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- Written by: Rex M. Rogers
I work with SAT-7, a Cyprus-based Christian satellite television ministry broadcasting in Arabic, Farsi, and Turkish to 22 countries in the Middle East and North Africa, and 50 countries in Europe too. It’s a distinctive ministry methodology, using satellite broadcasts to beam uncensored Christian programming into a few open but many closed or largely closed countries in the region.
In particular, I serve with SAT-7 USA, the Easton, Maryland based American development arm of SAT-7. SAT-7 USA is what we call a support office. Others include SAT-7 Europe, SAT-7 UK, and SAT-7 Canada.
Christian satellite television is not your grandfather’s approach to missions. It’s been around for about 15 years, but it’s still viable. On the bleeding edge satellite television is converging with smart phones, social media, and other similar technologies, so who knows what the future holds? Still, satellite television in the Middle East is predicted to be viable for some years to come in a region of the world where more than 50% of the people are illiterate and the Internet has yet to make the infrastructure inroads it has in Asia.
While SAT-7 represents a creative and effective ministry paradigm, we still need in-country on ground missionaries, and God bless them for their work. But in many places in the Middle East and North Africa people involved in Christian work cannot safely carry out their assignments. In some countries like Saudi Arabia churches are banned. In some countries like Iran, churches exist but typically as secret house churches. Believers meet in small groups, are led by whoever is available, and sing in whispers.
These circumstances represent more reasons why I believe SAT-7’s capacity to edify the region’s Church and evangelize the lost via satellite television is such an incredible technological gift for such a time as this. It’s spiritually effective: we know this from the innumerable audience comments we receive testifying to changed lives. And it’s financially efficient: we’re able to reach viewers for about $1 per viewer per year. Incredible.
Allow me to speak personally for a moment. I recognize that even if God allowed me to live until I’m considered elderly, I’ve already lived most of my life on earth. Only God knows how long I will live. I don’t. But I do know that I want to finish well. I want to use my time for the Lord.
I want to be engaged in a ministry that brings the message of Christ to people in a way that changes their lives. I want to give money to a ministry that has integrity, exercises good stewardship, and aspires to do more for the Lord. I want to support and pray for a ministry that is at the center of global significance.
This is SAT-7. It’s getting the job done despite political, social, ideological, religious, and cultural obstacles. It works.
So with Thanksgiving tomorrow, I am glad and thankful God has placed me where he has. To serve him in support of such a spiritually strategic ministry is a privilege.
© Rex M. Rogers – All Rights Reserved, 2010
*This blog may be reproduced in whole or in part with a full attribution statement. Contact Dr. Rogers or read more commentary on current issues and events at www.rexmrogers.com or follow Dr. Rogers at www.twitter.com/RexMRogers.
Enjoying Sharing SAT-7's Mission
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- Written by: Rex M. Rogers
Rita Elmounayer, SAT-7’s Executive Director of SAT-7 ARABIC and SAT-7 KIDS visited West Michigan in the past few days. She’s served with the ministry for 15 years—from it’s beginning as the first Christian satellite television outreach in the Middle East.
Rita is well known in the Middle East for her program, “Bedtime Stories With Rita.” Each night she reads Bible stories to young children, and if the hundreds of emails and text messages she receives are any indication, to teenagers and adults too.
While she was in Grand Rapids I asked her what she enjoyed most about her work with SAT-7. She thought for a moment and said, “Sharing about the ministry with people.”
I spent three days with her, listening to her share with a Sunday school class and with individuals in several meetings. She’s passionate, energetic, and totally committed to the Lord’s work as her work.
“It’s really eye-opening again how important the ministry is,” she said. “When you work you get caught up in the day-to-day pressures and you forget the essence of why you’re doing this. When I meet people and share stories about the Middle East it helps me stay in focus and feeling happy I’m used by God in this way.”
Rita is as professional as she is passionate, which is why she’s become a knowledgeable and influential Christian leader in Middle East missions.
Pray for her. She is a Lebanese Middle Easterner reaching Middle Easterners with the message of hope Christ offers one and all.
© Rex M. Rogers – All Rights Reserved, 2010
*This blog may be reproduced in whole or in part with a full attribution statement. Contact Dr. Rogers or read more commentary on current issues and events at www.rexmrogers.com or follow Dr. Rogers at www.twitter.com/RexMRogers.
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- Written by: Rex M. Rogers
Join Sarah and me for a trip to the Middle East. See the Holy Land, learn more about SAT-7's spiritually strategic ministry, see the Pyramids and more...
Learn more details and get complete sign-up information at All Points Cruising.
March 3, 2011 Depart JKF Airport in NYC
March 4 Arrive Tel Aviv - Hotel
March 5-9 Palestine - Bethlehem Bible College, Christmas Lutheran Church, Galilee and Nazareth area, Palestinian believers, Jerusalem/Bethlehem sites, Via Dolorosa, Calvary, Garden Tomb
March 9 Depart Tel Aviv - Arrive, Larnaca, Cyprus early Wednesday morning, visit SAT-7 Office and lunch with staff
March 9-11 SAT-7 Network, 15th Anniversary meetings, celebration, meet regional staff and European Partners, producers, directors, regional church leaders, spiritual challenge, Middle East ministry update, SAT-7 impact, beach, shopping
March 12-14 Depart Larnaca - Arrive Cairo, SAT-7 Studios, Egyptian believers, Pyramids, Bible Society of Egypt, Egyptian Museum with King Tut, Bazaar and shopping, Kasr El Dubara Evangelical Church, Cave Church and Garbage City, mosques, churches
March 15 Depart Cairo to JFK, NYC
*In development, so some travel details may change. Costs to be determined later when airlines establish airfares. Space is limited, so make your reservation early.
