Numerous individuals, congregations, organizations and ministries received special recognition during the UCC's General Synod, held July 11—15 in Minneapolis. Here's a listing of those who were honored.


Justice and Witness Ministries Awards

— Multiracial, Multicultural, Open and Affirming, Accessible to All Church: Faith UCC in Iowa City, Iowa

— The Rev. Buck Jones Award for Clergy: The Rev. William R. Land, pastor of La Amistad UCC in Cincinnati, Ohio

— The Becky Gallatin Award for Laity: Danilo Lachapel, a member of Bronx Spanish Evangelical UCC in New York

— The Cesar Chavez Grassroots Organization Award: Institute for Peace Studies, Billings, Mont.

— The Sarah Margru Kinson Award for Youth/Young Adult: Holly Miller, a member of Myerstown UCC in Pennsylvania

— Special Recognitions: Trinity UCC in Chicago, for contributions of $44,000 to JWM Special Higher Education program; and Verna Rapp Uthman, for years of service to the UCC by covering issues related to the United Nations

The Antoinette Brown Awards: Honoring Women in Ministry, Local Church Ministries

— The Rev. LaVerne McCain Gill, author, commentator, and former pastor of Webster UCC in Dexter, Mich.

— The Rev. Ruth C. Duck, a noted hymn writer, who is professor of music at Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary in Evanston, Ill. The Burning Bush Award, Christians for Justice Action

The Burning Bush Award, Christians for Justice Action

— Margaret Saunders, a member of Pilgrim Congregational UCC in Cleveland UCC Disabilities Ministries Award, Local Church Ministries

UCC Disabilities Ministries Award, Local Church Ministries

— The Rev. Hugh V. Nash, pastor of Zion UCC in Parry Hall, Md. Recognition of Outstanding Contributions to Church Development, Local Church Ministries

Recognition of Outstanding Contributions to Church Development, Local Church Ministries

— Indiana-Kentucky Conference

— Trinity UCC in Chicago UCC Mental Illness Network Dell Award

UCC Mental Illness Network Dell Award

— Joyce and Bob Dell, founders of the Mental Illness Network, presented with the network's first General Synod award, which is named in their honor

Excellence in Teaching Awards, Local Church Ministries

— Marge Bluhm, bible study teacher, Immanuel UCC in Highland, Ind.

— Curtis Johnson, minister of adult education, First Congregational UCC in Anoka, Minn.

— Margaret Mills, Christian education associate, Western Reserve Association, Ohio Conference

— Janet Scott, director of children and family ministries, First Congregational UCC in Eugene, Ore.

— Carol Wilson, commissioned minister of education, Church of the Beatitudes in Phoenix, Ariz.

God is Still Speaking Awards, Local Church Ministries

— The Rev. Caroline Bail, pastor of First Congregational UCC in Williamstown, Mass.

— Margaret G. Borrelli, commissioned minister of education, West Park UCC in Cleveland, and director of Gerry's House Resource Center, Western Reserve Association, Ohio Conference

God is Still Speaking Writing Contest

— Poetry: Margaret Borrelli, "Breathe"

— Short Story: Kathryn Ketchum, "About Pride and Prejudice"

— Essay: Caroline Bail, "Arigboya Lu"

Winning entries can be read online at  stillspeaking.com

The Pilgrim Press / United Church Resources Awards, Local Church Ministries

— Mayflower Award for Spirituality: Barbara J. Essex, minister and coordinator of community life at UCC-related Pacific School of Religion in Berkeley, Calif., for her book, "Bad Boys of the Bible: Exploring Men of Questionable Virtue" (Pilgrim Press, 2002)

— Mayflower Award for Church and Society: The Rev. Leanne McCall Tigert and Timothy Brown for their book, "Coming Out Young and Faithful" (United Church Press, 2001)

— Mayflower Award for Leadership in the Church: The Rev. F. Russell Mitman, Pennsylvania Southeast Conference Minister, for his book, "Worship in the Shape of Scripture" (Pilgrim Press, 2001) Global Ministries' Awards of Affirmation, Wider Church Ministries

Global Ministries' Awards of Affirmation, Wider Church Ministries

— Church World Service

— Africa: The Evangelical Congregational Church in Angola

— Southern Asia: Zakaria Ngelow, Eastern Indonesia Theological Seminary in Makassar

