Presbyterian journalists won 11 awards from the Associated Church Press ― the oldest and largest Christian journalists organization in North America ― at the association’s annual awards banquet here April 25. The awards were presented for work published in 2013.

Two Presbyterian entities ― Presbyterian News Service (PNS) and The Presbyterian Outlook ― received prestigious “Best in Class” awards, ACP’s highest honor. It was the 10th straight year and 15th out of the last 16 years that Presbyterian News Service has been so honored.

PNS led the Presbyterian way at ACP with four awards. Unbound: An Interactive Journal of Social Justice, published by the Advisory Committee on Social Witness Policy, and Horizons/Presbyterian Women each won three awards and Presbyterians Today and The Presbyterian Outlook one each.

Overall, nearly 1,500 entries in more than 80 categories were judged by a panel of journalism experts.

The awards:

Presbyterian News Service:

  • Award of Merit, Best in Class ― News Services
  • Award of Merit, Personal Experience-long format to Linda Valentine, writer and Jerry Van Marter, editor, for “Not a SNAP: Linda Valentine chronicles here week’s Food Stamp Challenge”
  • Honorable Mention, feature article to Jerry Van Marter for “Living water: Water purification system fuel’s Cuban congregation’s outreach.”
  • Honorable Mention, Personal Experience-short format to a writer whose name was withheld for security reasons and Jerry Van Marter, editor, for “A revolutionary response in a revolutionary time: A U.S. Presbyterian in Cairo shares a perspective on recent developments in Egypt.”

Unbound: An Interactive Journal of Social Justice:

  • Award of Excellence, Personal Experience-long format to the Rev. Maurice “Bojangles” Blanchard, author, and Patrick Heery editor, for “My feet are tired but my soul is rested.”
  • Award of Merit, Theme Issue to Chris Iosso, interviewer/writer, and Ginna Bairby, editor, for “Mandela, dignity and divestment for South Africa: an interview with Douglas J. Tilton.”
  • Honorable Mention, Theme Issue to Tricia Lloyd-Sidle, editor, and Rob Moore, designer, for “Trayvon’s verdict on us.”

Horizons/Presbyterian Women:

  • Award of Excellence, Professional Resource for “Practicing radical hospitality” ― Teresa Chavez Sauceda, writer; Unzu Lee, editor; Yvonne Hileman, assistant editor; and Laura Lee, designer.
  • Honorable Mention, Personal Experience to Anitra Kitts, writer, and Sharon Dunne Gillies, editor, for “What goes missing?”
  • Honorable Mention, Newsletter, for Quarterly News of Presbyterian Women; Yvonne Hileman, editor.

Presbyterians Today won an Award of Merit in the Theme Issue-Magazine category for “War beyond the battlefield ― Patrick Heery, editor; Jeffrey Lawrence, publisher; Mark Thomson, designer; Derek Keefe, copyeditor; and Kathleen Cannon, production manager.

The Presbyterian Outlook’s only award was its Best in Class nod, an Award of Merit.