Learn more at All Points Cruising and sign up today.
For more information, contact SAT-7 USA, P.O. Box 2770, Easton, MD 21601. Toll Free (866) 744-7287, FAX (410) 770-9807.
© Rex M. Rogers - All Rights Reserved, 2010 This blog may be reproduced in whole or in part with a full attribution statement. Contact Dr. Rogers or read more commentary on current issues and events at www.rexmrogers.com or follow him at www.twitter.com/rexmrogers.com.
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- Written by: Rex M. Rogers
I am pleased to announce that God has blessed me with the appointment as President of SAT-7 USA, based in Easton, Maryland, which is the American promotion and fundraising arm of SAT-7, based in Nicosia, Cyprus, a Christian satellite television ministry producing quality indigenous programming by and for people of the Middle East and North Africa. I will begin full-time with SAT-7 USA August 24, 2009.
Sat-7 was founded in 1995 by veteran British missions expert Mr. Terry Ascott, who continues as International CEO. SAT-7 is governed by an International Board of Directors comprised of individuals from more than ten countries and SAT-7 USA is governed by an affiliated U.S. Board of Directors. About 100 employees work for the ministry, located primarily in the Middle East. Approximately twelve staff members work for SAT-7 USA and some staff members work in Europe and specifically in the United Kingdom.
SAT-7 supports four 24/7 channels in three languages: SAT-7 Arabic, SAT-7 Kids (Arabic), SAT-7 PARS (Farsi), and most recently, TURK-7. SAT-7 maintains studios in Beirut, Lebanon and Cairo, Egypt.
Programming is Christian, culturally sensitive, non-political and non-partisan, and non-denominational. Amazingly, SAT-7 has been able to produce its programming at an annual cost of about $1 per viewer. More than 50% of people in the Middle East and North Africa have access to satellite television, and the broadcast signal cannot be economically or in most cases technologically blocked. In some countries covering 7 time zones in the SAT-7 viewing area, satellite access is much higher. A conservative estimate suggests 10-12 million viewers watch SAT-7 on a regular basis. Countries reached by SAT-7 include: Afghanistan, Algeria, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco, Oman, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, Yemen, and more.
I will travel extensively with the ministry throughout the United States and generally several times per year to the Middle East, either to participate in staff and board meetings or to host donors supporting the ministry. Sarah and I are not planning to move from Grand Rapids, Michigan at this time.
During the past six months, on behalf of The Timothy Group, I was privileged to serve as Interim Executive Director for SAT-7 USA. My new email address is
© Rex M. Rogers - All Rights Reserved, 2009
This blog may be reproduced in whole or in part with a full attribution statement. Contact Dr. Rogers or read more commentary on current issues and events at www.rexmrogers.com or follow him at www.twitter.com/rexmrogers.
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- Written by: Rex M. Rogers
For the next few months, I will serve as the Interim Executive Director of SAT-7 USA, a satellite television ministry producing quality Christian programming for Arabic peoples in the Middle East and North Africa.
This means The Timothy Group, for whom I work as Vice President, has developed a consulting relationship with SAT-7 USA (actually, TTG, via my friend and fellow consultant Derric Bakker, has been working with SAT-7 USA in fund development for the past year and one-half) wherein we provide the ministry with short-term leadership. SAT-7 USA’s full-time Executive Director recently departed. My role as Interim will be to assist the fine professionals working at SAT-7 in maintaining momentum and preparing the organization for an anticipated search for a new, permanent Executive Director. I’ll serve in this capacity for as long as the SAT-7 USA Board and The Timothy Group deem it helpful.
If you click this link: http://www.sat7usa.org/, then click “News and Events,” then “News,” you’ll find an announcement about my work with SAT-7 USA. This is the U.S. website. SAT-7 offers several other websites, including in Arabic, which you may discover if you Google SAT-7 (sometimes listed as SAT7).
Founded in 1995, SAT-7’s U.S. headquarters is located in Easton, Maryland and the ministry maintains production studios in Cyprus, Egypt, and Lebanon. SAT-7’s mission is to share the person and message of Christ via satellite television with Arabic peoples in the 10-40 window. SAT-7 produces quality content that is evangelical and evangelistic. God has blessed the ministry with hundreds, even thousands, of contacts with Arabic people who have learned about Christianity, been encouraged, or accepted Christ because they heard the truth in their homes on satellite television.
During the last week of January, I’ll travel to North Carolina to meet with Derric and SAT-7 USA board members, then to Maryland to meet staff members. During the last week of February, I’ll likely fly to Cyprus for SAT-7’s annual international management meeting. I’d appreciate, and I’m sure SAT-7 USA would value, your prayers.
© Rex M. Rogers - All Rights Reserved, 2009
This blog may be reproduced in whole or in part with a full attribution statement. Contact Dr. Rogers or read more commentary on current issues and events at www.rexmrogers.com or follow him at www.twitter.com/rexmrogers.