The religious community gets a new gospel television channel today with the launch of Bible Teachers Broadcasting Network (BTBN) at Shortwood Teachers College.

The 24-hour broadcast station will be located at 33 1/2 Eastwood Park Road. Its programmes, according to management member Erica Wright, will focus on children, community and healthy lifestyle issues.

BTBN is a subsidiary of Bible Teachers International Ministry which was founded in Ft Lauderdale, Florida in 1984 by Dr Mary Banks.

It is a non-denominational corporate ministry committed to worldwide evangelism through, among other things, community outreach programmes.

Banks is the station's CEO,

Ian Robinson its general

manager and Anesta Samuels,

programmes manager.

The ministry has 21 worship centres across the United States, Canada and the Caribbean. Its Jamaican branch started in 1990 and includes six worship centres, Bible schools and counselling ministries.