Mission

The Communication department seeks to facilitate communication within all the various components of this organization. It attempts by the grace of God to keep church members informed about how the Lord is blessing Michigan, by coordinating with the Lake Union Communications office, other departments in the local conference, local church pastors, elders, teachers, and communication leaders. Secondly, it seeks to help communities become aware of the positive role that the Seventh-day Adventist Church plays in their area.

Background

In 1912, the Adventist Church world headquarters hired Baltimore Sun newspaper reporter Walter Burgan to establish the Bureau of Press Relations, the precursor to today’s Communication department. Church leaders realized the importance of having a specialized professional to respond to media—someone who could speak their language. Since then, this important role has evolved into the Communication departments that are found in various entities of the Adventist Church, such as the Michigan Conference.

Objectives

The Communication department is responsible for the publication of the Michigan Memo, a monthly magazine, and the Michigan Update, a weekly email newsletter. We also create content for our social media outlets. The Communication department also manages the conference website. Lastly, we act as the official liaison to the media by releasing press releases and statements when appropriate.

Communication

Andy Im is the Director of Communication for the Michigan Conference. He previously ministered as the co-chair of the Religion Department at Weimar College, and also as a pastor in New Jersey and Michigan for a number of years. Andy holds a degree in political science from the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, and a Master in Religion degree from Southern Adventist University. He lives in Charlotte, MI, and his interests include cooking, traveling, theology, working with young professionals, and spending time with his wife Laura and daughters Olivia and Karis.

Judy Ringstaff is the Administrative Assistant for the Communication Department at the Michigan Conference. She is an experienced writer, and enjoys reading and spending time with her husband Enoch.