure wrecked with no electricity, water or sewage. Many churches, parsonages, schools and medical facilities remain destroyed or severely damaged. Parker reported that the Liberia telecommunications system was badly damaged, bringing a complete halt to line telephone service.
The Liberia Broadcasting System, the ELWA Radio and all other radio stations were also looted and destroyed during the war.
"For a long time, Liberia lost contact with the outside world," he said.
He noted however that cell phone companies and radio stations are starting to come back.
"Liberia needs nationwide radio coverage," he said. "Most of the stations do not cover Liberia's 43,000 square miles."
The United Methodist Church in Liberia wants to serve everyone and help change the mindset of violence, especially in the youth, Innis said.
Building a station
The conference has begun to construct a station. Isaiah Mbuga, a radio expert from Uganda, was invited to be part of the meeting to assess and advice the conference on establishing their own station.
"I have been though war - am privileged to be from war - I come to you with an understanding of what you are going through," Mbuga said. "Some of the things I will share are meant to make you think hard."
Mbuga emphasized the need to do research on audience needs and trends and decide exactly what the church wants to accomplish with a radio station.
"The transmitter you have is very small, but it can do well," he said. "Use what you have, use high gain antenna, get a receiver and add another transmitter - (signals) will go up to the end of the country."
He suggested some additional work for the studio, including soundproofing.
"Programming is the lifeblood of a radio station, and you have several issues," he said. "You can use radio to teach children informally. Let radio be a forum for young people."
Radio has played a key part in the life of Liberia, Parker said. "It is our mission to spread the gospel."
*Gilbert is a United Methodist News Service news writer based in Nashville, Tenn.
News media contact: Kathy L. Gilbert, Nashville, Tenn., (615) 742-5470 or newsdesk@umcom.org.
********************
United Methodist News Service Photos and stories also available at: http://umns.umc.org
----------------------------------------------------
To unsubscribe from this group, go to UMCom.org, log in to your account, click on the My Resources link and select the Leave option on the list(s) from which you wish to unsubscribe. If you have problems or questions, please write to websupport@umcom.org.
Powered by United Methodist Communications http://www.UMCom.org