Evangelistic outreach potential in the Northwest will receive a direct boost from the June 25 Thirteenth Sabbath Offering overflow.
This year's North American Division offering will in part benefit the development of an Adventist radio presence in the greater Portland-Vancouver area. This will be the first major metro area along the Interstate 5 corridor to receive such attention.
The North Pacific Union Conference (NPUC) has been studying the potential of reaching the growing population in the area and believes that a constant 24-hour, seven-day-a-week radio presence will enhance the effectiveness of local church evangelism and community outreach.
Over the past three years, the NPUC has been raising funds and looking at options for establishing regular contact with the 1.5 million people in the Portland metro area. A generous response during this nationwide offering will bring this constant radio presence closer to reality.
The NPUC is beginning this project in the Portland-Vancouver area because it provides the best initial combination of oversight, cost-per-person-reached, and a critical number of church members as a core support group and ongoing volunteer base. And it expands on a presence already in existence. For the past eight years, Jere Patzer, NPUC president, has also hosted the Issues & Interviews radio program from studios in Portland.
While specifics are still being determined, the plan will likely include the purchase and operation of a local radio station along with an emphasis on Internet pod-casting and production of audio spots for wider distribution. Conference leaders also hope that this initial project will spur on a similar development plan for the Seattle-Tacoma metroplex.
Patzer invites Northwest members to join in this unique Thirteenth Sabbath Offering opportunity. "This chance to join our efforts with others across North America won't come again in the foreseeable future. I hope we can all see this as an opportunity to affirm our commitment to mission right here in the Northwest."
Originating in Portland, the Issues & Interviews radio program, hosted by Jere Patzer, reaches many areas of the Northwest. An Adventist radio station in Portland will have a potential audience of 1.5 million people.
