Christian Radio Station

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31568, 4 January 1968, Page 10

Christian Radio Station

The first interdenominational Christian broadcasting station in New Zealand is being planned in Christchurch by a group of about 30 members of the Gospel Radio Fellowship.

Mr R. M. H. Berry, who helped to establish the fellowship seven years ago, said last evening that he had been corresponding with the Minister of Broadcasting since the fellowship began and it was hoped to obtain a private radio licence for the station.

At present the fellowship is advertising for a quarter of an acre to half an acre of land up to 15 miles from Christchurch on which to build the station. No plans had been drawn up yet as size would depend mainly on the type of section used, said Mr Berry. Although the cost of the station had been discussed at committee meetings, no tai get had been fixed for this either,

he said. The fellowship would be relying on gifts for the necessary money.

Most of the more expensive equipment for the station would be bought and the number of staff required to operate it would depend on the type of licence issued. All work was done voluntarily, said Mr Berry, although it was hoped to make the head technical director (Mr A. Cresswell) a full-time worker soon.

Programmes, which will include audio-visual features, short stories, music from youth and adult choirs and programmes to help alcoholics and drug addicts, are already being recorded and stored by Banbury Recordings which is conducted from a studio behind Mr Berry’s home at 20 Banbury Street, Burnside. “The aim of our station

will be to put forward the gospel of Jesus Christ through the radio,” said Mr Berry. “This is one of the largest forms of ministry overseas and it is growing rapidly In Australia.”

Although Mr Berry had not visited any overseas stations, he has corresponded with them regularly and later this year a member of a similar station in Ecquador, South America, may visit Christchurch. So far membership of the fellowship has been kept low, but members will increase this year with the introduction of associate membership. Mr Berry said that it was strictly an interdenominational fellowship. At present the biggest group came from the Salvation Army. Other fairly large groups included Anglicans and Brethren.