Communication

The office of communication has two main areas, marketing and publications, which serve Church members, conferences, institutions, and the public in a variety of ways. It also assists Southern Union administration and departments in reaching their objectives through brochures, expertise in photography, writing, video production, marketing, design, and print production. Many types of outreach and service are part of the communication department's mission.

Broadcasting Outreach
A radio subsidy program has been in effect for several years. The local conference and Union combine to provide 50 percent of the cost of air time while the local church sponsors the other 50 percent.

Church Identification
The Highway Sign Program currently features more than 2,000 church directional signs and billboards. The Southern Union employs the only full-time sign engineer in the world. In addition to new signs, hundreds are inspected and maintained yearly to ensure a positive image of the Church.

Evangelistic Advertising
The department has handled the advertising for more than 600 evangelistic crusades conducted by evangelists and pastors in the southeast. More than 15 years of experience in this specialized ministry goes into demographic research, selection of target populations, media selection and purchases, test marketing, and development of advertising materials.

Professional Communication Society
Now in its twelfth year, the Southern Society of Adventist Communicators (SSAC) has grown to become the international Society of Adventist Communicators (SAC), with the Southern Union as its home base. SAC attracts communication professionals who work in the secular market, thus bridging the gap between the Church and those who mingle daily in a jaded, cynical environment. Through the newsletter and an annual convention, members are informed of events and activities, and are kept on the cutting edge of a fast moving communication industry. The Society was organized to provide support and sharing opportunities for communication professionals in secular or denominational employment.

Services and Field Coordination
The office of communication assists administration and other departments in accomplishing their objectives. Like other departments, communication maintains regular contact with local conference directors. Unlike most departments, it also has counterparts in hospitals and colleges in both public relations officers and faculty.

Southern Tidings
The primary source of information about the Southern Union is the Southern Tidings. This news magazine keeps the church family of more than 200,000 informed of the progress of the work of the Church in the South, and provides ideas and inspiration for reaching the community. Circulation is 68,000.

Through its pages, the Tidings also serves as a medium of exchange of ideas and methods; thereby inspiring more effective Christian service. The Southern Tidings was first published in 1907 as Report of Progress; from 1910 to 1932 as Southern Union Worker; then merged with Field Tidings to become Southern Tidings.

Web Site
A joint project of computer services and communication was the redesign and production of a new Southern Union web site. The site strives to incorporate bright colors, an easy-to-find format, and useful information to create a warm and friendly page. Currently, new department pages are being added each month, and the site will soon provide access to the Southern Tidings and other pertinent documents.