The recently concluded East-Central Africa Division (ECD) Media Summit, held in Nairobi, Kenya, from April 16 to April 20, 2024, was a pivotal gathering aimed at harnessing media's potential in evangelism. The summit, themed "Hope-Fueled Media: Winning Souls Together," was organized by Hope Media Network - ECD in collaboration with Hope Channel International (HCI).
The event gathered together media leaders, journalists, technologists, and policymakers across the division to share best practices, explore innovative methods, and discuss strategies to amplify the impact of gospel through media.
Presentations that Empower
The summit featured special presenters from HCI including Gideon Mutero, vice president for finance, Chanmin Chung, vice president for global media and engagement, and Phillip Mathew, assistant to the president of HCI. Each presenter addressed contemporary topics relevant to the evolving landscape of media evangelism.
Dr. Blasious Ruguri, ECD president, opened the summit with powerful remarks. He praised the dedication of Hope Channel International’s leaders and highlighted the summit’s goal to equip media leaders so that ECD evangelism success can spill over into other divisions. Dr. Ruguri emphasized the importance of fully engaging with the training to maximize contributions to God’s Mission.
The summit underscored the critical role of innovation, the need for constant adaptation within the media landscape, and the importance of collaboration and partnerships.
Reflections from Attendees
The insights from Hope Channel attendees and leaders across Africa provide a vivid picture of the heartfelt commitments driving the mission forward.
At the end of the training, Victor Nyacharo, communication leader at Nairobi Central Seventh-day Adventist Church, shared, “I am looking forward to [the] diversification of content that will have different divisions collaborating to influence the growth of God’s church.”
“The recent training here will revolutionize our reach to unreached communities,” said Markphalen Odiwuor from Migori Central Media Team.
Neema S. Mwamfwagasi, communication director at Hope Channel Tanzania, shared her confidence in the potential reach of Hope Channel in this region: “I see the role of Hope Channel as a source of winning souls to Christ within the African media landscape.”
As a result of the connections made during this training, Maureen Were from West Kenya Union said, “Hope Channel is geared for great mission harvest.”
Looking Ahead: The “Homecoming” Evangelistic Series
Conventions like the ECD Media Summit play a crucial role in enhancing the effectiveness of major evangelistic campaigns by fostering an environment of learning and collaboration among media professionals. Following the success of the Hope for Africa event in Nairobi, Kenya, in 2023, which resulted in 194,000 baptisms, the upcoming “Homecoming” evangelistic series is set to continue this momentum.
Organized by ECD, the evangelistic series will employ traditional evangelistic methods, featuring speakers at 30,000 locations across the 11 countries that constitute the ECD. Scheduled for July 6-20, 2024, prominent speakers including Elder Ted Wilson, president of the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, and Billy Biaggi, HCI board chairman, will deliver powerful messages of eternal hope. Together with "Hope for Africa," this initiative is part of "ECD Impact 2025," designed to significantly boost the division's outreach efforts, increase the number of members in the division, and contribute to HCI’s global vision of reaching 1 billion people by 2030.
In anticipation of this event, Musa Mitekaro, ECD executive secretary, said, “With numerous evangelistic sites spanning the region, our aim is to touch the lives of millions with the transformative message of God’s boundless love and grace. Whether you call our ECD countries home or feel a spiritual connection to this region, we extend a warm invitation for you to participate in this historic endeavor.”
This article was provided by Hope Channel International.
