As we look back on 78 years of gospel ministry, we are reminded of a few key moments that have shaped The Tide over the years. Our genesis was the evangelistic zeal imparted to his congregation by the Reverend Charlie Byers. In August 1946, through the encouragement of his congregation, the first airing of The Gospel Tide Hour was launched in Chambersburg, PA. This was certainly a key moment.
The 1970’s were an important decade for global missions. The First International Congress on World Evangelization was held in Lausanne in 1974. Almost 3000 Christian leaders from 150 countries attended this conference and discussed and planned strategies for world evangelism. Ralph Winter gave a notable speech on hidden peoples – from which was derived the concepts of unreached people groups. The momentum from this congress was palpable.
The following year, The Tide aired its first international broadcast in southern Africa, and in 1978, the first non-English programs were broadcast in Africa and India. These were watershed moments as our ministry pivoted its focus to providing gospel access to regions of the world where there was less access.
2008 was another key moment as The Tide stopped producing English-language programming altogether and transitioned its entire focus to meet the great need for indigenous language Christian radio programming in other regions of the world.
Since then, we have continued to adapt and evolve to our ever-changing world. As the popularity of radio has declined in certain regions and segments of the population, we began broadcasting in newer media, including satellite television, world wide web, and messenger apps such as WhatsApp. We have grown to 27 languages in 12 countries plus the Middle East, and are continuously looking for more opportunities to expand.
If you would like to take part in the ministry, you can do so through prayer and support. We deeply value your partnership. It is because of supporters like you that we are able to continue to run this race that our Lord has given us to run!