UK conference to show how satellite television is answering the heart cries of the Middle East
Tehran-born Nikoo Ordodary, presenter of a popular live youth show for Iran, will be one of several Middle East Christian broadcasters at SAT-7’s UK supporter conference, Envision on 21 May.
Under the title “Answer the Cry”, they will all be speaking with one message: that satellite TV is sharing Christ in ways and among nations that no other method can reach on such a scale.
The one-day conference at St Aldate’s Church, Oxford will celebrate 20 years of SAT-7’s media ministry and will mix powerful personal testimony, big picture analysis and video examples of how SAT-7 broadcasts are addressing the heart cries of a region in crisis.
Chief Channels and Communications Officer Rita Elmounayer will describe how growing up as bombs rained down in Lebanon gave her an unshakeable commitment to use media to bring hope and love to the region’s children.
From recent visits to refugee children from Syria she will share their cries today and explain how SAT-7 is answering them through a new stream of children’s programming.
Nikoo, who came to Christ as a 13-year-old a year after first leaving Iran, will tell how returning there and attending a state secondary school two years later gave her the motivation to reach Iranian youth today.
Among her classmates she was overwhelmed by the spiritual hunger of four close friends whom she could never directly talk to about her faith.
“Whenever there was a chance to talk about God I would, I would question their faith and values but I could never tell them the truth because I would have endangered myself and my family and endangered them,” she said.
SAT-7 Founder and International CEO Dr Terence Ascott will give the key note presentation at Envision. He will examine how the spiritual and political needs of the region have changed over the last 20 years and how SAT-7 is seeking to respond to both the new challenges and opportunities – reaching even more viewers in one of the world’s most troubled regions.
“We are seeing an exponential rise in those who contact us from the region, as they seek hope, prayer and guidance,” said SAT-7 UK Executive Director Rachel Fadipe. “In response, we are launching the Answer the Cry campaign, calling the Church to join with us as we answer the cries of the Middle East and North Africa.”
The Envision day will also include master classes on Answering the Cry of Women and Answering the Cry of the Persecuted and a special plenary on Answering the Cry of the Children.
Through interviews, video messages and clips and a choice of seminars, it will show how varied and creative Christian programming delivered via satellite and newer digital media is transforming the lives of thousands in the Middle East and North Africa.