As The Tide® ministry, a global outreach that utilizes radio broadcasts to share the Gospel of Christ in 39 countries on three different continents, continues to celebrate 75 years of missional ministry, the staff and volunteers often think back to how The Tide® ministry started.
In 1946, Reverend Charlie Byers set out to spread the Gospel via his radio show “The Gospel Tide Hour.” Broadcasting from Chambersburg, Pennsylvania, Byers started locally but with a vision of sharing the Good News around the world. In 1978, The Tide® ministry began producing global broadcasts recorded in the languages of listeners across Southern Africa. Fast forward 75 years later, and we have extended our programming with partners to be able to share the Gospel daily with millions in 30 different languages in almost 40 countries including those in Afghanistan, Albania, Bhutan, India, Kosovo, Mozambique, Nepal, Nigeria, Pakistan, Thailand, and Zimbabwe.
Someone who was there from Reverend Byers’ first broadcast is his son, Nelson Byers. Nelson will discuss the inception of The Tide® ministry, along with other fascinating stories, in the upcoming “I Remember When” virtual event hosted by The Tide® ministry on March 17.
Director, Don Shenk commented, “I’ve often heard it said that every time an elder passes away, a library burns to the ground. It is true that only a fraction of our life experiences ever gets recorded or even passed on through oral tradition. We want to make sure that the memory of the start of this ministry is preserved and cherished.
“Nelson has observed and participated in The Tide ministry since its founding 75 years ago. His memory is full of anecdotal information that has never been recorded. We want to hear directly from Nelson what the atmosphere was both at home and in the church as his father embarked on an exciting new ministry outreach, as well as other precious memories he has to share as the original Gospel Tide Hour grew and transitioned into The Tide Global Radio Ministry. For many years, Nelson was also the director of The Gospel Tide radio choir! He has a wealth of memories to share that extend outside the studio to include concerts and evangelistic campaigns to share the gospel locally.”