AWR

News

Craving Answers in Ukraine

Your support of our recent Annual Offering will bring the gospel to new listeners across Ukraine … and around the world. We are currently sharing hope in Christ in more than 100 languages, through FM and shortwave radio, podcasts, and on demand programs.

AWR Ukraine

Sincere thanks to everyone who supported our annual offering on March 12! Our partners at the thriving AWR studio in Kiev, Ukraine – featured on our cover image – have sent this look at what's happening in their country.

Posted by Adventist World Radio on Thursday, March 24, 2016


 

Marina headed for work with a light heart, her face turned up to the sunny sky. Spring had finally arrived after the long months of frigid winter, and she relished seeing the cheerful colors of the season’s first flowers.

Nearing her workplace, Marina saw some strange marks on the ground. Moving closer, she peered at what appeared to be ashes. Marina knew what that meant, and her blood ran cold. She sprinted home as quickly as she could, with one thought in her mind: “I’m going to die.”

It was April 1986, and Marina’s job was near the nuclear power plant in Chernobyl, Ukraine. The ashes she had seen were the result of the atomic block’s catastrophic explosion, and Marina was frighteningly aware of the effect radiation has on the human body. Her whole life had just been turned upside down.

Miraculously, Marina survived, with no ill effects. She moved to another city, got married, and had children. But she was constantly haunted by the feeling that her life would soon come to an end.

Ukraine2016-01

Presenter Svitlana Khomenko

In 1998, she accidentally found a radio program about God. Within a week, Marina and her children began eagerly waiting for the next broadcast of a program called The Voice of Hope.

Marina requested the Bible studies that were offered on the program, and as soon as she had completed the entire course, she was baptized. Today, Marina and her family are enjoying a close walk with God and are members of the Adventist church. The fears that haunted Marina for so long have disappeared.

Spiritual Re-awakening

“Traditionally in Ukraine, people rarely attended church, but they still considered themselves believers, usually in the Orthodox church,” says Konstantin Halchynskyi, the new manager of AWR Ukraine. “As a consequence of the military operations in the east part of the country, people have started to become more spiritual and are even starting to attend Protestant churches, becoming more active in church activities, and requesting baptism. People are interested in politics, although they are very disappointed in it. Their top issues are safety and material conditions.”

Adventist radio outreach is thriving. The five permanent employees of AWR Ukraine – a manager, three presenters, and an editor – are young and active, promising and purposeful. One or two employees of Hope Channel Ukraine (TV) also make audio programs for The Voice of Hope radio program.

Arthur Bondarchuk wears multiple hats: presenter, script writer, and audio producer

Arthur Bondarchuk wears multiple hats: presenter, script writer, and audio producer

One team member is 18-year-old Arthur Bondarchuk. “He is a student and is very talented,” Halchynskyi says. “He created his own program, called Inspiration. We have received a lot of feedback from different listeners, who like it very much.”

Major Investment in New Stations

AWR has been broadcasting Ukrainian programs for 20 years, on shortwave and two large networks: Ukrainian National Radio 1 and 2. This network encompasses cable radio, 68 ultra-shortwave transmitters, 4 medium-wave transmitters, and 108 FM stations. Together, these broadcasts reach 15 million homes.

But Adventist leaders in Ukraine have an even greater vision for sharing the gospel through radio. When the government made more than 30 new licenses available last year, AWR funded the church’s applications.

“We were hoping that the Ukraine Union Conference would receive one license,” says AWR president Dowell Chow, “but they were granted nine! We never expected that! There were a lot of big players also applying, but the Lord rewarded the church’s efforts.”

Ukraine2016-02

Svitlana Khomenko and Olexandr Pogribnyy record a morning program, WakeUp

AWR will fund all of the equipment for the new undertaking, and will provide financial assistance for production and operating costs over the next five years, until the union is able to shoulder the full costs. This investment by AWR will amount to between $300,000 and $400,000.

The large capital city of Kiev is covered by the current network, but this new expansion will increase the potential audience by half a million listeners [see map for list of cities]. Small local production teams will be developed over time in some locations, augmented by programs shared by the central studio in Kiev.

“The church leaders in Ukraine had this dream, and their tremendous enthusiasm speaks volumes,” Chow says. “We’re here to support them. Both Victor Alekseyenko, union president at the time, and Anatoly Begas, radio director at the time, were very instrumental in making the vision a reality. The current general director of Hope Media Group, Vyacheslav Demyan, spearheaded the acquisition of the licenses.”

A Kind Light

The staff at the radio studio is highly engaged with their listeners. They receive between 150 and 300 letters in the mail every month, in addition to phone calls and e-mails. People request Bible lessons, describe their life stories, and ask questions. They want to know about forgiveness of sins, the plan of salvation, death and eternal life, and more. In 2015, more than 500 listeners requested Bible correspondence lessons.

Konstantin Halchynskyi leads the work of the Voice of Hope team

Konstantin Halchynskyi leads the work of the Voice of Hope team

The staff also operates a call center, through which they give spiritual and psychological consultations, and they find that this is often the best way to follow up with listeners.

“In some regions, radio is the only way for people to communicate with the outside world, the only way to hear about God,” Halchynskyi says. “Radio reaches place where we can’t even reach with television. In the current war situation, radio is a kind light that warms people and gives them hope.”

One listener wrote:

“Recently, I listened to one of your programs, which I enjoyed very much! I had never listened to any religious broadcast before, but there lives an amazing elderly person in our village, Nickolay Ivanovich. Despite his poor eyesight, he knows the Bible very well. He advised me to listen to your radio program. There I found a lot of things that are of interest to me. I crave answers to many issues that I am concerned about, like: Who is God? How can one fulfill God’s law? I want to know more about the principles of a happy family life.

“Nickolay has a good knowledge of the Bible because he takes your correspondence Bible course. Inspired by his example, I decided to begin to study the Bible. Please, mail the handbooks that will introduce me to the Holy Scriptures. Let me thank you once again for your radio programs and your labor. Sincerely, Irina Gonchar.”

You can listen to Ukrainian podcasts here, or visit the Ukraine studio’s website.

by Shelley Nolan Freesland, AWR Communication Director

Cities where 9 new FM stations will be launched in Ukraine

Cities where 9 new FM stations will be launched in Ukraine

Mother and child listening to radio in front of simple home.

Help AWR make a significant impact on more lives all over the world

donate now