In recent years, our Church in the South Pacific has undergone signage and logo changes. The General Conference have picked up on the value of that, and in fact, revised our world-wide visual identity, which is compatible with changes we have already made and includes some new exciting developments.

You have no doubt heard about the new Adventist Identity released by the General Conference (GC) earlier this year, possibly even wondered ‘Haven’t we already done that?  We have a new sign to prove it!’

The GC has taken on board the need for change, looked at the work already done by the South Pacific Division (SPD), and taken it further.  But why does any of this matter?

We are a global church, but we speak different languages, eat and dress differently.   We worship, pray, read, think, sing and share differently.  But we are all Seventh-day Adventists.  No matter what our organisations look like, how we live our beliefs, how we keep the Sabbath, we all look forward with longing, to that last day when we can finally be present with our God.

As an organisation, we have this hope, and since our beginnings we have produced a diversity of materials and resources to share this hope with others.  We have established ministries and programs… But we have not had a unified strategy for presentation.

As the world becomes overwhelmed with information, it is becoming increasingly important to find a way to help people know that even within our diversity, we are all Seventh-Day Adventists.  Just google Adventist logos and see the plethora of different images that come up…

So the GC determined to create a flexible system that will accommodate the diversity across our many conferences, yet still present us as a unified body.  That will allow for individuality without losing sight of the fact that we are a global organisation and can be recognised where ever you are in the world.

For those privileged to have heard Pr Sam Neaves from the General Conference address the Digital Discipleship Conference in July, you may have caught a glimpse of his passion for being identifiably visible and up front, and one the drivers is that when someone needs us, they will know where to turn. People often turn to a church during times of conflict.  If they have built a good relationship with us, as an organisation, in the past, then it is possible they may think of us the next time, giving us another window of opportunity to share Jesus love with them… but not if they can’t identify us.

At the time of posting, the SPD is exploring the identity package found at identity.adventist.org, with a view to giving it a uniquely SPD feel, within the limits of the diversity allowed by the GC.  When this process is complete (this is expected late September) you should be able to find the new toolkit at https://corporate.adventistchurch.com for your church to explore and apply, and which includes many of the changes we have already embraced in recent years.

IntraVic