Technology Conference to Be Held Online for First Time

By ANN staff

Seventh-day Adventists participating in this year’s Global Adventist Internet Network conference will meet in a new location—online.

The annual conference in which participants examine emerging trends of ministry and technology will be held Feb. 11 to 15 at gain.adventist.org.

Each presentation, followed by live discussions, will be broadcast three times a day in order to accommodate participants in time zones worldwide.

Registration is free, and anyone can sign up to attend.

Organizers said the move to the online format—which is expected to draw the conference’s highest-ever attendance—came about because of the General Conference session, a 10-day spiritual gathering and business meeting of the Adventist world church in July.

“Many people will use their resources to travel to San Antonio in the U.S. state of Texas for General Conference session, so it was reasonable for us to think of other options for the GAiN meeting,” said Williams Costa Jr., communication director for the Adventist world church. “This is a new way to engage people in the conversation about technology, ministry and evangelism.”

The conference will be offered in English and translated simultaneously into French, Portuguese and Spanish.

Costa said participants are encouraged to participate in groups hosted at churches, offices or homes.

Scheduled presentation topics include cyber security, cryptocurrency, app development, distance education, branding, using games to spread the gospel, and operating an information technology department on a budget.

Several church communication and information technology leaders said the conference is a key meeting for collaborating on projects and sharing tips for ministry.

“The sharing of ideas, projects and news has always galvanized those working in the field of communication and tech, a field in continuous development,” said Corrado Cozzi, communication director for the Adventist Church’s Inter-European Division, based in Berne, Switzerland. “I personally have benefited from each annual conference I attended, especially in terms of innovations shared with the intent to create synergy and networking.”

“GAiN is one of the highlights of my year because in order for IT to be truly relevant we must find a way to directly tie into the overall mission of the church,” said Kirk Nugent, information technology director for the Southern Africa-Indian Ocean Division, based in Pretoria, South Africa. “Our goals are the same, and it’s only by getting everyone involved can we truly be effective for the cause of Christ.”

To register for free and see the conference schedule, visit gain.adventist.org.

The event’s hashtag is #GAiN15.