The radio work of Grace Baptist Mission (GBM) began in India 50 years ago. It was a cause for deep gratitude that the recommendation from Conference in India to the Mission Council in London asking permission to establish a radio ministry was unanimously accepted in the 1950s.
Not all Strict Baptists of that generation were happy about radio. Even in 1963, when in the UK on furlough, a missionary was told by one pastor that, ‘Radio is the devil’s instrument’.
St. Paul on the radio?
There is little doubt that if Paul had lived in the 20th/21st century he would have looked upon radio as a legitimate means for spreading the gospel. Indeed, the fact is that, through radio, millions hear the good news of God’s redeeming grace. Humanly speaking, they would not have heard in any other way! It is possible through one hour of radio broadcasting to reach more people than Paul could have reached in a whole lifetime of ministry. Whitefield may have preached to 20,000 on Kennington Common (I’m not sure who counted them!), but radio programmes beamed to Africa and India can be heard by 20,000 multiplied many times.
