The Bray Report: NRB 2025 Wrap-up
CIS News – 434.227.0811
The Bray Report:
NRB Convention 2025
CHARLOTTESVILLE, VIRGINIA (APRIL, 2025, CIS News) – Is a faith revival on the way for America? You might easily think so after attending the 81st annual National Religious Broadcasters Christian Media Convention held in Grapevine, Texas last February.
The Bray Family missionaries, representing the Overseas Students Mission, once again joined with over 5,800 Christian media professionals from 52 countries for the huge event that featured 58,000 square feet of exhibits with 271 exhibitors.
Over 345 international attendees flew into the United States from 52 countries including Christian leaders from war-torn Ukraine and third world mission fields. Most made great personal sacrifice to celebrate Christian media outreach with American mentors.
“We’re so grateful for the faithful prayer partners and supporters who made it possible for us to cover this important event again this year,” said Bill Bray, OSM President and chief correspondent for CIS News.
Ivy Bray, who has attended many previous NRB Conventions with her husband, said the spiritual atmosphere was electric this year.
“Over the years, I’ve never seen so many spontaneous prayer groups on the floor. There was wonderful freedom in the Holy Spirit. The worship, the music, and whole atmosphere shows that this is a special moment in the spiritual history of the NRB.”
“Even in the awards ceremonies,” said Ivy, “the winners were crowning the Lord with glory, praising Him for the honors and recognition they were receiving from their peers – I have never seen an NRB convention like this one.”
She was especially impressed with the atmosphere in the international sessions. American broadcasting hosts were open to ideas and suggestions from overseas leaders, soliciting advice.
“I think American broadcasters should start to provide top international broadcasters with scholarships and subsidies to attend NRB – there is nothing like it anywhere in the world. It is such an inspiration to national leaders.”
Bill Bray has been covering the NRB since 1972 when he returned to the USA after seven years of news reporting as a war correspondent in the Vietnam and Southeast Asia. This was his 53rd NRB Convention.
“NRB is the highlight of our Christian ministry year,” says Bill, “and although it is costly to attend in every way, it is worth the finances, time and travel to attend. We’re already looking forward to next February in Nashville.”
Bill said that he is especially interested in promoting the Intercollegiate (iNRB) challenge for college students and the Great Commission Forum (GCF) next year. These sessions focus on the OSM duel emphasis on students and missions.
“As we look forward to OSM participation in the Urbana 2025 student missions’ convention and ACMI 2025, we need to include NRB as a rallying point for the future.”
Bill called for more attention to three areas going forward this year:
“First, and most important,” he said, “is calling for national repentance and revival. We need to be in a spirit of humility as we pray for President Trump and international leaders like Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Zelensky. We are in a spiritual crisis like we haven’t seen since the days of the cold war. President Trump did not speak this year at NRB although he has in the past.
“Second, we need to pray for NextGen leaders to emerge from the ranks of NRB like Dallas Jenkins, this year’s NextGen Award winner, and from among the leaders of the church on campus and in local churches.
“Finally, we need to begin preparing now for next year’s convention in Nashville. Those who want to help may send donations to Overseas Students Mission, Attention NRB 2026 Fund, PO Box 6511, Charlottesville, VA 22906.”
MORE ABOUT NRB: Bill Bray, President of OSM and CIS News, has been a long-time member, associate member, and supporter of the NRB. It is officially a nonpartisan, international association of Christian communicators whose member organizations represent millions of listeners, viewers and readers. NRB’s mission is two-fold: To protect the free speech rights of members and to speak Biblical truth by advocating those rights in governmental, corporate and media sectors; and to foster excellence, integrity and accountability among the membership by providing networking, educational, ministry and relational opportunities. You can learn more about NRB from Troy Miller at www.nrb.org. (ENDS)
