Last week, the Michigan Conference’s communications team was honored with 9 awards for excellence at the United Methodist Association of Communicators’ annual meeting.
The United Methodist Association of Communicators (UMAC) recognized hundreds of United Methodist communicators at its annual meeting, held this year at Resurrection United Methodist Church in Leawood, Kansas.
A highlight of the gathering was the awards celebration, held on October 28, 2025, where communicators were recognized for excellence across nine classes of communications, honoring the outstanding work of storytellers, writers, designers, and digital media specialists who help share the mission and ministry of The United Methodist Church.
UMAC also honored Rev. R. Bruce Weiman of the Illinois Great Rivers Conference as its 2025 Hall of Fame inductee, and Rev. Joe Iovino of United Methodist Communications as its Communicator of the Year.
The Michigan Conference was presented with nine awards in Division 2 (for Annual Conferences). Review the complete list of award recipients on UMAC’s website.
Class 3: Writing — News Article Category (1st Place)
Answering a community’s prayer, Rev. Susan Hitts
Class 3: Writing — News Article Category (3rd Place)
United Methodists spread their healing wings, James Deaton
Class 3: Writing — Article Series Category (1st Place)
A tribute to Vincent, mi amigo, Cheryl Bistayi
I’ll be home for Christmas, Cheryl Bistayi
Class 3: Writing — Article Series Category (3rd Place)
Earth Day of Action Series
An ode to Sequoiacal, Rev. Chris Lane
Greening of Greensky, Pastor Sarah Sheaffer
Redefining productivity, Rev. Scott Marsh
Leave it for our offspring, Temba Nkomozepi
The imperative of clean water, Jefferson Knight
Honoring God’s handiwork, Gordon Grigg
An irreplaceable tree, Rev. Sari Brown
Class 3: Writing — Non-Fiction Category (1st Place)
Drawing from ancient wells, James Deaton
Class 3: Writing — Non-Fiction Category (2nd Place)
Creating artful memoirs, Faith Green Timmons
Class 8: Visual Design — Motion Graphics (3rd Place)
Advocacy Day Lunch and Learn 2024, Mark Doyal
Class 8: Visual Design — Website (2nd Place)
Michigan Conference Website Refresh, Mark Doyal, Kristen Gillette, Michael Mayo-Moyle, GUD Marketing
Class 9: Publicity and Advertising — Campaign/Strategic Planning (3rd Place)
Fearless! The 2024 Annual Conference, Mark Doyal, Kristen Gillette, James Deaton
“We are deeply honored to be recognized by our colleagues,” said Mark Doyal, Michigan Conference Director of Communications. “It’s a privilege to serve alongside this extraordinary team of writers, designers, programmers, photographers, videographers, and editors who bring to life the powerful stories of mission and ministry across Michigan. We’re also profoundly grateful to our members, whose generosity through local church Ministry Shares makes this work and telling these stories possible.”
Last Updated on November 6, 2025