Our History

1950: Radio 4VEH transmitted its first broadcast on shortwave on 2 June 1950, after American missionary (working in the Bahamas with East and West Indies Mission), Brother G. T. Bustin was obedient to God’s call to begin a radio station in Cap-Haitien, Haiti and call it ‘La Voix Evangélique d’Haïti’ (The Evangelistic Voice of Haiti). Letters started to pour in from many parts of the world, thanking God for 4VEH and the message of hope it was bringing.

At first limited to English programming, local staff were trained and programming grew to also include services in Spanish, French and Haitian Creole. In 1958, through its Men for Missions arm, The Oriental Missionary Society (now One Mission Society) assumed responsibility for Radio 4VEH.

In those early years, Radio 4VEH broadcast on shortwave in English and Spanish to listeners in North, South and Central America, and in Europe, Australia and New Zealand as well as in Haitian Creole and French to local listeners.

As a dedicated staff of Haitians grew, Radio 4VEH became a lifeline to listeners across Haiti, serving as a trusted source of daily inspiration from God’s Word, worship, prayer and praise, news, community messages and announcements, health, farming and educational lessons, and more.

1960: Conscious of the physical and spiritual needs of the Haitian people, Radio 4VEH increased its hours of broadcasting and prioritized its French/Haitian Creole service.

1966: Realizing the lack of radio receivers  throughout Haiti, Radio 4VEH began its first distribution campaign of radio receivers fix-tuned to Radio 4VEH frequencies. About 2000 radio receivers were given out to remote communities, sharing the message of Jesus and reinforcing community development. But these bulky units needed frequent battery replacement.

1968: Rebel invasion of Cap-Haitian forced the station to close for 40 days.

1977: Gaudin Charles installed as first Haitian Station Manager of Radio 4VEH.

1982: Station Manager Gaudin Charles and a missionary co-worker began an FM station with music and evangelistic content in English and French.

1995: Radio 4VEH discontinued its Short Wave service to English- and Spanish-speaking countries to concentrate exclusively on its Haitian listening audience on AM.

1996: Distribution of fix-tuned solar radios began, as part of door-to-door evangelism. More than 70,000 solar radios have helped take the Gospel to unreached areas, led people to Christ, disciple believers toward spiritual maturity, planted churches that have multiplied and transformed whole communities.

1998: Radio 4VEH launched an ongoing promotional campaign (KOPRO4) to invite Haitian listeners to support the ministry financially. Though Haiti is the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, listeners continue to give, often out of their poverty, to support their radio station. Gifts of a goat or soda bottles of fuel are not uncommon.

2001: Radio 4VEH moved to a new broadcasting center, equipped with recording, production and broadcasting studios, and transferred to digital systems.

2004: Live streaming via the internet began, thanks to a partnership with WFRN in Elkhart, Indiana, [who broadcast 4VEH’s signal received via satellite to the world via the Internet] reaching Haitian communities around the world. A satellite network of downlink FM stations was also established across Haiti.

2005: Re-launch of professional recording studios for Haitian Christian artists. In 2007, first CD production recorded at Radio 4VEH: Louwe Bondje (Worship the Lord), a compilation album from local Christian artists that showcases a variety of Haitian musical styles.

2010: In the aftermath of the devastating earthquake, Radio 4VEH remained on the air to minister to a traumatized and grieving nation.

June 2010: 60th Anniversary: Haiti’s evangelical community gathered together to thank God for His faithfulness to Radio 4VEH during 60 years of ministry. One pastor and faithful listener said, “Every time you listen to Radio 4VEH, every time you hear the 4VEH jingle, God is saying, “Dry your tears, don’t worry, help is on the way, deliverance is here.”

2012: New evangelism and radio distribution campaign, Resounding Hope, began, in partnership with Galcom International, with a goal of reaching one million people through 160,000 radios. Using Galcom’s new ImpaX solar radio/audio player model, the fix-tuned solar radios now included an audio New Testament in Haitian Creole recorded at 4VEH, so important in a country where 80% of adults can’t read.

2013: Radio 4VEH was named NRB International Radio Ministry 2013. Station Manager, Rev. Storly Michel (a Haitian), received the award on behalf of Radio 4VEH. This came as a great encouragement after years of many difficulties for the ministry. Staff including night watchmen, presenters and technicians, as well as listeners took turns holding (and kissing) the award, known as our ‘world cup’.

2014: Far-reaching AM station restored to impact Haiti for Christ after more than two years of limited reach. The property wall was rebuilt, two crumbling AM towers replaced with new towers, and state-of-the-art tuning system installed to again minister to listeners across northern Haiti and beyond.

2015: God gave 4VEH new opportunities to share the Gospel and make disciples—establishing a new local television station (Channel 11) in Cap-Haïtien, a new radio partnership in the capital city of Port-au-Prince, and via the Internet to Haitians around the world. From nearly closing its doors a few years ago, 4VEH is now reaching more Haitians than ever before.

2018: 4VEH became part of the family of national partners of TWR (Trans World Radio), a global media ministry with more than 60 national partners in countries from Albania to Zimbabwe. With a long-established collaboration, Storly Michel, 4VEH station director and Steve Shantz, TWR ministry vice president for Latin America and the Caribbean made the partnership official, signing an agreement during the National Religious Broadcasters’ annual convention.

2018: In July 2018, 4VEH’s YouTube channel surpassed 1,000,000 views, from United States, Dominican Republic, Chile, Haiti, Brazil, among others.  The JESUS Film (the Haitian Creole version recorded at 4VEH) is blessing many people.

2019: 4VEH became an independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, separating from One Mission Society by mutual agreement to allow both ministries to more fully pursue God’s calling. 4VEH continues to partner with One Mission Society, as well as other like-minded ministries, to advance God’s kingdom together.

2020: As the global COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic hit hard, 4VEH served Haiti’s people with life-saving help and Gospel hope. Educational videos shared health messages; interactive prayer programs brought strength and comfort to thousands of people every day; solar radios blessed those needing medical care (not covid-specific) and those providing it; broadcasting Sunday services helped churches unable to meet in person and without capacity to stream online; official press conferences hosted at 4VEH kept the public informed.

2021: After the shocking assassination of President Jouvenel Moïse and a massive earthquake in southwestern Haiti, one listener called this “the ugliest of years”, adding “but God sustained us!” 4VEH responded with special broadcasts of hope, distributed urgent supplies, blessed 1400 families with solar radios and mobilized medical help in earthquake-hit areas.

2024: As political chaos, economic hardship and gang-related violence escalated, especially in the capital city, 4VEH continues to reach, teach and serve Haiti’s people with the Gospel through media, pointing people to Jesus, the hope of nations.