In the 10th chapter of Matthew, Jesus told His disciples to preach what they heard from the rooftops. Pastor Ivan Bozer wants to use his balcony.
Bozer’s balcony is the location of a future Christian radio station for Temerin, Serbia, from which the pastor hopes to preach the Word of God. His dream began to take flight 10 years ago after a group of Norwegian missionaries stayed at his home and preached to people in the street.
A journalist from the nearby radio station asked if he could interview the Norwegians. Afterward, Bozer met with the station’s producer to seek a time slot for a Christian program.
“He said, ‘How much money will you pay for this?’” Bozer recalls. “And I said, ‘How much money will I pay you? How much money you will pay me? Because you will have a program, a good program.’”
The producer declined at first, but after months of Bozer’s persistent visits to his office, he finally agreed. Bozer went home and made a program using a tape recorder. The producer was impressed and initially gave him 30 minutes of airtime every day.
“So when I went into the studio, I said, ‘Thank you, God, but what shall I do now?’” Bozer says. “I never heard about anyone doing this. What shall I do?”
What did Bozer do? For starters, he produced that program for five years, gaining enough experience at the station that he later began producing programs for IKONOS, a Christian radio outlet and partner of Trans World Radio in Serbia. He wanted to construct his own station but did not have the money to build it himself.
“So because it wasn’t possible, I started to work on my balcony … I will use what I have,” Bozer says. “Like Moses. He just had a stick, and he did the job with a stick.”
Bozer’s programs will air at different times for certain audiences. For example, the 4 a.m. to 7 a.m. time slot would be devoted to fishermen who are up early in the morning. From 7 a.m. to noon, the broadcasts will be geared toward people at home during that time. Bozer also hopes to eventually translate The Chronicles of Narnia series by C.S. Lewis for a children’s program.
Bozer hasn’t finished construction of the station, and he still needs a transmitter and tower for broadcasting. He insists he can broadcast at 20 watts, but he can buy 300 watts for less than 3,000 Euros. That additional power would enable him to reach a much larger audience.
When someone comments that his vision is bigger than his equipment or funds, Bozer simply replies: “Oh yes, but you have to start with what you have. If I wait for everything to be perfect, it never will be.”
Justin Boulmay is a summer intern at Trans World Radio in Cary, NC. He is a senior journalism major at Appalachian State University in Boone, NC.
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