“We believe radio is an important instrument in bringing people to salvation,” said Daniel Sandoval, executive director of Spanish World Ministries (“El Camino de la Vida” in Spanish), a recently approved cooperating ministry of the Charis Fellowship.
Spanish World Ministries has a mission to assist local churches in the Spanish speaking world, to carry out the ministry of communicating the Gospel of Christ, and to edify those who believe. The organization began in 1959 by Florent Toirac, a Cuban national, who was living in Winona Lake, Ind., while his wife taught French at Grace Seminary. Toirac had previously served as a missionary in Europe and Haiti and felt called to proclaim the Gospel in Latin America through evangelistic radio programs.
The organization developed a model that was unique to its time, where they partnered with and financially supported national missionaries. Spanish World Ministries still follows this model today, and all of their national missionaries who are working specific ministry jobs in their countries are funded through the organization. This fosters trust and connection within communities and breaks down cultural barriers to proclaiming the Gospel. There are currently 19 missionaries serving in 15 countries across Latin America.
The missionaries search for radio stations willing to air the evangelistic programs, supply the programs to the stations that agree to broadcast them, and make follow-up calls to listeners who respond to the programs. They also visit churches to encourage believers to utilize their resources in their evangelistic efforts. One of their missionaries is in charge of recording and producing the radio programs that are played throughout Latin America. The programs are either 10 minutes (titled, “El Camino de la Vida”) or 3 minutes (titled, “Reflexion para Hoy”) in length, and both are evangelistic and expository in nature, including an exegesis of a passage in language that a nonbeliever would understand, along with a clear Gospel presentation. Currently, over 3,800 radio stations are airing their programs, with 55 percent of those stations being secular.
Spanish World Ministries aims to support local churches and serve as a tool for discipleship and evangelism, connecting listeners to a community of believers who can guide and nurture them. The missionaries who are part of the organization are connected with local churches, and each broadcast includes a way for the listener to connect with them. Once a radio listener reaches out to learn more about God, the missionaries connect the listener to a Bible-believing church in their area, if possible.
“The radio can get into places sometimes churches cannot,” Daniel said. “It can also reach places where there are no churches.” Many of the areas where the programs are broadcast are remote, and radio is the only form of consistent and reliable communication.
For more information on connecting with Spanish World Ministries or supporting them spiritually or financially, contact Daniel Sandoval here or visit their website here.