Frequently asked questions

We hope these answers to some of the most frequently asked questions about Feba will be helpful.

What does Feba stand for?

Feba began as 'Far East Broadcasting Associates' - a small group of British supporters of the US-based Far East Broadcasting Company (FEBC). For more information see Our History section, and a separate page with some tributes to our co-founder John Wheatley.

Is Feba a radio station?

No – Feba is not a radio station. We do not produce or broadcast content ourselves, but we seek to enable our partners across Africa, Asia and the Middle East to use radio and other audio media creatively, to inspire people to follow Jesus Christ.

Why use radio?

For many individuals and communities across Africa, Asia and the Middle East, radio remains a lifeline: radio can reach people struck by war, disaster or poverty; it speaks to communities where illiteracy is high, or where political, social or religious barriers prevent people accessing vital information and education; for many, radio might be the only way they will ever hear the good news of Jesus Christ.

Feba's partners use the most appropriate audio media for each community - whether that's community FM, shortwave, the internet or other means. Partners seek to build trusted relationships with their audiences, becoming a sustained and consistent presence in their lives. Follow-up work is therefore a vitally important part of the ministry, providing a valuable opportunity for conversations to go deeper.

What do you broadcast?

We work with local partners and communities to tailor material suited to the specific needs of the different people and areas we serve. The various programmes that are broadcast can:

provide information and education relevant to a community’s needs and issues;
enable communities to help themselves and make positive life changes;
provide an opportunity for self-expression, giving communities a voice;
encourage reconciliation between individuals, families and communities;
instil joy and relief through entertainment and humour;
awaken the possibility of a relationship with Jesus;
provide Bible teaching and encouragement for those who choose to follow Jesus.

In all cases, our aim is that broadcasts and the associated follow-up work should contribute in some discernible way to inspiring people to follow Jesus Christ.

We are no longer a broadcaster as such, but we do enable life-giving media broadcasts to be transmitted across many parts of the world. Please see Our History page for further information on how our model shifted from broadcasting from our station in the Seychelles to the way we operate today.

Where do you work?

Feba works with partners across Africa, Asia and the Middle East. We have a particular focus on those areas where it is difficult to be a Christian - where people face persecution for their faith, or where they might not hear the gospel by other means.

Our partners' listeners might also be living in communities:

in remote geographical locations or cultural isolation, with little or no access to support and services such as medical facilities;
with high rates of illiteracy;
facing reduced life expectancy due to insufficient health information;
with reduced access to news, information and varied ideas, due to lack of media exposure or media being heavily controlled by authorities;
facing discrimination and oppression leaving them voiceless and lacking empowerment;
experiencing high levels of unemployment or low-yielding daily work leaving them unable to provide for their needs.

Feba doesn't broadcast in the UK, nor do we support other ministry in the UK.

Why do you still broadcast on shortwave?

We use various channels to reach communities, and depending on the context we might broadcast on shortwave, medium wave, FM, the internet or using social media. Some projects have also distributed their programmes using SD cards (i.e. memory cards) for people to listen to on mobile phones or on SD speaker boxes.

Ideally we like to work with local partners and communities, using local radio stations to address the specific needs of the local population, in their heart language. However, when working with some of the world’s hardest-to-reach communities, even in an increasingly digital world, shortwave remains a lifeline for millions of people who can be reached by no other means.

We continue to broadcast via shortwave where it remains the most effective way to reach people. For example, this might be in circumstances where governments control broadcasting and impose tight licensing restrictions, meaning shortwave broadcasts - which can be transmitted from outside the country - are vital.

Shortwave gives people access to news and information - which might otherwise be withheld from them, and it can reach remote communities - where other signals cannot. For some, critically, shortwave remains the only way in which they might hear the good news of Jesus Christ.

Do you distribute radios?

We work through the most suitable media for each community we reach: in some communities, that will be shortwave; in others, it may be community FM, medium wave or the internet and social media. In disaster situations, it is sometimes appropriate to distribute radios to those affected so that they can access vital information. In those situations, Feba does occasionally support the purchase and distribution of radio receivers.

What exactly does Feba do?

Feba enables the creative use of radio and other audio media, to inspire people to follow Jesus Christ. We work with partners across Africa, Asia and the Middle East, with a particular focus on those areas where Christians face persecution for their faith or might not hear the gospel by any other means.

Feba's support can take various forms, including: financial (contributing to the cost of running radio stations or other audio projects in various places); technical (providing specialist advice and support with a range of related technical issues); strategic and operational planning (supporting teams as they consider opportunities, needs and priorities); design, monitoring and evaluation (ensuring that activities, outcomes and impact can be implemented and tracked appropriately); pastoral (offering a listening ear and a sounding board - sometimes as a 'critical friend' - is often greatly appreciated).

What is a partner?

Feba works with various established organisations who share our overarching goal: harnessing the power of radio and audio media to inspire people to follow Jesus Christ. We refer to those organisations we work with as 'partners', denoting our shared ministry purpose and commitment to one another. Partners come in all sorts of shapes and sizes - ranging from very small independent operations in a single context, to much larger international bodies with whom we might work in several different places. Our partners are typically rooted in the communities being served - able to connect with authenticity, speaking the local language and understanding the culture.

How do you define 'community'?

A community is a group of people who can be defined or identified by a shared characteristic. That can include - but is not limited to - a particular geographical location, language group, or tribe.

What is 'life-giving media'?

We believe that life in all its fulness (ref. John 10:10) is ultimately only possible through right relationship with God, through Jesus Christ. Feba is committed to promoting and enabling the use of radio and other audio media to inspire people to follow Jesus Christ, in order that they might know 'life to the full'.

We recognise also that individuals and communities often have immediate physical and emotional needs, and radio can be an effective tool in enabling change across a broad range of important topics and life issues. Broadcasts therefore include a variety of content that speaks to the real lives of listeners, in a culturally and contextually appropriate way.

What does 'lasting transformation' mean?

As Christians, we believe that ultimately only God can truly transform in a spiritual sense: it is only through the work of the Holy Spirit that we can be renewed.

In a temporal sense, however, transformation has to do with factors such as the social, health, and environmental aspects of life (- and much more). 'Lasting' transformation suggests that it is not short-termism nor is it dependent on a single source of outside support; rather, the transformation will be sustainable – it will endure, embedded within the community itself. Feba and our partners share a genuine concern for the wellbeing of listeners in a broad sense - motivated by our desire to share God's love, and to inspire listeners to follow Jesus Christ.

How is Feba funded?

Feba is a registered charity in England and Wales, and is dependent on donations from individuals, churches, legacies and grant-making trusts to continue our work.

Our charity accounts can be viewed on the Charity Commission website

Click here for ways you can make a donation to Feba.

If you still have questions about Feba's work, please feel free to get in touch. You can find our contact details and a simple online form by clicking here.