by Jessica Brodie
Feb. 22, 2019 | ST. LOUIS—United Methodist communicators were honored Feb. 22 with an awards celebration at the Hyatt Regency in downtown St. Louis. The celebration was a highlight of the United Methodist Association of Communicators’ annual gathering, held Feb. 21-22 and 27.
Work was submitted across 10 classes of communications, with a best in class for each, as well as first, second and third place winners selected for each category. Also at the event, the group honored its 2019 Hall of Fame inductee, the Rev. Dr. Daniel R. Gangler, and two Communicators of the Year, Mary Catherine Phillips and Tim Tanton.
Masters of ceremony Kelly Roberson, director of communications for the South Georgia Conference, and Tyrus Sturgis, director of leader communications with United Methodist Communications, led the awards ceremony, with winners in each class, division and category. Click here for a complete list of award recipients.
Best in Class winners are as follows:
Class 1: Print Publication: Robert F. Storey Award of Excellence
40 Days of Reflection: A Coloring Book Supporting North Carolina Disaster Response
Derek Leek, Julie Brown and Hannah Koch, North Carolina Conference
Class 2: Digital Publication
response magazine Assembly comic book
Tara Barnes, Chavah Billin and Margaret Wilbur, United Methodist Women
Class 3: Writing Publication: Donn Doten Award of Excellence
His Struggle Made Him Who He Is: ‘God Wastes Nothing’
Annette Spence, Holston Conference
Class 4: Internet Communications
A tie for Lake Junaluska Instagram and Lake Junaluska Facebook
Liz Boyd and Mary Bates, Lake Junaluska Conference and Retreat Center
Class 5: Video Production: Hilly Hicks Award of Excellence
Agape Pastries
Kelsey Johnson, St. Paul’s United Methodist Church, Houston
Class 6: Audio Production
Meet the Bishops: Get Your Spirit in Shape
Joe Iovino and Fran Walsh, United Methodist Communications
Class 7: Photography: Donald B. Moyer Award of Excellence
Paths Collide for Immigrants, Border Agents
Mike DuBose, UMNS
Class 8: Visual Design
Michigan Conference Website
Mark Doyal, Michigan Conference
Class 9: Publicity and Advertising: Leonard M. Perryman Award for Excellence
United Methodist Women’s Assembly 2018
James J. Rollins, Evelyn Warren, Sarah Brockus, Yvette Moore and Rae Grant, United Methodist Women
Class 10: Media Presentation
Town Hall Presentation
Todd Seifert, Great Plains United Methodist Conference
Gangler is Hall of Fame inductee
UMAC chair Mark Doyal (Michigan) came to the microphone to announce Gangler as the Communicators Hall of Fame inductee for 2019.
Gangler is the former director of communications for the Indiana United Methodist Conference and is now retired after 38 years in pastoral and communication ministries. He serves in retirement as advisor and past president of the Religion Communicators Council, chair of the United Methodist Reconciling Ministries Network of Indiana, as a volunteer social justice advocate for Tobacco Free Hendricks County and president of the Clermont Lakes Home Owners Association. Currently, he is also working with the Religion Communicators Council and the Associated Church Press as co-chair of their 2019 RCC-ACP Convention in Chicago, April 10-13. He was named UMAC Communicator of the Year in 1996.
Gangler applauded the work of his communications peers across the UMC, particularly this year with their coverage of the special called General Conference. He said while he has covered seven General Conferences during his tenure, he has “never seen the likes of this.”
Gangler closed by offering his peers 12 words upon which he has based his communications ministry.
“Be assertive, be truthful, be gracious, be you and speak with integrity,” Gangler said to a standing ovation.
Phillips, Communicator of the Year
Next, Doyal announced two communicators—Phillips and Tanton—had been selected as the UMAC Communicator of the Year.
Bishop David Graves introduced Phillips, whom he called a woman of “great integrity” who loves the Lord, the people, the annual conference and the denomination.
Phillips has served since 2011 as director of communications for the Alabama-West Florida Conference for The United Methodist Church. In addition to working closely with Bishops Paul Leeland and David Graves, she has led workshops throughout the conference and has helped grow and maintain the conference’s various digital outlets.
As an active member of First United Methodist Church in Montgomery, Phillips has served on numerous committees, been a member of Joseph’s Ministry and has served in a leadership role in her Sunday school class. She has been a leader in her neighborhood organization and has spoken out against crime and violence in an effort to create positive change. She is a member of the Junior League of Montgomery as well as other civic groups.
A tearful Phillips accepted the award noting she was “speechless” and “overwhelmed,” especially given the time the church is in now and the caliber of the work of her peers.
She told a story about having come from a time of great personal difficulty early in her career to where she is today, standing before a crowd accepting an award of this nature for work she now considers to be her ministry.
“As the ecumenical pastors said earlier, you’ve got to cross the river, and there are going to be storms,” Phillips said, but hold fast to faith, and God will see you through.
“I’m here to tell you that’s the truth,” Phillips said to a roomful of applause.
Tanton, Communicator of the Year
United Methodist Communications head Dan Krause gave a video introduction of Tanton, lifting him up as a faithful, professional and objective man who is passionate about reporting, sharing stories and ensuring people’s voices are heard.
Tanton is chief news officer for United Methodist Communications. He works with the News and Information Team, comprising Ask The UMC (InfoServ) and United Methodist News Service. The team serves the church’s “world parish” in multiple languages. Tanton is a longtime member of East End United Methodist Church in Nashville, Tennessee.
In his acceptance of the award, Tanton thanked the body and praised the strong work of his team, all of whom embrace storytelling ministry as a personal call.
“It is really humbling to look out across a roomful of people so deserving and think of all we’ve achieved this year in the name of Jesus Christ in telling the stories and bringing people to our Lord,” Tanton said.
He said communicators must not shrink away from the responsibility they have to communicate faithfully, from the written word to podcasts to video.
“We do not know what future brings, but God holds future in God’s hands, so stand strong and confident,” he said. “The world so much needs to hear the stories of how United Methodism is changing lives. Let us rise to that call and tell the stories.”
Doyal closed the gathering with a reminder that UMAC would hold their next event in 2020, the location of which will be determined soon.
Jessica Brodie is editor of the South Carolina United Methodist Advocate.