More than 175 Adventist communicators met in Orlando, Fla., Oct. 9-12 to network, fellowship and learn at the annual Society of Adventist Communicators (SAC) Convention. Attendees traveled from around North America representing almost every entity of the Adventist Church.

The convention was preceded by a special training program on Crisis Management entitled “When Bad Things Happen to God Organizations II,” representing the second year this special training session has taken place. “I appreciated the experts brought together to train us in crisis management,” Michele Oetman, public relations manager for the Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA). “They were proactive in their approach for when a situation arises so we can protect and preserve the quality image of our organizations.”

A series of professional growth seminars on topics ranging from web site development to marketing and advertising strategies were a highlight of the convention. However, a main aspect of the convention that most attendees appreciate is the networking done within an Adventist community.

“You can get some of the same seminars at the larger conventions, but you miss the networking with Adventists,” Ryan Teller says. Teller is the communication director for Mid-America Union and is the newly elected president of SAC. “A primary benefit of the convention is networking and being able to help each other with solutions to similar problems.”

One problem many Adventist communicators face is web site development and content management solutions. Darryl Hosford of Hosford Web Service in Berrien Springs, Mich., developed content management software for web users called simpleupdates.com. These types of resources designed by Adventists for Adventists find a unique niche in the SAC environment.

A distinctive role that the SAC convention plays is in helping college students network with potential employers. Referring to the atmosphere that SAC provides to college students, Teller says, “They learn how to sell themselves and look for internships.”

Priscilla Jones and Kim Eddy, upper classmen from Union College in Lincoln, Neb., personify the impact they see SAC making on them. “It is fun meeting people and getting their advice,” Eddy says. “It is also important to know how they came to get their jobs.”

Awards were handed out during the banquet on the evening of Oct. 11. Celeste Ryan, vice president for communication for the Columbia Union, received the Young Professional Award while Dr. Lorne Dickinson, professor at Walla Walla College, received the Lifetime Achievement Award.

“I am so proud of this event,” Ryan said during her acceptance speech. “It is important to mentor young people. If we don’t mentor young people now, where will we find communicators 10 years from now?”

Another program running in conjunction with the SAC convention was SONscreen. SONscreen is an annual Adventist film festival, now in its second year, that features films produced by college-aged and professional Adventists. The films are judged and awarded prizes. This year’s award for “Best of Show” and “Documentary/Promotional Category” was “Chosin,” a film about the Korean conflict by Marcel Eisele. The winner in the “Feature/Narrative Category” was “Inside Me” by Robert Escalante. Andy Hass won the “Animation/Graphics Category” with his film, “El Dunuto.”

Rik Swartzwelder, a filmmaker who described the movie-making business and how it is possible to be a Christian in Hollywood, was a featured speaker for SonScreen. “You can tell stories that are wholesome,” Swartzwelder says. “I wouldn’t ask an actor to do something that I wouldn’t ask Jesus to do.”

“It is support of one another that we will make it,” says Stacia Dulan, referring to making a commitment to serving God and using the movie industry to share Christ. Dulan is assistant director of production for Adventist Communication Network and co-produces and coordinates SONscreen.

Concluding the convention was a panel discussion on journalistic ethics chaired by Stephen Ruf, communication professor at Southern Adventist University. In the wake of the Jason Blair incident at the New York Times, many newspapers and media outlets have re-evaluated their hiring and promotion policies. Crystal Candy, reporter for WKMG-Local6 in Orlando, Fla.; Dan Thesman, producer for KERO-TV Channel 23 in Bakersfield, Calif.; and Kyna Hinson, communication professor at Oakwood College, addressed ethical issues in present day media.

Next year the SAC Convention will be held in Dallas, Texas, in October. A significant challenge for the coming year is reaching out to Adventist Communicators outside of denominational circles. “The initial purpose [of the organization] was to help connect non-denominational employee communicators with the church,” Teller says. “We want to make it a value to all Adventist communicators.” For more information, please visit www.adventistcommunicator.org.

Jeff Rogers is the communication director for Adventist-laymen’s Services and Industries (ASI).