 Dr. Hannu Haukka is the President of GCM Ministries. Many of our visitors may not be aware of the ministry of GCM Ministries (formerly IRR/TV). Below, Hannu responds to frequently asked questions:
For starters, Hannu, who is your reference in North America?
Good question. Because our programs are not seen on television in North America we are not well known in the USA or Canada. We are however on television in Asia, the Middle East, Russia, Ukraine, North Africa and seen by hundreds of millons of people every week.
Pat Robertson, the founder of CBN and Michael Little, the current president of CBN both are friends of the ministry of GCM Ministries and know us well, from 1986. Also, David Mainse, the long time host of the popular television program 100 Huntley Street in Canada knows us from 1982. Marcus Lamb of Daystar Television in Texas has been a friend of the ministry over the years.
Dr. Marvin Kehler, founder and long time president of Campus Crusade For Christ, Canada has partnered with us for 13 years and serves on the boards of GCM Ministries in the USA, Canada, and Finland. Dr. Frank Wright, the president of NRB knows us as I serve on the international committee of the National Religious Broadcasters in the USA.
On May 1, 2010, it was a great honor for the board of directors and staff of Great Commission Media Ministries to witness Hannu Haukka receive an honorary doctorate from Trinity Western University, one of the top universities in Canada. Trinity Western University ranks among the top three Canadian universities according to an annual student survey conducted by Maclean’s, Canada’s only national weekly current affairs magazine.
What is the size of the team at GCM Ministries?
All told, in May we had 113 missionary staff in our various target areas. This includes 48 people employed short term from March to July to assist in conducting 14 historic, month long, city saturation campaigns in Russia. We have 65 permanent staff. Thirty work at our headquarters in Finland. Another 35 work in 7 countries on three continents.
What is the denominational structure of GCM Ministries?
GCM Ministries is non denominational. On staff, we have members of Baptist, Pentecostal, Evangelical Free Church, Lutheran, Nazarene, Christian Missionary Alliance members all serving along side each other taking the Gospel to regions of the world that are difficult to reach.
Where does GCM Ministries operate geographically?
Our target areas include: Russia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan in the former Soviet Union. In the Middle East, we minister in Israel in Hebrew, Russian, Arabic. In Asia, we do ministry in China, India, Laos and Nepal. The Islamic world we are targeting Turkey, Iran, Egypt, Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, Morocco, Tunisia, Libya, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Oman and the United Arab Emirates. We will soon add Somalia and Ethiopia to this list.
How many people live in these areas?
Over 4 billion people live in our target areas. To reach 4 billion people is a challenge way over the ability of the Church today, using conventional methods. In fact it can’t be done without God's supernatural direction. The Lord knows exactly how it is to be done. Optimistically speaking, potentially GCM Ministries has the ability to reach up to 2.5 billion people through media.
What is the budget of GCM Ministries?
To reach the millions that we are reaching today obviously requires major funding. Last year we spent 6 million dollars to take the Gospel to the above listed nations. As a result, we know of thousands that have already come to know the Lord and of many more thousands seeking a living relationship with God. They are in follow up.
Most of the funds come from private individuals in Europe and North America. This is a testimony to God’s provision. We thank God for our partners, for their faithfulness, their commitment to this ministry.
GCM Ministries had a great year of ministry in 2009. What are some of the highlights?
I have fantastic updates on historic 30 day campaigns 14 major cities of Russia. In Russia we reached 11 million people. Our call centers received over 27,000 calls and SMS text messages in response. When you factor in personal one-on-one contacts, we have 107,000 people that received the special 100 page campaign book instructing them in their new life of faith. It also contained the four spiritual laws and testimonies of changed lives in their respective communities.
The results exceeded all our expectations! In four months 300,000 books were distributed. Over one million books in Russia, Ukraine, Central Asia have been distributed as of 2003.
There has been opposition to the campaigns in Russia and Israel. Has this slowed the pace of ministry?
Not noticeably. Russia’s spiritual condition is appalling.
