by Kay DeMoss

February 22, 2019 | ST. LOUIS—The United Methodist Association of Communicators  announced the Rev. Dr. Daniel R. Gangler as the Hall of Fame inductee for 2019. Gangler, a gifted journalist, has told the stories of both The United Methodist Church and The Disciples of Christ. He is now retired and living in Indianapolis after 38 years in pastoral and communication ministries.

In 1983 Gangler started service as the communications officer for the Nebraska Conference of The United Methodist Church, after having served as an ordained pastor there for seven years. Later he became the director of communications for the Indiana Conference of The United Methodist Church. He also worked as an associate editor of the United Methodist Reporter and as managing editor of the Disciple Magazine of The Christian Church based in Indianapolis.

The United Methodist Association of Communicators previously honored Gangler with the Communicator of the Year award in 1996.

During his introduction of the Hall of Fame recipient, Mark Doyal, chair of UMAC, listed the qualifications expected. Those with a minimum of 10 years of experience as a United Methodist communicator and retired from full-time work for at least three years are eligible for the UMAC Hall of Fame. Annual selection is based on a record of excellence in the communication ministry of the church.

“Our recipient exceeds all of those qualifications,” Doyal said.

Addressing his longtime colleagues on the eve of the 2019 General Conference, Gangler remarked, “We are facing a very difficult General Conference. I’ve been acting as the news guru for the Indiana Conference. I have covered seven General Conferences and have never seen the likes of this.”

The veteran newsman left UMAC members with 12 words of wisdom: “I’ve based my pastoral and communications ministry on these words. Be assertive. Be truthful. Be gracious. Be you. And speak with integrity.”

A native of Peoria, Illinois, Gangler holds a bachelor of science degree in education from Illinois State University at Normal (1968), a master of divinity degree from Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary at Evanston, Illinois (1974), and a doctor of ministry in Christian Social Ethics from the Saint Paul School of Theology at Leawood, Kansas (1994).

Gangler and his wife, Enid, remain active in retirement. She volunteers at area museums and at the Indianapolis 500 Festival. He currently serves as advisor and past president of the Religion Communicators Council, chair of the United Methodist Reconciling Ministries Network of Indiana and social justice advocate for Tobacco-Free Hendricks County.

Kay DeMoss is senior content editor for the Michigan Conference of The United Methodist Church.