Adventist Communicators Are Called To Engage In More Innovation, Collaboration, And Creativity - Jamaica Union Conference of Seventh-day Adventist

November 10, 2023 | Miami, Florida, United States | Marcos Paseggi and Inter-American Division News Staff

More than 180 Seventh-day Adventist communicators, media producers and special guests met in Miami, Florida, United States, November 7-8, 2023, for the Inter-American Division’s 2023 Communication Summit (CommSummit).

The gathering is the second after the first one 11 years ago, said Abel Márquez, communication director of the IAD. “CommSummit is meant to be a meeting space for professional relationships and the exchange of ideas and experiences to promote innovation, collaboration, and creativity within the church,” he said.

Abel Márquez, communication director of the Inter-American Division and executive director of Hope Channel Inter-America speaks to the delegates on taking the opportunity to embrace more innovation, collaboration, and creativity with the church. [Photo: Daniel Gallardo/IAD]

In a recorded video message, IAD President Pastor Elie Henry said he was happy to know that Adventist communication professionals have many creative and innovative ideas to share with each other. This event “has the objective of implementing more collaboration in the church,” said Pastor Henry. “In this final time we are living in, we have the commission to strengthen the mission that the Lord has entrusted to us.”

The event emphasized mission and the spiritual importance of the service Adventist communicators provide, even when their talents and contributions are not always appreciated. “In a local church, communication is usually the only department that has no budget,” said guest speaker Pastor Arnaldo Cruz. “For some churches, communication is about one of the brethren who goes to the podium to announce the activities of the church. But during COVID, the only department that had no budget became key to save the [functioning of] the church,” he said.

Inter-American Division President Pastor Elie Henry welcomes and greets communicators during opening day, Nov. 7, 2023. [Photo: Daniel Gallardo/IAD]

Cruz acknowledged that some members are hoping local churches can go back to pre-COVID, pre-Zoom years. “But that church will never be back,” he said. “So, the question is, how can we, as communication directors, make a difference by using social networks?”

Quoting Jesus’ mandate to “go and preach to the whole world,” Cruz suggested focusing on being where people are on social networks. “Social networks need to become a place of salvation,” he said. “Let’s focus as a church to learn about the new technologies, including AI, to use it to share the gospel.”

Pastor Arnaldo Cruz, communication director of the Southeastern Florida Conference, encourages communication directors to make sure social networks become a place to share the gospel of salvation. [Photo: Daniel Gallardo/IAD]

Cruz emphasized that the contents of the communication summit would not be just focused on technical aspects or to become a blessing. “It’s all about preaching the gospel to the whole world, and then the end will come,” he said. “God has chosen us as leaders, as communication directors, as influencers, as YouTubers, so we can tell the world that there’s something better called ‘the God of salvation.’ May all our content be full of only the Spirit of God.”