VALLEY FORGE, PA (ABNS 10/11/12)—The Board of American Baptist Home Mission Societies (ABHMS) seeks nominations for ministry awards to be announced at the American Baptist Churches USA (ABCUSA) 2013 Mission Summit/Biennial to be held June 21-23, in Overland Park/Kansas City, Kan. Nominations are needed for nine national recognition awards that honor American Baptist individuals, churches and organizations for exceptional faithfulness in ministry, in addition to three merit awards that honor chaplains and pastoral counselors. Nominations will also be accepted for the Luke Mowbray Ecumenical Award, to be presented by ABCUSA.
Awards that recognize individuals, churches and organizations are as follows:
• Edwin T. Dahlberg Peace Award to an individual or church for outstanding work for peace;
• Jitsuo Morikawa Evangelism Award to a layperson for outstanding leadership in holistic evangelism;
• Rosa O. Hall Rural and Small Town Award to a pastor for exceptional effectiveness in rural ministry or small town ministry;
• Edward H. Rhoades Urban Ministry Award to a pastor for exceptional effectiveness in urban ministry;
• Richard Hoiland Local Christian Education Award to an individual for faithful, effective leadership in Christian education;
• Luther Wesley Smith Education Award to an individual for faithful, effective leadership in strengthening Christian education at an American Baptist-related college or seminary;
• Kenneth L. Cober Regional Discipleship Award to an individual for faithful, effective leadership in discipleship education in an American Baptist region;
• Newton C. Fetter Higher Education and Campus Ministry Award to an individual for significant innovation in campus ministry;
• Religious Freedom Award to an individual, church or organization for leadership in defending God-given religious liberty for all; and
• Luke Mowbray Ecumenical Award to an individual for outstanding ecumenical work at the local, state, national or international level; this award is to be presented by ABCUSA.
Merit awards that recognize chaplains and pastoral counselors are as follows:
• Institutional Chaplain Merit Award;
• Pastoral Counselor Merit Award; and
• Military Chaplain Merit Award.
“In presenting these awards, we recognize the invaluable contributions of American Baptists past and present who have modeled for us the way of Christlike servanthood—who have inspired and encouraged us in our faith walk, as they have humbly shared their time, talents and resources, all in the name of the One who came not to be served, but to serve,” says Dr. Clifford I. Johnson, president of the board of ABHMS.
Deadline for nominations is Nov. 30, 2012. Submission of nominations by the deadline is important because final selection of award recipients will be completed in December.
Nominations for these 2013 awards can be submitted online or by fax, postal mail and email. Nominations submitted by postal mail must be postmarked by Nov. 30; those submitted online or by fax or e-mail must be received at ABHMS by Nov. 30. For awards to individuals, churches or organizations, request an English or Spanish version of the hard-copy nomination form by contacting Susan Bogle at susan.bogle@abhms.org or 1-800-222-3872, x2028. For chaplaincy and pastoral counseling awards, contact Yolanda Schweikert at yolanda.schweikert@abhms.org or 1-800-222-3872, x2447, to request a hard-copy nomination form in English or to receive help in interpreting the form in Spanish.
For awards criteria, to print nominations forms or to submit nominations online, please visit www.abhms.org > Biennial/Mission Summit Awards.
American Baptist Home Mission Societies—the domestic mission arm of American Baptist Churches USA (ABCUSA)—ministers as the caring heart and serving hands of Jesus Christ across the United States and Puerto Rico through a multitude of initiatives that focus on discipleship, community and justice.
American Baptist Churches is one of the most diverse Christian denominations today, with 5,500 local congregations comprised of 1.3 million members, across the United States and Puerto Rico, all engaged in God’s mission around the world.