In the summer of 2023, Hope Channel’s evangelistic program Hope@Night introduced a live audience to represent the broader online and television audience for a special 7-day taping. The audience members were recruited from an online platform and selected based on general guidelines, not religious affiliation.
Vyacheslav Demyan, vice president for programming and president-elect at Hope Channel International, shared that inviting non-Adventists to the show was an intentional approach as Hope Channel was seeking to engage with people groups beyond the confines of the Adventist Church. “We believe that if our evangelistic content can resonate with the live audience in the studio, the same Adventist message can transform many others who are watching behind the screens,” said Demyan.
Hannah Luttrell, producer for Hope@Night explains, “I really wanted to have an in-studio audience that was representative of our larger TV audience. I also wanted to see what questions they had, and have the program guests answer them on the spot in an organic way.”
Luttrell was unaware that among the recruits was a young Seventh-day Adventist member, Janae Wilson. Wilson was raised in the Church and recently returned home after completing her first year of college. She admits she had become unhappy with the Church and the perceived restrictions from Church members.
Wilson, who had recently threatened to move away if her mother forced her to attend Church programs or services, happened upon the call for live audience participants in upcoming Hope@Night tapings. She applied, was accepted, and drove to the address she was given. She was surprised to find the taping was at the Seventh-day Adventist Church World Headquarters and produced by the official television media ministry of the Adventist Church, Hope Channel.
The Impact
Not only did the invitation for an in-studio audience prove pivotal in the overall strategy, but also the decision to incorporate live questions and answers during the program.
Wilson, dismayed when she arrived for the first taping, experienced a change of heart. She shares, “While I was here, I had the opportunity to ask questions that I always had but for which I’d never received satisfactory answers. Through the stories of so many people, the series has brought me back to my faith and to God. It truly was life-changing.”
Wilson was not the only one who was impacted by the show recording. Audience member, Mark Aaron, said of his time participating, “I was taught all my life not to question God. I always had a fear growing up that if I didn’t do things or interpret the Bible a certain way or had any questions, I would go to hell. But this experience has taught me that not only is it ok to question, it’s the only way to keep progressing forward in one’s faith.”
The Format
For this in-studio audience taping, Luttrell explained, a conversational interview format with testimonies and insights from a wide range of personalities was purposefully chosen. The participants ranged from former Satan worshippers and drug addicts to highly trained professionals, including professors, therapists, and doctors.
Topics ranged from more traditional ones such as the great controversy, prophecy, state of the dead, hellfire, and health, to those more modern, such as forgiveness, service, relationships, the environment, paranormal activity, and artificial intelligence.
Several scientists addressed origins of life and issues of evolution and creation while stressing the importance of critical thinking in both faith and profession.
Other guests shared heartfelt testimonies, including missionary pilot, Andrew Hosford, whose fiancé disappeared while serving as a missionary nurse in the Philippines in early 2023. Melissa de Paiva Gibson, whose account of her journey to forgiveness after her missionary parents and brother were murdered is captured in the “Return to Palau” documentary, also shared a testimony.
PBS filmmaker, Martin Doblmeier, appeared on the show to discuss his research on the Sabbath, among other interviewees including Ty Gibson and Pavel Goia.
During preparation for the show, Luttrell continuously wondered how it would be perceived. “Through it all, would they find our message relevant? Would they see a God who was real and who loved them?”
New York-based actor, Issac Conner, who identifies as spiritual but not religious, confessed, “Doing this background gig, I originally anticipated being bored out of my mind for eight hours a day, but my experience was just the opposite!”
Fellow audience member, Ko Zhang shared, “I’ve considered myself agnostic my whole life. I’m the type to not believe unless I see evidence.” However, through this show, Zhang realized even with no physical evidence, he could still feel it. “I have felt something I have never felt before. I don’t know how to put it in words, but something has changed in me.”
Several participants commited or recommited their lives to God through the experience of joining the in-studio audience, and several others were interested in further Bible study and learning more about God.
“Your church is different from mine,” commented audience member, Eric Ruarc. When asked in what ways it was different, he responded, “Your church puts a lot more emphasis on God is love.”
The Future
Anil Kanda, host for Hope@Night and Youth and Young Adult director for the Central California Conference, noted, “This program was a new venture into creative evangelism. It used thought-provoking discussion and raw interviews to expose a diverse audience to the big ideas of what we believe in, and the impact was clearly felt.”
As Hope@Night embarks on its journey, Wilson’s unexpected encounter stands as a poignant testament to the program's unwavering commitment to nurturing the seeds of faith. Her story, with its interplay of past and present, demonstrates the profound impact of encountering God's love in the unlikeliest of circumstances.
In the realm of late-night airwaves, this innovative evangelistic venture extends an invitation to viewers at each episode's conclusion: to seek after God and embrace the truth He has revealed for our ultimate fulfillment and benefit.
"As the illuminating journey of Hope@Night continues, Wilson’s revival and the stories of countless others finding purpose and hope stand as a testament to the show's profound influence," remarked Derek Morris, outgoing president of Hope Channel International.
Hope@Night, will premier on Tuesday, October 3 at 9 pm Eastern Time. For those seeking more information about Hope@Night and witness stories of transformation, the official website of Hope Channel serves as an invaluable resource.