CHICAGO, IL (May 3, 2019) — The Covenant Companion was honored with eleven awards from the Associated Church Press (ACP) and nine awards from the Evangelical Press Association (EPA) for works published in 2018. Five first-place awards included recognition in the categories of In-Depth Coverage, Interview, Column, Letters to the Editor, and the tongue-in-cheek category, Best Disparaging Letter to the Editor.
The most frequently recognized story was “Who Do You say That I Am?” (May/June), which profiled six Covenanters and their invitations to see them beyond stereotypes. That article was lauded by both ACP and EPA for Editorial Courage, Art/Design/Graphics, Photo Feature, Single Controlled Photo, and Title.
“It is an honor to be recognized for the high-quality content and hard work the whole Companion team contributes. I am deeply grateful to our excellent writers, designers, and photographers for their creativity, talent, and dedication,” said Cathy Norman Peterson, managing editor for the magazine. “And special thanks to our faithful readers whose consistent support and candid letters helped us win first place in the ‘Letters to the Editor’ category.”
Click on the linked title to read each award-winning article.
Associated Church Press
First Place
➤ In-Depth Coverage, Magazine/Journal: Finding Refuge issue (January/February)
Judges said, “Fantastic and topical. Top score.”
➤ Interview: “Torn from Home: Our Global Refugee Crisis and What We Can Do About It”
Judges said, “This is the best entry in a very crowded and high-quality category.”
➤ Column: Jelani Greenidge
Judges said, “Fresh, bright, entertaining, and interesting insight into culture and Christianity. Greenidge is a gifted writer and astute analyst. He brings a modern voice to current topics while keeping readers focused on the gospel.”
➤ Letters to the Editor: “Readers Write” by Companion staff and readers
Judges said, “Honest, heartfelt letters from different perspectives over a variety of topics.”
➤ Best Disapproving Letter to the Editor
Second Place
➤ James Solheim Award for Editorial Courage: “Who Do You Say That I Am?”
Judges said, “Wow! Bold. Powerful. This entire piece is shot through with courage, from the title, to the selections chosen. You expand our notion of who is in our churches, who our neighbors are in the pews.”
➤ Department: Arts & Culture
➤ Humor, Written: “The Alpaca in the Manger,” by Dana Bowman
➤ Art/Design/Graphics: “Who Do You Say That I Am?” by Eric Staswick and Kristi Schild
Third Place
➤ Personal Experience, Short Format: “Diagnosis Cancer,” by Kelly Johnston
➤ Personal Experience, Long Format: “Addiction and the Church,” by Dana Bowman
Evangelical Press Association:
Second Place
➤ Denominational Magazine
Judges said, “COV excels in variety. No other magazine comes close to doing this as well as you do. You present a vivid portrait of the Kingdom of God.” “Journalism at its best.” “There’s something wild and unruly about The Covenant Companion. You break a few publishing ‘rules,’ yet you manage to provide a feast for readers.”
➤ Interview Article: “Torn from Home”
➤ Devotional: “Settling for a Fix-it God,” by Kevin Butcher
➤ General Article, Long: “Addiction and the Church,” by Dana Bowman
➤ Titles: “Ashes of Lent,” “Who Do You Say That I Am?” “Diagnosis Cancer”
Third Place
➤ Humorous: “The Alpaca in the Manger,” by Dana Bowman
Fourth Place
➤ Photo Feature: “Who Do You Say That I Am?” by Eric Staswick, Kristi Schild, Tim Coburn, Scott Toste, Leon Saperstein, LaMar Photography
➤ First-Person Article: “This Is My Home,” by Meztli
Fifth Place
➤ Single Photo, Controlled: “Who Do You Say That I Am?” by Tim Coburn and Eric Staswick
Contact: Linda Sladkey, Assistant Editor, The Evangelical Covenant Church, linda.sladkey@covchurch.org