— The Middle East: Union of Armenian Evangelical Church in the Near East

— Europe: The United Reformed Church

— East Asia and the Pacific: The Rev. Shengjie Cao

— Latin America and the Caribbean: The Evangelical Pentecostal Union of Venezuela

HONORED LAY WOMEN AWARDS (two per conference)

Doris Allen, Northern California-Nevada
Roberta Anderson, Central Pacific
Wanda Bain, Southeast
Martha Barclay, Vermont
Helen Beatty, Penn West
Wanda Beemer, Wisconsin
Suzanne Bernhard, Northern California-Nevada
Bernice Blackdeer, CAIM
Marjorie Brown, Connecticut
Diana Burdett, Rhode Island
Audrey K. Burnett, Iowa
Andrea Cano, CHM
Barb Cherrington, Rocky Mountain
JoAnne Conard, Pacific Northwest
Ruth Katherine Daise, UBC
Martha Dayag, PAAM
Shirley DeMartinis, New York
Betty Dietert, South Central
Donna Doerr, Nebraska
Nina Eaton, Southwest
Johann Ellerbrake, Illinois South
Elaine E. Epps, Kansas-Oklahoma
Kitty Forrest, Pennsylvania Southeast
Karen Hansen, Nebraska
Barbara Hawkins, Indiana-Kentucky
June Helgenberg, Missouri Mid-South
Mary Lou Hilbert, Penn Northeast
Marian Hinkle, Pennsylvania Southeast
Sadie J. Hinton, New York
Mary Jane Huber, Wisconsin
Patricia Jackman, New York
Sandra Shipman, Penn Central
JoAnn Shockley, Pacific Northwest
Ruth Sickbert, Indiana-Kentucky
Eleanor Simons, Vermont
Florence Simonson, Missouri Mid-South
Lennora Skeeter, Southern
Carolyn Somer, Rocky Mountain
Nancy Staigmiller, Montana-Northern Wyoming
Kathy Staska, Minnesota
Jo-Ann Steiner, Illinois South
Linda S. Stenger, Missouri Mid-South
Karlyn Stephens, South Central
Joyce Strommen, Ohio
Louise Tate, Southern
Susan Towner Larsen, Ohio
Valerie Tutson, Rhode Island
Susan Waldron, Connecticut
Brenda Waleff, Penn Central
Nancy Azar Welser, Penn Northeast
Fran Wenner, Central Atlantic
Virginia Wenstrom, Michigan
Marilyn Murray Feay White, Minnesota
Melinda Williams, South Dakota
Janice Wilson, Illinois
Mary Alice Wilt, Penn West
Charlotte S. Withee, Maine
Geraldine M. Woodroffe, Pennsylvania Southeast
Dean Young, Kansas-Oklahoma
Alfhild Burnham Jacobs, Central Pacific*
Kathy Jellison, Rhode Island
Barbara Ferguson Kamara, Central Atlantic
Lynne P. Kamm, Illinois South
Eleanore King, Northern California-Nevada
Margaret Kloster, Northern Plains
Joy M. Lacanienta, Hawaii
Marcia Caton Lacker, Michigan
Lelia Ladenburger, Illinois
Helen Lujin, Rocky Mountain
Becky McGavin, Central Pacific
Josephine A. McNeil, Massachusetts
Adrienne Mohrig, Minnesota
Diane K. Moore, Indiana-Kentucky
June Moore, Kansas-Oklahoma
Anne Davidson Murphy, Vermont
Virginia D. Nixon, Southeast
Donna Overholt, Ohio
Amarilys Ramos Parrilla, Puerto Rico
Dorothy Pitman, New Hampshire
Mary Margaret Pruitt, Pacific Northwest
Joan Rich, Southern California-Nevada
Kathy Robinson Nelson, Southeast
Jean Rogers Yates, Illinois
Vera Roscoe, Florida
Jean Roshon, Massachusetts
Gail Royster, South Central
Shirley A. Sawatzke, Nebraska
Darla Schafer, Northern Plains
Cindy Shelton, Iowa
Debra Shepard, Massachusetts

* Awarded Posthumously