The Presbyterian Record was awarded third place in the general excellence category for denominational magazines at the recent Canadian Church Press awards ceremony and convention in Cambridge, Ont., and narrowly missed placing in the same category at the Associated Church Press in Dallas just two weeks before that.
Amy MacLachlan, the Record's staff reporter, was cited for a fifth straight year for news and feature writing by both awarding bodies. MacLachlan won a total of four awards for her work in 2007.
At ACP, she took a first place in the long-format magazine feature category for her February 2007 residential schools article. “Amazing package,” said the judge.
That article also garnered her an honourable mention in the CCP's prestigious A. C. Forrest Memorial Award, named after a long-time editor of the United Church Observer. She also earned a first in the news story category for Preparing for Pandemics (April 2007). Her on-going coverage of the events at Trinity, Oro, Ont., earned a third for in-depth news event.
Art director Caroline Bishop led the Record staff with five awards. Bishop, who joined the magazine for the March 2007 issue, took second place at ACP for her April cover and a third for designing the June issue. She also received a third place for cover design at CCP for the October issue. Design of the October Afghanistan feature and design of the entire November issue earned her two more second place awards.
Andrew Faiz, the magazine's managing editor, was awarded first place at CCP for writing the Afghanistan feature article in October and editor David Harris's December editorial tied for third place at ACP.
Two contributors to the Record also received awards. Colin Cross placed second at ACP for seasonal writing for the Christmas issue and Cliff Bear was awarded a second for illustrating MacLachlan's article on residential schools in February.
The editorial content of the Record is produced by one of the smallest staff contingents for a magazine of its size and frequency, with editor Harris doubling as publisher, responsible for the magazine's business operations. This is an important part of the operation since the magazine does not receive funding from the Presbyterian Church and depends on subscriptions, advertising and donations for its financial survival.
Much of the Record is written by members of the Presbyterian Church and many of them were praised by the judges at both conferences. The following are comments taken from CCP judges:
- Revs. Will Ingram, Lynne Donovan and Don MacLeod were called “courageous and controversial” for their various book reviews through 2007.
- Of Rev. Laurence DeWolfe's Progressive Lectionary column: “Good use of biblical references to challenge and stimulate … fresh insights … the reader is not 'preached to' but led to do further reflection.”
- Judges loved Alex Luyckx' September cover photograph and Bethany Morton's December cover drawing, calling them “fun” and “great.”
- Of David Webber's monthly theological reflections: “Good use of personal story telling to explore an aspect of the lived experience of faith … an engaging reflection … evocative rather than didactic writing.”
- Carol Ann Keys' Wanted: Excited Christians, March: “Cleverly written in an original way. Addresses a major issue comprehensively with an engaging piece.”
- Rev. Alex MacLeod, Recipe of Hope, April: “If the 'church' is to survive, we would all be well advised to slip into the back row on an emergent 'service' and tuck that spirit into our hearts and soul and take it back to our places of worship. Fascinating. Well balanced.”
- Faiz, Grant Us Wisdom, March: “An ongoing and evolving story. Capture it in book form.”
- Faiz, Pop Christianity, Brand Me, November: “Brand Me! I don't [understand what it's doing in] the church press.”
- Harris, Editorial, December: “The stand may not be what most pacifist Canadians would prefer to read, but it needed to be clearly stated, and this editorial does it.”
- Harris, Editorial, November: “This hard-hitting editorial seeks, successfully, to probe into a breakaway congregation's actions.”
