Associated Church Press's 2012 awards include eight for the Century

I'm back from the annual gathering of the Associated Church Press. The week included the ACP's annual awards banquet, at which the Century was honored in eight categories. In three, we received the Award of Excellence, the top honor:

Professional resource. Amy Frykholm, for "Fit for Ministry." The judge praised the article's topic for its relevance "to clergy who may deem their work more important than their health."

Theological or scholarly article. Jonathan Tran, for "The New Black Theology." From the judge: "An excellent review of the rootedness of the new black theology in the thought of the early church."

Poem. Brian Doyle, for "Mrs. Job." The judge "absolutely found [him/her]self enthralled and delighted by this both funny and insightful piece."

One article received an Award of Merit, aka second place. The category is "Devotional/Inspirational (Long Format)"; the article is Richard Lischer's "Stripped Bare," judged to be "a stirring invitation to abandon the spiritual surface for the deeper waters of the holy."

In four categories, the Century received an honorable mention:

Theme issue, section or series. The blog series "The Gospel in Seven Words," a "great use of two-way communication with readers."

Magazine cover. Art director Dan Richardson for the June 27, 2012 issue. The judge "love[d] the bold usage of white on white."

Critical review. Paul Dafydd Jones, "A Hopeful Universalism." From the judge: "Filled with insightful commentary and theological depth but still an enjoyable read."

Blog. My own In the World. "All in all, a solid entry." That's going to be my new subtitle.

Thanks, as always, for reading the Century.