United Methodists win communications awards

CHICAGO (UMNS) – Several United Methodists were honored for their work with annual awards presented by the Religion Communicators Council on March 31.

DeRose-Hinkhouse Memorial Communication Awards are given annually to members of the council who demonstrate excellence in religious communications and public relations. This year, the awards were given at a banquet during the Religious Communication Congress, an event held by the council every decade.

Eight best-of-class awards, approximately 30 awards of excellence and about 50 merit awards were given in a wide range of categories that included articles and books, audio and video, photography and art, graphic design, electronic publishing, advertising and public relations.

The Conference Resourcing Team at United Methodist Communications (UMCom) won an award of excellence for its World Wide Web site. Team members are Steve Horswill-Johnston, Kimberly Pace, Barbara Nissen and Deborah Jarrett. They also won a merit award for the "Igniting Ministry" roll-out video.

Celinda J. Hughes at UMCom and Lesley Crosson and Crystal Parham of the United Methodist Board of Global Ministries also received a certificate of merit for the video "Hope for the Children of Africa."

UMCom's Wil Bane garnered the merit award in radio for "Role Model" and in television for "Millennium."

Paul Jeffrey of the Board of Global Ministries won certificates of merit for his article "A Puerto Rican Island’s Fight for Freedom" and his photograph "Guatemala Struggles to Find Peace."

Alma Graham, Christie R. House, Roger C. Sadler and Emily Grote of the United Methodist Board of Global Ministries received a merit award for New World Outlook, a national magazine. Ruth Kurtz, also of the board, won a merit award for New World Outlook in the special print material category.

At the same event, the council presented its annual Wilbur Awards in recognition of people and organizations that have reflected religion or religious values in secular media – books, radio, film, magazines, newspapers, television, photography. These awards included lifetime achievement awards to Fred Rogers of Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood television program for children and the late cartoonist Charles M. Schulz for "Peanuts."

See also: United Methodist publications win church press awards