About Us
Creatively sharing the Good News of Jesus Christ worldwide through media and partnerships.
Who We Are
The Tide is an international Christian outreach committed to worldwide evangelism and discipleship. Our goal is to lead as many people as possible into a life transforming relationship with Jesus Christ. We do this primarily through Christian media broadcasts in multiple languages around the world. We also engage in other activities such as discipleship, leadership development, church planting, and short term mission trips.
What We Do
- We tell people about Jesus in the language they were born to speak.
- We disciple new believers and develop local leaders.
- We focus our efforts on people groups who have limited access to the Gospel.
- We provide radios and media players for people to listen to the broadcasts.
How it Works
Rather than broadcasting translations of English programs, The Tide works with partners in Africa, Asia, and Europe and with local ministers to produce radio programs to share the Gospel with their language and in the context of their culture. These local ministry partners are our boots on the ground to provide listener care and coordinate discipleship and leadership training activities.
Since 1946
The Tide began as a local radio broadcast in Chambersburg, Pennsylvania, known as The Gospel Tide Hour. Founded by Rev. Charlie Byers, pastor of a church in Chambersburg, the initial mission of The Gospel Tide Hour was to reach the Chambersburg community for Christ.
In 1975
The Tide became international when the original program began airing across Southern Africa. This expansion initiated a gradual shift in emphasis from domestic radio programming to a strong emphasis on global missions. In 1978 the Gospel Tide Broadcasting Association began producing programs in other languages in both Africa and India, using indigenous speakers to share the Gospel message in their own language.
Since 2008
Realizing that North American airwaves are saturated with Christian radio programming, The Tide stopped producing an English language program and transitioned its entire focus to meet the great need for indigenous language Christian radio programming in other regions of the world. Today, in addition to producing evangelistic radio programming in numerous languages, the ministry of The Tide includes literature distribution, correspondence courses, discipleship and leadership training activities, and the distribution of radios and media players. The majority of our activities now take place in relatively undeveloped regions of the world targeting less privileged populations and is accomplished in partnership with like-minded individuals, ministries, indigenous missionaries, and local church movements.
Statement of Faith
We work with local partners to provide radio and television programming to share the Good News of Jesus Christ in native languages – languages that people are born to speak. This allows what is aired to be culturally relevant to the people who listen, and not just a translation of English programming.
The Tide became international when the original program began airing across Southern Africa. This expansion initiated a gradual shift in emphasis from domestic radio programming to a strong emphasis on global missions. In 1978 the Gospel Tide Broadcasting Association began producing programs in other languages in both Africa and India, using indigenous speakers to share the Gospel message in their own language.
The Tide became international when the original program began airing across Southern Africa. This expansion initiated a gradual shift in emphasis from domestic radio programming to a strong emphasis on global missions. In 1978 the Gospel Tide Broadcasting Association began producing programs in other languages in both Africa and India, using indigenous speakers to share the Gospel message in their own language.
The Tide became international when the original program began airing across Southern Africa. This expansion initiated a gradual shift in emphasis from domestic radio programming to a strong emphasis on global missions. In 1978 the Gospel Tide Broadcasting Association began producing programs in other languages in both Africa and India, using indigenous speakers to share the Gospel message in their own language.
The Tide became international when the original program began airing across Southern Africa. This expansion initiated a gradual shift in emphasis from domestic radio programming to a strong emphasis on global missions. In 1978 the Gospel Tide Broadcasting Association began producing programs in other languages in both Africa and India, using indigenous speakers to share the Gospel message in their own language.
Meet Our Team
Don Shenk,Executive Director
Don was born to missionary parents in what was then known as Rhodesia, and prior to joining The Tide in 2001 served as a missionary teaching at a Bible School in Zimbabwe, Africa. In addition to lecturing in the classroom at Ekuphileni Bible Institute Don served as Academic Dean, Director of Student Ministries, and also developed and implemented a manual skills training program to enable rural pastors to minister bi-vocationally. Through twenty eight years living in Zimbabwe, and numerous visits to Africa, Eastern Europe and India as a ministry administrator and resource person for church conferences and leadership training events, Don has acquired a wealth of international, cross cultural ministry experience. As the world becomes more and more of a global village, Don’s greatest passion is to reach people for Jesus Christ and to bring them into the Church.
Becky Shenk,Office Manager
Don was born to missionary parents in what was then known as Rhodesia, and prior to joining The Tide in 2001 served as a missionary teaching at a Bible School in Zimbabwe, Africa. In addition to lecturing in the classroom at Ekuphileni Bible Institute Don served as Academic Dean, Director of Student Ministries, and also developed and implemented a manual skills training program to enable rural pastors to minister bi-vocationally. Through twenty eight years living in Zimbabwe, and numerous visits to Africa, Eastern Europe and India as a ministry administrator and resource person for church conferences and leadership training events, Don has acquired a wealth of international, cross cultural ministry experience. As the world becomes more and more of a global village, Don’s greatest passion is to reach people for Jesus Christ and to bring them into the Church.
Erlinda Hand,Mobilization and Engagement Coordinator
Ever since her teen years Erlinda has had a strong desire to change the world by sharing Jesus with others and has engaged with a variety of ministries and mission work in several countries. Prior to joining The Tide ministry team Erlinda spent seven years living in NE Asia where she and her husband both worked as teachers serving in a tentmaking missionary role to be light in the dark and share the Good News as they had opportunity.
Coming Soon,Marketing and Communications Coordinator
Coming Soon!
Board of Directors
The Tide international radio ministry is governed by a self-perpetuating Board of Directors that meets regularly throughout the year to cast vision, monitor and evaluate ministry progress, consider new initiatives, and to give oversight to the Director and staff.
John Walden (Chairman), Bill Strausbaugh (Assistant Chairman), John Miller (Secretary), Lane Thrush (Treasurer), Ed Asbury, Mel Andricks, Rob Sheldon, Curtis Book, Becky Hanusa*, Tom Lebo* (*not pictured)
