IMAGINE being able to talk about Christianity in 60 different languages to six or seven million regular listeners.

When Douglas Malton helped to start Britain’s first missionary radio station 34 years ago, he had a real vision. But even he had no idea that Feba Radio would become so huge.

The 75-year-old, who worships at All Saints’ Church in East Meon, was one of the prime movers behind the broadcasting phenomenon, and remained chairman of Feba Radio until 1996. He is now life president of the organisation.

For 33 years Feba Radio broadcast from the Seychelles in the middle of the Indian Ocean to Christians and others in Africa, the Middle East, central Asia and the Indian sub-continent – a potential audience of billions. Its programmes are now made in production centres from Cyprus to Sri Lanka.

“You do see many things that go beyond your own vision and say ‘I didn’t realise that my God was that big!’,” he said. “We started out with just £400 in the bank. We had nothing in terms of money, materials and personnel. The bedrock of our faith was that, if God was in this, he would provide. And he did provide. People came to us with just the right specialist expertise; funds arrived in knife-edge situations.”

Douglas worked as the chairman and managing director of a ceramic engineering firm until his retirement in 1992, so his passion for radio ministry was fitted into his spare time. His involvement started in the 1950s when he recorded radio interviews at the Farnborough Air Show for a friend who was working for a Christian radio station in the Philippines.

FEBA – Far East Broadcasting Associates – was initially a support organisation for the Manila radio station. But that station’s signals were not being received well enough in India, and it was looking for a new transmitting base. In 1967 it was announced that an international airport would be built in the Seychelles, then a British crown colony. It seemed unlikely that the Manila station, an American organisation, would be allowed to operate a radio station there, but the British-based FEBA might stand a chance.

Studios, offices, a transmitter and staff houses were built, and Feba Radio started broadcasting in May 1970 to India. The following year, regular broadcasts to the Middle East were started, and by 1974 an antenna array on an offshore coral reef meant it could expand its reach.

It broadcasts a mixture of educational, magazine-type programmes to balance presentations of the gospel message. National Christians produce the programmes that are broadcast to their own countries, because they speak the language, share the culture of listeners and appreciate local traditions.

Programmes might include testimonies, worship, world and local news, and discussion about health or agriculture. One programme in Swahili was aimed at women who had been sexually abused and lacked self-esteem: it aimed to convince them of their worth in God’s eyes.

Radio is, of course, an ideal medium for those who can’t read. But the broadcasters also receive around 10,000 letters a week from those who are able to write.

“We see it as being able to give people the message of life at the speed of light,” said Douglas. “For millions of people, Feba may be the only way that they hear about Christ. Many write and say that they are secret believers. Some may have listened to the radio station for years before making a profession of faith. We build relationships with many listeners when they write.”

Until 1986, Feba Radio was effectively run from Douglas and his wife Jean’s large, Edwardian house in Woking. Douglas’s work meant that he travelled extensively in any case, so – whether at home or abroad – he was able to work on Feba business in the evenings. He was vice-chairman of Tear Fund for several years and travelled on their behalf.

The couple moved to East Meon in 1993, where Douglas is stewardship officer at All Saints’ Church and served on both PCC and deanery synod. Their daughter, Joanna, also caught the broadcasting bug – she produced the two editions of Songs of Praise recorded in Portsmouth Cathedral last October.

“We’ve seen God at work so many times,” said Douglas. “I remember when we were in the middle of building the new aerials on the coral reefs, and when we met one Friday night we needed £2,250 to retain our Seychelles work force. The treasurer said we had £250, but still needed £2,000.

“We prayed that night, and the next morning a friend rang and said that he had been moved to auction a picture and to give half the proceeds to Feba Radio and half to Tear Fund. He’d raised £4,000, and the cheque for £2,000 was with Feba by the Monday morning!

“I remember another time when we were desperate for equipment, The Americans had a satellite tracking station in the Seychelles and needed to improve their aerial system. It didn’t come within their specification, so it had to come down. Years later, they had a ‘scrap sale’ of submersible cables, masts and feeder gantries – exactly the kind of thing we wanted! It was 1,000 miles from anywhere in the Indian Ocean - at a scrap prices! It felt as though the Lord was preparing the way and we were just walking in his footsteps!”  

Find out more at: www.feba.org.uk or on 01903 237281