The magazine was awarded third place for Best in Class Denominational Magazine. Judge Ken Waters, professor of journalism at Pepperdine University, said of the Companion: “A good selection of articles that are practical, inspirational, and educational. They are also thought-provoking and well-written.”
U.S. Catholic took first place and DisciplesWorld took second. The Companion tied with Alliance Life for third.
In all, the Companion earned six awards for articles published in 2008. “The judging reflected what we routinely hear from our readers, who say they look forward each month to the articles and artwork that are consistently relevant,” said Don Meyer, executive minister of the Department of Communication.
He noted that the Companion has won more than 30 awards over the last five years even though the staff is far smaller than at most publications.
Following is a list of additional awards:
Magazine Cover —David Westerfield and Steven Vélez Luce received an Award of Merit (second place) for the April issue, “What Are We Doing to Creation?”
Seasonal Article—D. Brent Laytham won an Award of Merit for “The Strong Bracing Season of Advent” in the November issue.
Editorial or Opinion Piece—John E. Phelan Jr. earned Honorable Mention (third place) for “Watch Your Mouth,” a Markings column that appeared in the February issue.
Feature Article: Magazine (Long Format)—Bob Smietana received an Honorable Mention for “Doing God’s Work with a Grateful Heart” which appeared in the February issue. The article highlights the work of Elliott Johnson, director of finance for the Evangelical Covenant Church, and Jim Sundholm, director of Covenant World Relief, in an Indian village that was devastated by the 2004 tsunami.
Column—John E. Phelan Jr. won an Honorable Mention for Markings.
At the ACP’s annual business session, Companion managing editor Jane K. Swanson-Nystrom was given an award of appreciation for serving two terms as a member of the board of directors and as chair of the ACP awards committee.
