God works in mysterious ways. Just ask Mykola Faryga. Imprisoned in Vinnica, Ukraine, from 1984 until 1991, he is now a pastor working with Ligonier Ministries to translate resources into his native language. “I became a Christian and studied the Bible for three and a half years on an uninhabited island, which happened to be a Soviet prison. There were no Bible teachers, no theological books, and there was no church to offer guidance for Scriptural studies,” said Faryga.
When released, he was shocked by the oppression that the Christian community faced. While Faryga was incarcerated, Ukrainian Christians were imprisoned by a government that did not permit them to practice their beliefs. For this reason, he sought the support of Ligonier Ministries. Together, we desire to provide Ukrainian ministers and laypeople with resources necessary for spiritual development. “If books are in the hands of a preacher, it changes him and all those around him,” said Faryga.
Ligonier Ministries will be translating audio collections that will be broadcast on the Ukrainian national radio station. They will also be translating Dr. R.C. Sproul’s books so that the Ukrainians will have access to sound theology. Currently nine books and 148 radio programs have been translated into the Ukrainian language.
In other international news, Ligonier Ministries and Dr. Sproul are now broadcasting on television in England. United Christian Broadcasters Limited (UCB) is a Christian charity and one of the United Kingdom’s leading Christian media ministries. John Green, broadcasting manager of UCB TV, approached the ministry with a desire to broadcast Ligonier Ministries’ educational resources. Soon after, UCB TV began broadcasting Dr. Sproul’s teachings.
UCB has a vision for Christian revival across the UK and a passion to help bring this about one person at a time, irrespective of their denominational affiliation. They broadcast quality Christian radio programming, publish a daily Bible devotional entitled, The Word for Today, and operate their own online store that serves to fund “Prayerline,” an initiative set up in 2003 for people who simply need someone to pray for and with them.
While UCB has been around for a few years, UCB TV did not launch until January 2004. It is broadcast on the Astra digital satellite platform throughout the United Kingdom, Ireland, and most of Western Europe and reaches an estimated ten million viewers. Much of the programming now being shown on UCB TV has never been seen on UK Christian television before.
Dr. Sproul is broadcast both at 9:30 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. Some of the series they have aired include Dust to Glory, Angels and Demons, Handout Theology, and The Promise Keeper: God of the Covenants.
It is with great excitement that Ligonier Ministries continues to expand internationally, and we anticipate seeing where God will lead us next. Our desire is to continue to provide countries with Christian educational resources in their native languages that they too may be awakened to the holiness of God.
|
|
|
