April 6, 2026
Spillover from Iran war intensifies challenges for The Tide® ministry’s outreach
Economic turmoil and escalating Afghanistan-Pakistan conflict compound hardships as The Tide continues sharing Gospel hope in hostile environments
CHAMBERSBURG, Pa. — The ongoing war in Iran is sending shockwaves beyond the Middle East, severely impacting neighboring Pakistan through skyrocketing energy costs, widespread austerity measures and heightened regional instability. As Pakistan grapples with these ripple effects — including drastic government spending cuts and intensified border fighting with Afghanistan — The Tide® (www.thetide.org) ministry persists in its mission to deliver the Gospel message to spiritually hungry listeners amid growing uncertainty and hardship.
Pakistan has rolled out emergency cost-saving initiatives to counteract the economic fallout from disrupted global energy supplies caused by the conflict. These steps include temporary school closures affecting millions of students, a shift to four-day work weeks for government offices, salary reductions for officials, halved fuel allowances for official vehicles, and other restrictions aimed at easing the burden of sharply rising fuel prices and inflation.
At the same time, the Iran war coincides with a dangerous escalation between Pakistan and Afghanistan. Recent months have seen the most intense clashes in years, including Pakistani airstrikes on multiple Afghan locations and retaliatory attacks by Taliban forces, marking what officials describe as an “open war.” This border violence adds layers of insecurity to a region already strained by the broader geopolitical turmoil.
“The war in Iran is creating widespread economic pressure and instability that directly affects the daily lives of people in neighboring Pakistan and beyond,” said Don Shenk, executive director of The Tide. “In the midst of these challenges — rising costs, school disruptions and escalating conflict — we see even greater spiritual hunger. Our broadcasts continue to serve as a vital source of hope and truth for those navigating fear and uncertainty.”
The Tide ministry is currently sharing the Gospel in four regional languages of Pakistan: Pashto, Punjabi, Saraiki and Sindhi. The programs are shared primarily on major social media platforms and distributed through media devices, ensuring access for those without personal devices or internet connectivity. These small media players carry both Bible content and radio programs, offering privacy for listeners in hostile settings and enabling illiterate individuals to consistently engage with God’s Word.
The ministry first identified four unreached people groups in Pakistan lacking Gospel radio programming in their native languages in 2018. By 2020, God opened doors for partner teams to begin recording broadcasts and conducting discipleship in two of those languages, initially targeting Pashtun and Saraiki communities. Today, this outreach extends further, providing spiritual guidance in environments marked by religious persecution and hostility toward Christians.
The Tide also reaches into Afghanistan with radio broadcasts in Dari, offering the hope of Christ to listeners in a nation facing its own profound needs.
Shenk concluded, “As economic strain and conflict continue to unfold, The Tide remains committed to bringing the unchanging message of peace and salvation through innovative media in people’s heart languages.”
From its humble origins in 1946 as a local Gospel radio broadcast in Chambersburg, PA, The Tide® ministry has grown into a global network of Christian media broadcasting partnerships committed to worldwide evangelism and discipleship. In 2008, The Tide® ministry ended all English-language programming in order to focus on developing and distributing indigenous heart-language content in areas around the world that are less touched by the Gospel. Today, The Tide® ministry works with partners in multiple countries across three continents to broadcast Gospel-centered messages via radio, satellite TV and other media. In order to make disciples and plant churches, The Tide® ministry also provides resources for literature distribution, correspondence courses, discipleship and leadership training activities, and the distribution of radios and media players.
For more information about The Tide® ministry broadcast projects, history, radio programs around the world, special year-long campaigns, the weekly Global Update radio features or other news, visit its website at www.thetide.org or its Facebook page.
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To schedule interviews with Don Shenk, director of The Tide® global radio ministry, contact Media@HamiltonStrategies.com, Beth Bogucki, 610.584.1096, ext. 105, or Daniel Moyer, ext. 104.
To inquire about airing any of The Tide® ministry radio broadcasts, contact Michael Hamilton, 610.584.1096, ext. 101.
