News Articles

Southern Tidings Hosts Live-stream Show at Camporee

In a first for them, the Southern Union Conference highlights stories through two live-stream shows from the camporee in Gillette, Wyoming.

August 21, 2024 | Gillette, Wyo. | Christina Norris

Gillette Breakfast Club co-hosts from the camporee in Wyoming on Aug. 6, 2024 — *Co-hosts Roger Wade and Paola Mora Zepeda have a conversation during the first Southern Tidings live-stream at the International Pathfinder Camporee on Aug. 6, 2024. Photo: Arnaldo Cruz*

To highlight stories from the 2024 International Pathfinder Camporee in an efficient way, the Southern Tidings hosted two live-stream shows on YouTube from Tuesday through Friday (Aug. 6-9) called the “Gillette Breakfast Club.”

The show featured camporee personnel such as the main speaker Damian Chandler, and figures from the Southern Union. In addition to guest interviews, the show included segments such as daily reviews, Pathfinder interviews, and news stories.

“I really enjoy talking to all the different clubs and gathering content for the shows. I hope the audience will be inspired by the stories like I was,” said Paola Mora Zepeda, the Gillette Breakfast Club co-host and Kentucky-Tennessee Conference communication director.

The first livestream aired on Tuesday, August 6 at 9 a.m. ET (7 a.m. MT). The episode’s featured guest was Andres Peralta, General Conference associate youth director.

This is the first time the Southern Tidings hosted a live-stream show. The idea for the show was conceived in August 2023 during a discussion between Bryant Taylor, Southern Union communication director, Roger Wade, the Gillette Breakfast Club co-host and South Central Conference communication director, and Kirk Nugent, The Breakfast Club producer and Oakwood University Church media pastor. They envisioned a show that would bring the excitement and spiritual experience of Camporee to a wider audience.

“I’m excited about the use of live-streaming. … This is just another way that the Southern Union is trying to connect and engage with their constituency,” said Nugent.

The initiative was driven by the desire to connect those unable to attend the Camporee in person with some of the experiences and stories taking place at the event.

“The hope for the live-stream was to encourage those who didn't come to say, ‘Hey, I want to be a part of that ministry,'” said Wade. “With the live-stream, we had the opportunity to show [experiences] while they were happening.”

The Gillette Breakfast Club continued with seven more episodes throughout the week. To watch these episodes on YouTube, visit southernunion.com/live.

— Christina Norris is the Southern Union Conference associate communication director.

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