NEW YORK – The BTS Center’s blog, Bearings: Navigating Life-as-Ministry, has won two DeRose-Hinkhouse Awards of Excellence from the Religion Communicators Council (RCC), a national interfaith association of religion communicators at work in print and electronic communication, marketing, and public relations.
Bearings—which is edited by Dr. Elizabeth Drescher, The BTS Center’s consulting scholar, and the Rev. Alyssa Lodewick, The Center’s associate director—seeks to “help equip and support faith leaders navigating the challenges and opportunities of 21st-century ministry.” It was the only publication in the Blog category to win an Award of Excellence.
Bearings was also the only publication to win an Award of Excellence in the Blog Series category, forStanding for Justice: A Conversation on Race, Ministry, Leadership, and Congregational Life. Through the series, The BTS Center sought to promote a discussion about racism’s harmful effects upon individuals, faith communities, and society as a whole. It also aimed to stimulate conversation about the roles that people of faith and religious organizations can play in tackling structural and personal injustice. Developed and edited by Elizabeth Drescher, and edited and produced by Alyssa Lodewick, the Standing for Justice series consisted of four pieces:
- “Anchor Babies and #MyAsianAmericanStory: Call(Out) and Response,” by Rev. Mihee Kim-Kort (http://www.thebtscenter.org/myasianamericanstory/)
- “September 11,” by Kelly J. Baker (http://www.thebtscenter.org/september-11/)
- “Beyond Reconciliation: Race, Religion, and Reparations in the White Church,” by Joshua Crutchfield (http://www.thebtscenter.org/beyondreconciliation/)
- “Who Has the Right to Be Violent?” by Jamye Wooton (http://www.thebtscenter.org/who-has-the-right-to-be-violent/)
Upon learning of the DeRose-Hinkhouse awards, the Rev. Dr. Robert Grove-Markwood, The BTS Center’s executive director, expressed his appreciation for the collaborative work of writers and editors. “Our editors, Elizabeth Drescher and Alyssa Lodewick, have invited and supported such a remarkable group of writers, all of whom share fresh perspectives and insights into some of today’s most pressing questions about religion, spirituality, and ministry. An important part of our mission is to promote social justice, so the award for the Standing for Justice series on racism is especially gratifying. Given that Bearings is only in its second year of publication, we are particularly grateful for the RCC’s recognition and encouragement.”
Through the DeRose-Hinkhouse awards, the Religion Communicators Council “recognizes the achievements of RCC members who demonstrate excellence as religion communicators.” The Rev. Alyssa Lodewick accepted the awards on behalf of The BTS Center at the DeRose-Hinkhouse Award reception, which was held in New York City on March 31, 2016.
The BTS Center is the mission successor to Bangor Theological Seminary. Through thought leadership and vocational development initiatives in the fields of religion, spirituality, practical theology, and ministry, The BTS Center seeks to equip and support individuals for theologically grounded, effective leadership in 21st-century communities of faith and practice.
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