In June 2011, the Church released Personal Video Conferencing (PVC), a software-based service that allows Church leaders to perform face-to-face meetings without the extensive cost of travel.  To date, over 2,000 leaders have signed up and used the service. Although it has been primarily used for Stake Presidency and High Council meetings, additional innovative uses for this service have also been explored.

When Jo DaRosa ran into his old college friend Richard Cheung while on business in Hong Kong, they discussed the possibility of bringing together the youth from their respective congregations using Video Conferencing. With DaRosa’s congregation located in the West Columbia South Carolina stake and Cheung’s congregation being from the Hong Kong Sham Shui Po ward, PVC would allow them to connect for free using a reliable, secure service.

After obtaining the necessary authorization from their stake leaders, DaRosa and Cheung gathered the young men and women in their respective meetinghouses. Over thirty youth attended the one hour video conference. The youth were able to share an invaluable learning experience as they told stories and laughed at translation errors.

By answering each other’s questions, the youth were able to discover the consistencies in the Church between the two different countries.  They were also able to discuss the unique challenges and blessings that come from being one of the few members of the Church in their school.

A youth from South Carolina explained, “I think it was quite interesting to learn about different cultures and to contact them and to see others of the same religion on the other side of the world.”

Chan Chi-Yuk from Hong Kong said, “It is very interesting to have such an activity because we can exchange with the members overseas. I hope I can make more friends in other countries.”

Both youth groups had very positive experiences with the video conference and have already scheduled three more calls for 2012.  One of the meetings will be a gift exchange and another will take advantage of PVC’s screen sharing technology so they will be able to share photos from their different cultures.

Personal Video Conferencing (PVC)

While phone calls are sufficient for communications, the addition of video makes a significant difference in the effectiveness of conversations and meetings. PVC enables better communications between people who are conducting Church business and are in different locations.

PVC services are available for all Church employees, priesthood leaders in certain leadership positions including all members of the Seventy, area presidencies, mission presidencies, MTC presidencies, temple presidencies, stake and district presidencies, high council members, stake technology specialists, bishops and branch presidents, and executive secretaries associated with those priesthood leaders.

To use PVC you’ll need a current PC/Mac or mobile device (iPad, iPhone, or Android) with an Internet connection. You’ll also need a webcam and speakers or headphones. To obtain the necessary PVC account visit PVC.lds.org and click on “Request an Account.”

Learn more about the PVC by clicking on “How to Use” on PVC.lds.org to get important details on equipment recommendations, training videos, and other helpful information.

If you have a similar story using PVC or an experience with using Church technology please send your story to MHTechNewsletter@ldschurch.org, and we may use it in an upcoming newsletter.