A full 40% of adult men have a problem with alcohol. A staggering 80% of marriages end in divorce. Up to 10 million children are on the streets of Russia's cities. This is the result of 10 million dysfunctional families. Corruption is rampant.
When you consider this, the opposition from Neo Orthodox extremists of the Russian Orthodox Church and their political supporters the situation is unbelievable. The fruit of the campaigns are a witness against the critics. Families are restored, mothers and fathers are delivered from alcohol, young people are freed from drugs and citizens become honest men and women.
This however has not silenced the extremist wing of the Russian Orthodox Church. And then there is a new law being drafted that could shackle the Church in Russia and outlaw all evangelistic activity and mission done by the Church in Russia. We need to pray...
What's on the horizon?
New campaigns are planned for this year. It’s probably best not to disclose detail in advance as opposing forces will seek to disrupt those plans. Once the campaigns start they are obviously very public, as they are designed to saturate a whole city using local media prime time TV, radio, billboards, newspapers, etc.
We’ve received many requests from Siberia and Central Asia. We have also received invitations for campaigns in India, Africa, and the Middle East. Of course, campaigns in the Middle East will look different from the ones in Russia and so on.
The campaigns in Israel were a surprise in 2008 and 2009. Why the interest in Israel?
Israel is an interesting story. At that crucial time in the history of GCM Ministries God used friends in Israel to help us. A veteran missionary to Israel came to our aid. In our “dark valley” the Lord reminded me of the Psalmist who said: “I will lift up my eyes to the hills, from where does my help come?” Well, in our case it came from Israel!
Then two years ago, an official from Israel’s Ministry of Internal Affairs encouraged us to hold mega city campaigns in Israel. He had overheard me talking about city campaigns in Russia. Up to that point in time Israel wasn’t on my radar. Our hands were full in Russia. There were many other organizations doing a good work in Israel. But, I knew that God had spoken! That was enough to persuade me.
What were the results in Israel?
Last year the 5 campaign call centers received over 22 thousand calls—both good and bad (threatening) calls. In May, I witnessed first hand, how ten Hebrew speaking Jews were baptized in the Jordan River. They had found Jesus as a direct result of the campaigns. I wept throughout the whole baptismal service.
July, 2009 marked the 40th anniversary of man’s first steps on the moon. Hannu, you personally knew a couple of the Apollo astronauts.
 Yes, I met astronauts Charlie Duke from Apollo 11 and James Irwin from Apollo 15. Both men have a deep faith in God and both have visited the former Soviet Union several times.
I actually got to know James Irwin quite well. In 1976 I got to fly beside him as he piloted his private plane in Colorado. It was a great thrill for a young guy like me. Later, Laura and I visited him at his home and mountain cabin in Colorado Springs.
In 1978 James Irwin and I went to the Soviet Union together. I was his tour coordinator in Russia. The Russians listened to Jim with great interest.
An estimated 10,000 Soviet people heard Irwin’s message in 6 cities. Many people came to faith in God. In Odessa, Soviet Air Force officers filled the front rows in the balcony of the Baptist church as Irwin recounted his moonwalk and born-again faith in God. In Moscow, Hundreds of students from Moscow State University came out to listen to the Apollo 15 astronaut.
At the time, Christians were severely persecuted in the USSR. The testimony of a born again, moon walking astronaut in the major cities of this atheistic superpower was an “bomb”. Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin once proclaimed: “I saw no God!”
As a result of this tour I was exiled from Russia for eleven years. I never regretted it. I was glad that thousands had heard the message about Jesus.
What is the mission statement of GCM Ministries?
Win! Train! Send!
That’s it in a nutshell. We have been called to invite people to follow Jesus, to find their place in God's plan, to be a blessing to others and to be part of the Great Commission.
Finally, what is your greatest joy?
There is no greater joy than to see people find a living faith in God, and to see their lives restored and changed for the better. We live in challenging times. We need a legion of prayer warriors and friends behind us. I would like to thank all our partners for their wonderful support and encouragement.
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Interview with Hannu
