May 10, 2002

Christian television may be fueling a spiritual revival in Africa. The church there is growing so quickly that some missions experts say Africa may "hold the future of Christianity." In fact, Africa, Latin America and Asia now claim 60% of the world's entire Christian population. That's a big change from a hundred years ago, when most Christians were Europeans or north Americans.

Today, Christianity is spreading across sub-Saharan Africa faster than at any time or place in the last 2000 years. It's a movement of God that has taken the secular media and the western church by surprise.

Ben Edwards, who serves as vice president of CBN's WorldReach ministry said, "I think Africa has a lot of misperceptions. One thing is Africa is becoming much more of an urban society, like the rest of the world, and less of a rural society. And the problems in Africa are very significant, but so is the spiritual growth. You have a situation in Botswana where 36% of the general population is infected with the AIDS virus, but at the same time in sub-Saharan Africa, you have new churches opening every month. So you have incredible spiritual need, but you have this spiritual revival coming alongside at the same time."

A key element in the spread of Christianity in Africa has been the use of mass media, in cooperation with local church and missionary groups. Christian television programs, such as CBN's "Turning Point," are being broadcast during prime time on many national networks, drawing audiences in the millions.

"Turning Point is a really unique program in Africa," Edwards said. "I think Christian programs in the past have been people preaching at you very strongly, but Turning Point is a slice of life program. It tells you what's happening in the world from a news point of view, but it also tells great testimonies."

Tayo Olugbemi serves as marketing director for CBN WorldReach in West Africa and said that the people see themselves in those stories. "They know there's a solution. They see an example of somebody that has gone through the same thing they are going through and come out through it. And they say they want to be like that. I want to be like that same person. I want to be free."

Olugbemi has seen firsthand "Turning Point's" popularity. "I go 'Turning Point' and they go 'oh! Yeah! Yeah! Yeah! I love that program!'" he said.

"So people recognize 'Turning Point'. It's not just the person, but it's the spirit behind it, it's the program, it's God moving on TV," he said.

In addition to his marketing work, Tayo Olugbemi also serves as host for the African version of CBN's pioneering youth program "One Cubed". With its high production values and top-rate Christian videos, "One Cubed" sends a message that rival music video programs can't match.

Olugbemi said, "Guess what? In channel 0 they say, 'if you're want to have sex, use a condom.' So what they're actually saying is this: 'Go have sex. Just bring a condom along with you.' But in 'One Cubed' we're addressing them: 'Do you not want to keep your body pure? Let me pray with you.' It's not just entertainment. It's not just people dancing. It's not just people being fashionable. It's all that, but at the same time we're reaching their spirit, nurturing it, making them realize that life could be better."

Viewer response has entered the cyber age for both "One Cubed" and "Turning Point". E-mails arrive daily, revealing the hunger in people's hearts.

"Well, we had an e-mail recently from a young lady who was contemplating an abortion and she just felt like she didn't have any other options. She was a well-known media person in Nigeria. But we wrote back and said there are other options and we offered a solution," said Ben Edwards.

"You know, a few years ago we couldn't have done that. We would have heard about the need in Africa, but we wouldn't have had that mechanism to respond back directly. So we're really entering a new age of ministry," Edwards continued.

Independent surveys report that ten million Africans became believers, in just the last year, as a result of CBN programming alone. The need has never been greater, but neither has the opportunity to light a flame that will never burn out.