wfn.org | Associated Church Press award winners

[Daphne Mack <dmack@dfms.org>]

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99-062
Associated Church Press honors Episcopal/Anglican publications 
by James Solheim
(ENS) Episcopal and Anglican publications were honored at the annual
convention of the Associated Church Press (ACP) April 18-21 in Portland,
Oregon, receiving many of the top awards in 39 categories of competition
that drew 900 entries.

In the Best-in-Class category, the top Awards of Excellence went to the
Anglican Journal, newspaper of the Anglican Church of Canada, and
Episcopal News Service. Second place Awards of Merit went to Episcopal
Life, national newspaper of the Episcopal Church, and Anglican Advance,
published by the Episcopal Diocese of Chicago.

A number of awards went to coverage of last summer's Lambeth Conference
of Anglican bishops. Episcopal News Service and the Anglican Journal
received Awards of Excellence and Episcopal Life and ENS received Awards
of Merit for meeting coverage.

Episcopal Life, which received an unprecedented total of 15 awards,
received the Award of Excellence for a feature article, with the
Episcopal New Yorker receiving the Award f Merit. Episcopal Life also
received the top award in the category of in-depth coverage for an
article on the Sudan which also received an honorable mention in the
category of First Person Account. Episcopal Life received the Award of
Excellence for its Forum in both the Department and the Reader Response
categories and an Award of Merit for Best Seasonal Piece. The Witness
magazine received an Award of Excellence and the Episcopal New Yorker
received the Award of Merit for Department.

For Editorial or Opinion Piece, Anglican Journal took the Award of
Excellence and Episcopal Life an honorable mention. The Witness magazine
received the Award of Merit in the category of Theme issue. Rhode Island
Episcopal News received an Award of Merit for a First Person Account and
an honorable mention for Photography.

Cathedral Age, published by Washington National Cathedral, received
honorable mentions for News Story and Interview. And ENS received an
honorable mention for a news story on Hurricane Mitch.

In the categories for graphics and photography, Episcopal Life received
the top award for Newspaper Front Page and Photography, with Episcopal
News Service and the Episcopal New Yorker both receiving Awards of Merit
for Photography. Anglican Journal won the Award of Merit for Newspaper
Graphics and Episcopal Life received an honorable mention.  Episcopal
Life also won an Award of Merit for Humor Graphic and honorable mentions
for its Home Page Design. Anglican Journal tied for honorable mention in
the category for Web Site.
Unchurched in Oregon
In his keynote address, former senator Mark Hatfield said that it was
necessary to have a sense of history to address current issues in the
relation between church and state. He pointed out that it was never the
intent of the Constitution, for example, to remove religion from public
life, although it clearly forbids any attempt to establish a preferred
religious group. 

Hatfield said that he was especially bothered by those who proclaim a
Christian position on issues, arguing that anyone who opposes their
political agenda is not Christian. "Lining up with a political agenda
doesn't give one a Christian identity," he said. "Pluralism and
diversity is what made America great." He added that churches must
address the humanity of their political leaders if they hope to
influence public policy.

In a luncheon speech, Lori Brocker, a lobbyist for the Oregon Newspaper
Publishers Association, addressed the issue of Unchurched in Oregon,
suggesting that the strong strain of individualism among its residents
leads to many contradictions and paradoxes. She said that many
Oregonians believe in God but "don't see anything special in
church-going" because they are convinced that there are many ways to
express their sense of community. And she said that many of them fear an
organized religion that is filled with proscriptions because they don't
like to be told what to do. "They value independence and tolerance," she
said.

Mark O'Keefe, religion editor of the Oregonian newspaper, described his
sense of "call" as a journalist. While admitting that there were
occasional conflicts in working for the secular press, he said, "We are
to be truth-tellers above all," sometimes using "a prophetic role" that
is completely compatible with the Christian faith. He encouraged ACP
members to examine their own sense of calling. "Whatever you write, do
it with courage and integrity-with all the skill that you can muster,"
he said.
--James Solheim is director of the Episcopal Church's Office of News and
Information.