Costa Rica: Church joins efforts to launch Adventist television

April 3, 2013 – Hatillo, San Jose, Costa Rica…IAD Staff

The Seventh-day Adventist launched Esperanza TV Adventist channel in Costa Rica, on Mar. 2, 2013, at the Adventist Education Center Auditorium in Hatillo, San Jose, Costa Rica. The Adventist channel becomes the first 24/7 such channel to open in the Inter-American Division territory. Image by Abel Marquez/IAD

The Seventh-day Adventist Church in Costa Rica recently launched its Esperanza TV Channel during a three-hour broadcast at the Adventist Education Center Auditorium in Hatillo, Costa Rica, on Saturday, March 2. The broadcast marks the first running 24-hour, 7-days-a-week Adventist channel in the Inter-American Division territory.

More than 500 gathered for the event while thousands more in churches from throughout Costa Rica watched. The special featured evangelists from the Adventist world church and the It is Written ministry.

“We want to share the good news of salvation and portray God’s character bringing faith hope and love to every corner of the country,” said Pastor Jose Vallejos, president for the church in the south central region, during the live broadcast.

Church leaders pray during the soft launch of Esperanza TV Costa Rica earlier last month. Image courtesy Esperanza TV Costa Rica/IAD

The church’s three regions in Costa Rica joined efforts with dozens of committed laypeople and church members who volunteered their time to open the channel with programming from Esperanza TV and Nuevo Tiempo and worked in the production of a dozen new programs on health, music, financial management, and the like.

The channel will also seek to promote cultural and social values through its programming.

Pastor Earnal Scott, executive secretary of the church in the South Central American Union, expressed full administrative support for the new channel.

“This light which has begun to shine, should never be turned off,” said Scott.

Church officials are expecting to have Esperanza TV run in the 30 cable companies in Costa Rica to reach the more than 4.7 million people in the country. So far the channel is running on 15 cable companies.

Esperanza TV Costa Rica staff work from the production truck during the live broadcast. Image by Abel Marquez/IAD

Abel Marquez, associate communication director for the church in Inter-America praised the work of the church and its committed volunteer professionals in the launching of the new channel.

“It is good to see how our church leaders and members have captured the vision of sharing the gospel through this important medium,” said Marquez. Marquez explained that with a bigger transmitter the channel will be able to reach all Central America and part of South Mexico.

Church leaders continue their efforts in raising funds for the Esperanza TV Costa Rica channel and plan on a grand launch in August 2013 with officials from the Adventist-run Hope Channel and Inter-American leaders.

For more on Esperanza TV Costa Rica, click here

Marilyn Cernas contributed to this report