Adventist Communicators Seek Ways to Build Bridges for Mission

Building bridges through collaboration was the challenge issued to Adventist communication leaders during this year’s Global Adventist Innovation Network (GAiN) conference, where almost 600 delegates explored how collaboration can strengthen the church’s mission in a rapidly evolving digital world.

Held in Auckland, New Zealand, from July 8 to 11, GAiN was one of three events that made up the Digital Strategy for Mission (DSM) Convention, alongside Hope Channel’s Network Leadership Conference (July 2-7) and the Adventist Technology Summit (July 12-13).

This is the first General Conference (GC) event held in the South Pacific in more than 30 years, “So it’s very significant,” said South Pacific Division (SPD) Communication director Tracey Bridcutt. “And it’s a real blessing to have Communication people from all over the world convening here in New Zealand, in the midst of our division, to come together and network and learn new tools for mission.”

The event opened with a traditional Māori pōwhiri and haka performance, followed by a welcome from New Zealand Pacific Union Conference president Eddie Tupa’i. SPD president Glenn Townend also welcomed delegates via video message—he is currently leading a Trans-Pacific for Christ preaching site in Solomon Islands.

According to GC Communication director Alyssa Truman, hosting GAiN in the South Pacific also reflected a deliberate effort to showcase parts of the world church that are making significant contributions to communication and media ministry. “There are many parts of the world that are leading in communication, innovation, and media, and somehow they’ve been forgotten,” she said. “We wanted to highlight them, feature them, and honor them for the work that they are doing.” 

Truman described the SPD as “one of those anchor divisions,” citing Adventist Media’s work in communication, innovation, and emerging technologies.

Previously Global Adventist Internet Network, organizers announced a name change during the event. Explaining the change, Truman said the original name reflected the realities of 20 years ago, but today’s focus extends well beyond the internet. “GAiN has not changed, the mission has not changed, but the tools and the technology have,” she said, describing attendees as “a group of innovators” committed to finding new ways to use emerging technologies for the global mission.

Throughout the event, presentations emphasized that communication is not an end in itself, but a means of advancing the church’s mission. “Communication in the Adventist Church exists for mission,” said GC president Erton Köhler. “And we are here discussing exactly how communication can be more efficient in a way that strengthens the mission the Lord entrusted to us.”

GC treasurer Paul Douglas developed the event theme, “Building Bridges”: “A bridge exists to connect. It allows people to reach a destination they would never reach alone. Without bridges, communities remain isolated, separated. The mission of God is to fundamentally be about building bridges,” he said.

For many delegates the theme extended beyond the presentations, with the opportunity to connect with and learn from fellow communicators. Attending GAiN for the first time, Papua New Guinea Union Mission Communication director Reeves Papaol said one of the greatest benefits of the event was the opportunity to build relationships with communicators from around the world who could share ideas, experiences, and practical solutions.

“It’s divine providence that it’s happened here in our division,” Papaol said. “For things that we want to do in media we’ve started this year, it gives us confidence that there are other unions and divisions in the church that have just started out. We can learn from them, and we can all move together in doing this work.”

Trans-European Division associate Communication and media director Joseph Philpott traveled from England to attend his first global GAiN, having previously participated only in GAiN Europe. While larger in scale, he said the worldwide gathering shared the same spirit of collaboration.

“The spirit of GAiN is the same. You don’t get a sense of competitiveness between fields. There’s a real willingness to be open, to dialogue, to share the ups and the downs of some of the solutions that they have come up within their fields.”

Philpott also praised the communication initiatives he encountered in the South Pacific Division, saying the visit had given him a greater appreciation of the work being carried out in the region. “You hear things from afar, but it’s different being here and listening to the locals share those experiences. There are a lot of things that we can learn from this division to take back to Europe,” he said.

Alongside the keynote presentations and workshops, GAiN also placed a strong emphasis on OneVoice27, the General Conference’s global communication initiative designed to mobilize members to share hope through coordinated, locally adapted communication efforts in 2027. Presentations and panel discussions explored how divisions, unions, and local fields could contextualize the initiative while working toward a shared global goal.

Bridcutt said she hopes the relationships formed during GAiN will continue to strengthen communication across the SPD as the church prepares for OneVoice2027. “I’m really hoping that it brings us all together for that important mission,” she said.

The original version of this story was posted on Adventist Record.