America's Most Watched Faith Channel TBN Reaches Out to Chinese

By Eunice Or

The world’s largest religious network and America’s most watched faith channel, Trinity Broadcasting Network (TBN), announced on Friday, August 19 that it has successfully signed a deal to broadcast on the largest Chinese cable TV system. It opens the door for TBN to reach out to the Chinese with the Good News.

According to the TBN, it has been negotiating with Chinese officials and China's leading ministers of government since 2000. TBN founder and President Paul Crouch first traveled to China in that year to introduce the TBN brand and its staple of religious programming and family fare to the nation's premier decision-makers.

In 2003, President Crouch made a second visit to China. Since then, two delegations of Chinese leaders and dignitaries have visited TBN's international headquarters in Southern California. The dream of TBN to spread its network to China is coming to reality.

Recently, TBN has signed a contract with the largest Chinese cable TV system, Channel 21, in Hong Kong. Around one million households can now receive TBN on 24/7 basis.

In preparation to pioneer the land of China, the first step taken by TBN is to translate and subtitle programs into Mandarin.

Even though the spoken official languages in Hong Kong are English and Cantonese, Mandarin has become more widely used since Hong Kong's return to Mainland China. Billions of Chinese in Mainland China who have never heard of the Gospel may also receive the message through the TV program.

"With its debut in Hong Kong, TBN has established an exceptional avenue for broadcasting the Gospel of Jesus Christ to multiplied millions," reported Susan Zahn, founder of White Dove Communications, LLC (WDC Media), a faith-based media relations firm.

Among the 7,000,000-strong population in Hong Kong, most of them are either Buddhist or Taoist, but about 10 percent of the total population is Christian. These are equally divided between Catholics and Protestants. In comparison, only 1 percent of Mainland Chinese are Christians.

Rod Henke, vice president, International Broadcast Relations at TBN, announced, "This is a dawn of a new day in global Christian communications. TBN is honored to have been selected as China's Christian broadcast network of choice. TBN anticipates a long and fruitful relationship with the People's Republic of China and its endearing citizens."

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