UCC General Synod Newsroom Dedicated to Martin Bailey

[Worldwide Faith News <wfn@igc.org>]

General Synod Newsroom dedicated in honor of UCC communicator

> Written by Micki Carter
> July 1, 2011

Longtime UCC journalist the Rev. J. Martin Bailey was honored Friday 
when the press room of General Synod 28 was dedicated in his honor.

The Rev. Gregg Brekke, UCC news director, gathered current and former 
members of the press working GS28 outside the press room in the Tampa 
Convention Center and read a proclamation recognizing the 50 years of 
service to the UCC by Bailey and his wife, the Rev. Betty Jane Bailey.

A plaque will be attached to the door of Room 1 for the duration of GS28.

Brekke noted that this was the first General Synod that Bailey has 
missed since the formation of the United Church of Christ in 1954.

"Throughout his career and well into retirement, Martin has been an 
example and a mentor to many of us," Brekke said.

"We want to take a moment to recall his eagerness for the work of 
journalism, his joyful spirit, his dedication to telling the truth of 
the church, even when that was difficult, his unwavering support for 
an independent news service in the UCC and his passion for 
journalistic excellence."

A 1954 graduate of Eden Seminary (where he and Betty Jane met), 
Bailey said his greatest passion has been working for peace in the 
Middle East. The Baileys have written numerous books and thousands of 
articles. The most recent book is 
<http://www.amazon.com/Who-Are-Christians-Middle-East/dp/080286595X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1309538735&sr=1-1>Who 
Are the Christians in the Middle East (Eerdmans, 2010).

From 1963 to 1982, Bailey served as editor of the United Church 
Herald and A.D. Magazine. He has been the co-chair of the Media 
Working Group of the Middle East Forum, director of development for 
Worldwide Faith News, and the media consultant to Interfaith 
Communities Today.

The Baileys are members of <http://www.unioncong.org/>Union 
Congregational UCC in Montclair, N.J.