Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) journalists won twenty-four awards from the Associated Church Press (ACP) as the oldest and largest Christian press organization presented its “Best of the Christian Press” awards for work published in 2016 at its annual convention April 28.
The honors received by Presbyterian journalists—from nearly 1,000 entries—included seven “Best in Class” awards, the ACP’s highest honors.
“Unbound: An Interactive Journal of Christian Social Justice” led the way with eight awards, including an Award of Merit (second place) in the Best in Class competition for independent websites.
Presbyterian News Service (PNS) received five awards, including a Best in Class Award of Merit in the Online: News Service category. In addition, PNS Editor Gregg Brekke received an Award of Excellence (first place) in the non-fiction book category for his book, Healing Hands: The Life Story of Dr. Virendra and Nancy Henry.
The Presbyterian Outlook won three awards, including two Best in Class nods. Presbyterians Today won two awards, including a Best in Class. And the Office of the General Assembly Communications department won a Best in Class Award of Excellence for last summer’s 222nd General Assembly (2016) News publication.
The complete list of awards:
BEST IN CLASS:
- Award of Excellence, Digital Edition/Mobile Publication: “222nd General Assembly News (2016)” by the Office of the General Assembly Communications—Toya Richards, director.
- Award of Excellence, Denominational Magazine: Presbyterians Today—Sue Washburn, Karen Bosc, and Patrick David Heery, editors, Mark Thomson, designer, Jeffrey Lawrence, publisher.
- Award of Excellence, Special Interest Magazine: HORIZONS—Sharon Dunne Gillies, Carissa Herald, Yvonne Hileman, Susan Jackson-Dowd, Laura Lee, Stephanie Morris, Debbie Paris.
- Award of Excellence, News Service: Presbyterian News Service—Gregg Brekke, editor.
- Award of Merit, Blog: “Outlook Outpost” by The Presbyterian Outlook—Jill Duffield and Jana Blazek.
- Award of Merit, Denominational Magazine: The Presbyterian Outlook—Jill Duffield, Jana Blazek, and Leslie Scanlon.
- Award of Merit, Independent Website: Unbound: An Interactive Journal of Christian Social Justice—Ginna Bairby, managing editor, and Chris Iosso, general editor.
Unbound: An Interactive Journal of Christian Social Justice:
- Award of Excellence, Editorial or Opinion Piece: “Christian Stakes in an Election When Civility and Civil Religion Seem Dead” by Chris Iosso, author, Ginna Bairby, editor.
- Award of Excellence, Personal Experience/First Person Account: “Race Gives Me Poetry” by Laura Cheifetz, author; Ginna Bairby, editor.
- Award of Merit, Convention/Meeting Coverage: “A Year for Confessions: Issues of Social Justice Before the 222nd General Assembly” by Ginna Bairby and Chris Iosso.
- Award of Merit, Theme Issue: “Call to Confession: Race, White Privilege, and the Church” by Ginna Bairby and Chris Iosso.
- Award of Merit, Personal Experience/First Person Account: “You Look Like a Thug!: Dog-Whistling and Sin-Talk” by Alonzo Johnson, author; Ginna Bairby, editor.
- Award of Merit, Devotional/Inspirational: “As Close as Our Very Breath: A Sermon for Those Who Feel Afraid” by Meg Peery McLaughlin, author; Ginna Bairby, editor.
- Honorable Mention, James Solheim Award for Editorial Courage: “Why I Haven’t Felt at Home in a Presbyterian Church for Three Years” by Kerri Allen, author; Ginna Bairby and Chris Iosso, editors.
Presbyterian News Service:
- Award of Excellence, News Story: “PC(USA) software engineer asks, ‘What if God was our customer?’” by Emily Enders Odom.
- Award of Merit, Video: “Presbyterian Disaster Assistance responds to the Flint water crisis” by Paul Seebeck.
- Honorable Mention, Single Photograph: "Standing Rock Elder burns Doctrine of Discovery" by Gregg Brekke.
- Honorable Mention, News Story: “Presbyterian Youth Triennium worships under Friday night lights” by Gregg Brekke, writer and photographer.
Presbyterian Women/HORIZONS:
- Award of Excellence, Bible Reference: “Who Is Jesus”—HORIZONS Bible Study by Judy Yates Siker, with Suggestions for Leaders by Lynn Miller.
- Award of Merit, Theological Reflection: “An Old Invitation for a New Day” by Carol M. Bechtel, author; Sharon Dunne Gillies, editor.
- Honorable Mention, Theological Reflection: “Hope-ly” by Irene Pak and Sharon Dunne Gillies.
Presbyterians Today:
- Award of Merit, Personal Experience/First Person Account: “A Rugged Road to Forgiveness” by Gwen Haspels.
Presbyterian Outlook:
- Honorable Mention, Professional Resource: “Worshipping a Creative God” by Shawna Bowman, Jill Duffield, and Jana Blazek.
Books, Non-Fiction:
- Award of Excellence, Healing Hands: The Life Story of Dr. Virendra and Nancy Henry by Gregg Brekke.