1 May 2025 | Dubai, United Arab Emirates [James Botha with tedNEWS]
The primary purpose of the Hope Channel Network’s Network Leadership Conference (NLC), held in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, from 29 April to 1 May, was to present a renewed strategic vision and missional direction to Adventist media leaders worldwide. With a posture best described as service-oriented, the leaders from the Hope Channel Network inspired attendees by unveiling a compelling and well-structured five-year strategic framework.
The SURE FrameworkA Strategic Framework to Guide the Hope Channel Network
The Hope Channel Network Strategic Framework aligns diverse media entities around a shared vision while encouraging local adaptation. Rather than a step-by-step plan, it provides a common foundation for strategic choices that reflect Hope Channel’s purpose, values, and mission, while allowing each entity to form its own aligned strategy. This framework—developed through a global consultation process with leaders and stakeholders—is built around four key focus areas: Impactful, United, Adaptable, and Resourced.
Impactful – Maximise reach, deepen engagement, and ensure every contact is connected to local communities of hope by giving equal attention to content, distribution, and engagement.
United – Foster collaboration, align with brand identity, and share knowledge across the global network to learn from others’ successes and failures.
Adaptable – Leverage research and analytics data, cultural insights, and emerging technologies to stay relevant and effective, while adopting a learning organisation mindset that drives continuous improvement.
Resourced – Attract and steward financial resources, talent, and partnerships to sustain and expand mission impact, while serving as an open platform for mission-minded and creative Adventists to reach the world through media.
Innovation and Infrastructure
As the coordinating entity of the global Hope Channel Network, HCI’s role is to support and equip local media entities with the tools, technology, and resources they need to amplify their mission. At the NLC, several new projects were unveiled, reinforcing its commitment to technological excellence and self-reliance.
- Jetstream Hosting – As of 1 January 2025, HCI has transitioned to a fully church-owned global hosting infrastructure, ending its reliance on commercial providers. Servers hosted at Adventist universities and institutions now serve all Hope Channel content.
- Live Streaming with Captions & Translations – A new tool enables real-time captioning and voice translation of live broadcasts into dozens of languages, greatly increasing content accessibility.
- Jet AI – A newly unveiled AI tool that :
- Analyses video content
o Generates engaging video descriptions and search engine optimisation-friendly tags
o Incorporates human-centred editing to ensure accuracy and theological soundness
o Operates entirely on HCI infrastructure (not third-party AI platforms)
- Analyses video content
These innovations mark a significant advance, addressing long-standing content challenges while preserving theological integrity and data security.
Strategic Partnerships and Brand Strengthening
Another key focus during the conference was HCI’s drive to forge strategic partnerships that “enhance technical capacity, storytelling, and mission outreach.” Partners include Adventist World Radio (AWR), Maranatha, the Adventist Medical Evangelism Network (AMEN), and the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists (GC).
HCI leaders also underscored the importance of strengthening each Hope Channel’s local brand identity to foster trust and engagement—while still maintaining a cohesive global image.
Collaboration, Not Centralisation
A consistent theme throughout the NLC was HCI’s commitment to collaboration rather than centralisation. Leaders described themselves as “enablers, helping entities connect, share expertise, and avoid duplication of effort.”
This collaborative approach resonated deeply with attendees. One participant commented, “The Conference was a timely reminder that we are part of a growing and vibrant media network, driven by a spirit of service, unity, and innovation.”
[Photos: Adventist Media Exchange (CC BY 4.0) Tor Tjeransen]. Lead picture: Vyacheslav Demyan, President of Hope Channel International, presenting the keynote address to reach one billion people by 2030.
