The Mennonite Brethren Herald received a total of nine awards from the Evangelical Press Association (EPA) and the Canadian Church Press (CCP) for articles and graphics published in 2009.
At the EPA annual convention May 5–7 in Dallas, Tex., five MB Herald pieces were recognized with EPA Higher Goals Awards, which highlight the year’s best work by EPA publications.
Brad Huebert’s “Santa’s First Christmas” received first place in the cartoon category while Russ Toews’ account of dealing with his son’s suicide, “Are You Sure God is Good?” from the June 2009 issue received fourth place for first-person article.
Three took fifth place: June’s “Thinking About the Atonement” by Timothy Geddert (biblical exposition); July’s “In the Garden” by Sarah Klassen (poetry) and the “Food and Fellowship” cover by Audrey Plew, MB Herald graphic designer (single photo, controlled setting).
At the 2010 CCP annual convention (Ont.), the aforementioned “In the Garden” received first place for poetry, and Russ Toews’ “Are You Sure God is Good?” was awarded third place for narrative.
MB Herald assistant editor Karla Braun took third place in the “in-depth treatment of a news event” category for “The Word Became Flesh…and Moved Into the Patch” in December’s issue. Ken Priebe’s article “The Breath of Life” from August received an honourable mention in features. The EPA and CCP awards panels of judges were comprised of a diverse pool of professors, authors, journalists, editors, artists, and business professionals.
“We’re honoured to receive recognition from our colleagues in Christian publishing, and to be part of these associations,” says MB Herald editor, Laura Kalmar. “This year’s award-winning pieces represent the depth and breadth of Mennonite Brethren writing and creativity, and we’re pleased to feature this same calibre of work in every issue we publish. Congratulations to all our writers and photographers!”
The EPA is a professional association providing training, recognition, networking, and other services to more than 300 religious periodicals within the Christian publishing industry. CCP facilitates community and professional support among editors and publishers of its member publications, encouraging higher standards of religious journalism and a more positive and constructive Christian influence on contemporary civilization.
