General Synod Newsroom dedicated in honor of UCC communicator
Written by Micki Carter July 1, 2011
The Rev. Gregg Brekke prepares to hang a plaque in honor of the Rev. J. Martin Bailey, UCC communicator and journalist. (photo Scott Griessel)
Longtime UCC
journalist the Rev. J. Martin Bailey was honored Friday when the press room of
General Synod 28 was dedicated in his name.
The Rev.
Gregg Brekke, UCC news director, gathered current and former members of the
press working GS28 outside the press room in the Tampa Convention Center and
read a proclamation recognizing the 50 years of service to the UCC by Bailey
and his wife, the Rev. Betty Jane Bailey.
A plaque will
be attached to the door of Room 1 for the duration of GS28.
Brekke noted
that this was the first General Synod that Bailey has missed since the
formation of the United Church of Christ in 1957.
"Throughout
his career and well into retirement, Martin has been an example and a mentor to
many of us," Brekke said.
"We want to
take a moment to recall his eagerness for the work of journalism, his joyful
spirit, his dedication to telling the truth of the church, even when that was
difficult, his unwavering support for an independent news service in the UCC
and his passion for journalistic excellence."
A 1954
graduate of Eden Seminary (where he and Betty Jane met), Bailey said his
greatest passion has been working for peace in the Middle East. The Baileys have
written numerous books and thousands of articles. The most recent book is Who Are the Christians in the Middle East (Eerdmans, 2010).
From 1963 to 1982,
Bailey served as editor of the United Church Herald and A.D. Magazine. He has
been the co-chair of the Media Working Group of the Middle East Forum, director
of development for Worldwide Faith News, and the media consultant to Interfaith
Communities Today.
