Great Commission Media Ministries (formerly IRR-TV)

Summer is here once again. Wheat fields have been cultivated. The farmer awaits his harvest. He hopes, he plans, he prays for good weather—rain and sunshine in proper portions. One bad storm can destroy his dreams of an abundant harvest. So it is on God’s harvest fields.

Here at GCM Ministries (formerly IRR/TV) it seems that the harvest fields entrusted to us by the Lord continue to expand year after year.

It was 1980 when Laura and I launched a fledgling Russian radio ministry to the Soviet Union from a small town in Finland. It was one target country, and one tool—radio.

In 1990 a new, incredible door of opportunity opened to the world’s second superpower. We launched a TV program series, 52 of the best Bible stories in cartoon form, to 300 million people on Soviet State Television—a first ever. That was an unforeseen expansion in territory!

During the next ten years the ministry steadily increased and diversified. We expanded to television in the Ukraine. We launched production of Gospel TV programs in more than 20 minority languages, spoken in western Russia, the Ural Mountains, Siberia and Central Asia. It was the fulfillment of a familiar prayer: “Expand my territory!”

“Like a Bursting Dam”

At the turn of the century there was an explosion of ministry into many new countries. GCM Ministries (IRR/TV) opened ministry to the Islamic world (population: 1.4 billion). The door opened to China as well (population:1.3 billion), then India (population: 1.1 billion). In Asia Laos and Nepal are now areas of active ministry.

In Israel, we conducted three unique, high power media campaigns in three major languages in the country: Hebrew, Russian and Arabic.

As Paul writes to the Corinthians 15:58, “your labors in the Lord have not been in vain.” I just received a fresh report from our campaign managers in the Palestinian Territories. The fruit of the 2008 campaign in Arabic in the West Bank and Gaza have exceeded our expectations many times over. When the campaign ended in 2008 the database contained 4,000 names. Most of those responding were Muslims. The campaign ended but 20 months later the database has grown to 12,000! Again most are Muslims! Local Arab believers have never seen such response.

We witnessed the same among the Hebrew and Russian-speaking Jewish population. Tens of thousands of calls were logged at our call centers in Israel. Thousands of Jews wanted to know more about Jesus the Messiah. Many have come to faith, and many have been baptized. We had prayed Jabez’ prayer: “Expand my territory!” It was coming to pass!

“Massive”

To date, in Russia and Central Asia 40 very successful mega-city campaigns have been conducted. Using a symphony of all available media in these cities for 30 days nonstop, more than 30 million people have been reached—more than the local churches could ever have imagined.

Consider the distribution of literature alone. Over one million copies of the special 100-page ministry book have been printed and “sown” in the cities of Russia—one on one! Every book is an "evangelist", sowing the seed, in the heart of the reader.

Churches on the ground have contacted over 200 thousand people and thousands have been baptized by participating congregations in the past seven years. We have been privileged by the Lord to be not only witnesses but also partakers in this beautiful, massive harvest.

We had continued to pray Jabez’ prayer: “Expand my territory!” The Lord had continued to respond!

When “Big” is “Bigger”

I sense how, one step at a time, the Lord is leading us toward the most populous mega-cities of our world. The ten largest cities in the world include: Tokyo, Jakarta, Seoul, Manila, Mumbai, Sao Paulo, Mexico City, Delhi, Cairo, Calcutta, Moscow, Chennai. Invitations for a mega-city campaign from some of the cities on the list have already been received.

How wonderful and blessed it would be to take the Gospel message to these places in a way that would shake their spiritual foundations. What if there were to be a recurrence of what happened in Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost 2000 years ago, and what Philip the evangelist saw as he preached: "There was great joy in the city of Samaria!"  Can you imagine great joy in cities like Tokyo, Jakarta, Manila, Mumbai, Sao Paulo, Mexico City, Delhi, Cairo, Calcutta, Moscow!

The victories in this ministry have been made possible because you have supported and prayed faithfully for us. There would be no story to tell without you. On behalf of our teams, board members, regional directors—from our hearts I want to say thank you.

The Bible says that there is rejoicing in heaven when one sinner repents. We have been blessed to see many who have believed our message, repented and found a new life in Jesus Christ.

Hannu Haukka