For Arabs, Adventist TV finally speaks their language

An amateur crew of volunteers flown in from Egypt, Jordan, Cyprus and Lebanon produced the first Arabic language broadcast for the Seventh-day Adventist Church's Hope Channel on March 19...

Working under the Hope Channel's director of outside broadcasts, Andrew Hunt, the team completed a half-hour recording featuring a message on generosity by Jony Hajaj, an Adventist pastor from Jordan.

Hunt and his team offered a crash course on set construction, camera operation, lighting, direction and other fundamentals of studio production. Despite no previous media experience, the local volunteers delivered a "meaningful and relevant message for the people of the Middle East," said Alex Elmadjian, communication and media services director for the region.

"Most of the good things in the world had small, humble beginnings. ... With terribly limited resources, [the crew] is committed to sharing with their 300-million-plus Arabic-speaking community," said Gary Krause, director of the world church's Office of Adventist Mission.

"We want to maintain this energy and momentum by challenging our members to get together and explore creative ways to deliver God's unending love for the inhabitants of this region," said Kjell Aune, leader of the Adventist Church in the Middle East.

Elmadjian said the 10-day training event also equipped the volunteers with the skills needed for future production. One program in the queue, created by the drama team from the church's Nile Union Academy in Egypt, will address revenge -- "a fitting subject in a region constantly longing for peace," Elmadjian said.