Nicholas H. Dean
AFA Journal/Engage magazine staff writer
Photo above––On a recent ministry trip, 3,000 Galcom solar powered, fix-tuned radios were distributed to people in the western area of Uganda, Africa, around the city of Kebale.
May 2016 – On the outskirts of a jungle in Belize, and with no electric power, a family of seven gathers in the center of the room around a table built of scrap wood and holding a single candle. In the darkness of the jungle night, a ray of hope finds its way through a solar-powered radio. By it, they hear the life-changing gospel of Christ.
In his epistle to Roman believers, Paul wrote, “So faith comes by hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ” (Romans 10:17 ESV).
The potency of these words has been a driving force behind Christian radio and broadcasting efforts for decades, and while the technology may have changed, the central message has not. Galcom International has been living out this missional ethos for nearly 30 years. Through the production and distribution of solar powered, fix-tuned radios and audio Bibles, Galcom is reaching all those who have ears to hear. A fix-tuned radio cannot be tuned to any station other than the gospel for which it was intended and provided.
God’s providence
By what can be described only as divine providence, Galcom began when the Lord brought together three unlikely partners with a similar stirring in their spirits. Harold Kent was a Tampa, Florida, businessman who had a yearning to reach more people with the gospel through fix-tuned radios. In Tiberias, Israel, Ken Crowell was a missionary who manufactured cell phone antennas. Allan T. McGuirl in Ontario, Canada, had a vision to build a solar powered fix-tuned radio to reach remote villages around the world.
These three men met at a conference in 1989, and within months, Galcom International had begun manufacturing solar powered, fix-tuned radios. Today, Galcom International has manufactured and distributed over one million radios in over 120 countries.
No matter how impressive these numbers may seem, their full impact may be lost on an audience reading these words in print. According to some sources, as much as two-thirds of the world’s populations are primarily oral communicators. In addition, illiteracy still plagues developing nations around the globe – with nearly 25% of those populations being unable to read this sentence. Because of this reality, the need for audio resources, and not just print resources, is a missional imperative.
Galcom’s outreach
Speaking to the profound importance of these audio-missional efforts, Hefziba Alonso, Galcom outreach coordinator, told AFA Journal, “The best strategy for communicating God’s truth is the method that communicates most effectively into the target culture (i.e., in the heart-language and via the preferred learning style). Galcom is using the tools made available by modern technology to take the gospel message to millions of people who are non-literate and/or semi-literate and therefore difficult to reach.”
The technological tools reaching millions have, under Galcom’s guiding design, taken three primary forms over the years. The original model is the Go Tell Fix-Tuned Radio, which remains locked into local AM and FM Christian radio stations. MegaVoice Envoy is not a radio, but an audio Bible device with recordings of Scripture and biblical education content in the language of the recipient.
Thus, this model is ideal for those living in areas where there is no other Christian radio coverage. The newest model is the ImpaX player, which effectively combines the features of its predecessors into one unit – thus making it ideal for those with access to Christian radio coverage while still providing biblical content when a particular radio broadcast is off the air.
Each of these models may differ slightly in function and cost, but they all share key features. These different models are all solar powered or rechargeable. The models with radio capabilities are fully solar powered and boast an impressive 1:4 charge to play time ratio. While the Envoy requires a battery pack, the one provided is rechargeable by solar power alone and has a 1:1 charge to play time ratio.
This solar powered capability is particularly important when considering these units are often going to individuals without easy access to electricity or replaceable batteries, whether due to lack of availability or prohibitive cost. Thus, solar power remains a reliable and cost effective power source for recipients of these devices. This, combined with the extreme durability and shelf life – each having a design life of 15 years under harsh field conditions –means these units will provide access to biblical and Christ-centered content for many years.
Gospel power
Providing these audio devices to those who will eagerly use them also offers an incredible partnership opportunity for Christians with the means to sponsor a recipient of a Galcom fix-tuned radio. These deserving individuals are chosen by Galcom’s trusted ministry partners including missionaries, national evangelists, and national Christian radio broadcasters.
“By working alongside our ministry partners, we guarantee there will be follow-up,” Alonso explained. The radios can even be distributed to extremely remote and dangerous areas thanks to the efforts of missionary pilots who can air drop the devices in small parachute packages. While many recipients will pay a portion of the shipping cost to represent ownership and participation, those living in extremely humble economic conditions may be fully sponsored.
The story of the Belizean family at the beginning of this article was shared by The Message Christian Radio’s Don Palmer: “There’s more to this story. The old man in the house used to be a drunk. He beat his wife and was mean to his kids.
“Since listening to our station through [Galcom’s] solar powered radio, he has stopped drinking, now treats his wife and children with respect, and has accepted Christ as his Savior.” 
Galcom International USA and Canada are headquartered in Tampa, Florida, and Hamilton, Ontario, respectively. To learn more about sponsoring a radio or audio Bible recipient, call 813-933-8111 or visit galcom.org.
___________________
Partners in Radio
A faithful partner of Galcom, frequently providing technical support and radio broadcasts, is Far East Broadcasting Company. Founded in 1945 with the mission to take Christ into the world by radio, FEBC has impacted countless lives through broadcasting efforts.
“In 2014 alone,” David Creel told AFA Journal, “we heard from over two million listeners, many of whom attest to changed lives. The common thread running through these responses is hope found in Christ, a hope that is transforming lives.” Creel is a broadcast engineer with FEBC.
