EMDC Conference Update

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The EMDC Conference is a private event, so pictures and names are limited.  This year over 700 people attended from 63 countries.  Many of the countries represented would include closed and creative access countries.  The conference is held in alternate years either in Netherlands or in Chiangmai Thailand.  Ahead of the actual EMDC is a Pre-EMDC training event.

Pre-EMDC is a Training Opportunity

The Content, Audience Relations, and Research (CAR) Team of the IST uses this event as a focal point for getting FEBC’s content creators together when the venue is Chaingmai. It is much cheaper for our teams to come to Thailand than to go to Western Europe.  The CAR Team encourages our national staff to attend the pre-EMDC Training which included 19 training tracks this year.   Some of the many tracks offered were:

• Video Production/Radio Production for Beginners
• Creating Bible Comics for your Culture
• Advanced Audio/Radio Production
• Hands-On Orality Training with ‘Simply The Story’
• Scripture Engagement: New Insights in Missiology
• Social Media and Digital Engagement: Discipleship and Development
• And many more

Working with our field leaders, the CAR Team helps the staff select training tracks that align with their field’s needs and their roles within FEBC.  Our many field staff don’t get together regularly, so these opportunities are priceless in providing the kind of interactions that lead to innovation and creativity, both of which are needed to conceive, write and produce the kind of content that will draw an audience and lead them to Jesus.

FEBC Field staff from Russia, Ukraine, Mongolia, Philippines, Indonesia, Cambodia and India sent staff.  The IST was represented by Bob, Jeff and Guy.  Bob heads the CAR Team, Jeff is our newest CAR Team member and Guy was there to lend gravitas 🙂 ; Guy was also there for several other meetings with different mission organizations that were scheduled during Pre-EMDC training.

EMDC Conference

The four main goals of the EMDC are:

1. To provide a meeting place where those engaged in minority language work (whether in-country or displaced) can interact with communication and media specialists to develop media strategies, explore the use of ethno-arts, and assess and prioritize media products.
2. To network existing regional media organizations with minority language teams for present or future partnerships on actual, doable projects.
3. To help those with some material to be able to record, edit, mix, and finish their project in hands-on workshops (or at a minimum connect with those who will see them through to the end).
4. To provide a venue where minority language workers can express their media-related needs, learn from one another in areas of methodology and strategy, and explore ways in which they might share resources.

What takes place?
In addition to plenary sessions, workshops, and training, language-specific, country-specific, or ethnic group-specific working groups will be meeting. Specific ethnic groups will discuss language programs and language planning.

EMDC is a multi-agency consultation that meets alternately in Asia and Europe. Minority language workers in the greater Eurasia region meet with media specialists (radio, TV, Internet, mobile, social media), IT Technicians, recording specialists, graphic artists, digital publishers, and specialists in Orality and Ethno-Arts.

Guy’s Impressions

It was  joy to be together, first, with so many of our creative and motivated content creation staff.  I am humbled by how the Lord has blessed Chris and I through our obedience to his call to FEBC with opportunities to have so many friends from many countries who are passionate about Jesus.  I love to give of my life in whatever way necessary to see them grow in their capacity to minister.

I came away from the EMDC Conference proper with some strong impressions:

1. FEBC should do more of the “lifting” to assist with this conference since it is very valuable to us and we bring a large contingent.
2. More of our fields and especially our minority language folks would be encouraged and their skills strengthened if they attended.  I will be making a push to have these folks invited to attend in two years and possibly have a Transnational Ethnic Minority Language meeting of FEBC during the next conference in Chiangmai.
3. We have ministry partners who would benefit from attending.  I will add them to the “secret” mailing list so they will be informed.
4. I appreciate Bob’s passion for coming along side our content teams and encouraging them to experiment and grow in their ability to be effective ministers to their audiences.