‘There is nothing off-limits’

A BUSINESS CONVERSATION WITH NINA GRIFFIN

‘There is nothing off-limits’

BY KIMBERLY BAILEY-TUREAUD

An increasing number of Christians — especially those unable to attend Sunday morning services or who haven’t identified a church home — are turning to faith-based radio broadcasts as a source of spiritual information and guidance. Among those making waves in this growing sector: Minister Nina Griffin of Community Bible Fellowship Church (CBFC) in Las Vegas, who, along with co-host Pastor Joseph E. Terry, goes on the air for an hour each Sunday at 3:02 p.m. with “Save the Lost at All Cost,” broadcast on KKVV 1060 AM. A graduate of the University of Southern California (USC), she also serves as Bible study leader and is secretary for Toni’s House (www.tonishouse.org) —  a sober living home, where she makes a difference in the lives of people on the road to “recovery, healing and deliverance.”

Describe “Save the Lost at All Cost.”

It is an unfiltered and unrehearsed hour-long radio ministry. We allow the spirit to move us and we allow listeners to call in to ask questions. Focusing on a different topic each show, it gets really heated. The primary difference with Christian radio talk is that we are interactive with our listeners who call in. Contrary to the traditional church — where the pastor is the only person speaking while the members sit in the pews and listen — Christian talk radio allows the listeners to participate with questions on the word of God. We believe in a season called now, and the people have a lot of questions. There are a lot of concerns, and people are frustrated. Many feel disillusioned, upset —  and they see things on television that they don’t understand. Different ministries are questioned that preach prosperity [and] money — but those churches seem to get bigger, while other churches that follow the word of God are getting smaller.

Why are so many looking for answers as they pertain to religion?

A lot of people want to see things or need some kind of reference point for why things happen in their lives or in the world. The world is under siege, and that is not just exclusive to the United States. You can go anywhere in the world and see that things or divine order are shifting. I think God is trying to send us a message that less is more. We need to put more emphasis on the things that are eternal, like love, faith, hope and self-control. These are the things we need to concentrate on.

How does your radio ministry assist in others’ lives?

Our radio ministry gives a forum whereby people can talk and have their questions addressed. There is nothing off-limits. One thing that is important is that radio allows us to be ready in the season to address the spiritual needs of our listeners. You can’t always have a script — because if you are coming with a script, what do you want the Holy Spirit to do? Life is not always good, things are not always good. And what happens when all goes wrong? You have to encourage people to know that bad things are not forever. If things — good or bad  — didn’t happen, then what would be our testimony? No one has a VIP membership into heaven.

What do you say to people who question the minister of their church?

I don’t blame the pastor or the preacher of the church for being the way that they are. Once a person realizes that something is wrong, my question to them is, “Why are you there? Would you go to a job that is not paying you?  Why would you stay in a class that is not teaching you anything?” We have to hold ourselves accountable. The Holy Spirit is moving and when God spoke to you and gave you a confirmation, he is not confused.

What is the resolution after each radio show broadcast?

We bring everything together at the end of our radio ministry. We focus on different topics, so some things might not be fully discussed in an hour broadcast. So, we might have to carry over a topic to be addressed on the next show, and we ask the callers to call in again in order to reach a resolution. I believe we need to talk about it until we get it right. What’s important is to build people up — and to build them up you need to give them knowledge. There might have to be more than one lesson.

Who calls into your radio show?

They call in from all over the United States. The radio ministry is streamed live over the Internet simultaneously while we do the show on KKVV 1060 AM.

What are the most common questions from your listeners?

Many people are asking about false prophets and how you can identify them. They want to know what they should be looking for in a pastor, leader and in a teacher. We talk about how to know when somebody has been really called by God.

Is there a common thread between intellectual advancement and spiritual advancement?

I believe intellectuals fool themselves into thinking that they are smarter than everybody and their superior knowledge because they attended a particular school or study a particular subject. We have to ask ourselves, “Who gave you the gift in order to study anything?”  And what do you think you are supposed to do with the knowledge of your study you received?  We are all here to help somebody, and we have to be careful and get out of self. Some people think that their Sony alarm clock woke them up this morning. But, Sony didn’t wake you up, God created you so that you could be up in a season called NOW!

For more information, call “Save the Lost at All Cost,” airing every Sunday at 3:02 p.m. on KKVV 1060 AM. (702) 650-5588.