The Christian Citizen, ABHMS receive armful of communications awards at latest RCC annual conference

VALLEY FORGE, PA (ABNS 05/01/2025)—American  Baptist Home Mission Societies (ABHMS) and its publishing ministry The Christian Citizen were honored with a total of five DeRose-Hinkhouse Memorial Awards from the Religion Communicators Council (RCC) at its annual conference in Salt Lake City, Utah. The awards were presented April 24 during a banquet held on the first evening of the three-day gathering.

Named after the late Victor DeRose and the late Paul M. Hinkhouse, once leading New York City lithographers and longtime RCC friends who shared a strong commitment to excellence in communications, the DeRose-Hinkhouse Memorial Awards are given annually to active RCC members who demonstrate excellence in religious communications and public relations.

The RCC’s DeRose-Hinkhouse award bestowed annually on communications and public relations professionals in the faith sector for exemplary work in their field.

“We are honored to receive this recognition from RCC and our peers in the field of religion communications,” said Curtis Ramsey-Lucas, ABHMS director, Marketing and Communications, and longtime editor of The Christian Citizen. “We are encouraged to continue pursuing excellence in communications.”

The Christian Citizen earned the following accolades  for work completed in 2024:

• Category Winner in Newsletters—Series for The Christian Citizen Weekly, edited by Ramsey-Lucas.
• Category Winner and Best in Class in Websites for The Christian Citizen, edited by Ramsey-Lucas with  Rev. Dr. Anna Piela, associate editor.
• Award of Merit in Magazines—Single Work for The Christian Citizen Volume 2, 2024, a biannual printed anthology edited by  Ramsey-Lucas with Piela, associate editor.

Piela, senior writer at ABHMS in addition to being associate editor of The Christian Citizen, received an Award of Merit in Newspapers—Single Work for her opinion piece “The slow fade of denominations publishing,” which Religion News Service published digitally in August 2024.

ABHMS was honored with an Award of Merit in Annual Reports – Single Work for “Faithful Stewards,” a publication chronicling the organization’s work in 2023.

Tami Pyfer, chief external affairs officer for UNITE and co-creator of the Dignity Index, at left, with Curtis Ramsey-Lucas, ABHMS director, Marketing & Communications, and longtime editor of The Christian Citizen, attending 2025 RCC annual conference in April.

The RCC’s 2025 conference provided a rich exploration of communications strategy across faith communities. Highlights included a video greeting from Utah Governor Spencer Cox; a keynote workshop led by Tami Pyfer, chief external affairs officer for UNITE and co-creator of the Dignity Index; and presentations on storytelling, podcasting, interfaith dialogue, communications strategy, and the growing role of artificial intelligence in media. Attendees also toured the Latter-Day Saints’ Bishop’s Central Storehouse and heard from recent Olympians and film producers. Ramsey-Lucas contributed to the program by introducing Pyfer’s opening workshop session.

First published in 1996 as a print periodical lifting voices for biblical justice, The Christian Citizen is now a digital-first publication with two print editions annually. It provides a forum for diverse voices on justice, mercy, and faith.

For more information about The Christian Citizen and to sign up for The Christian Citizen Weekly newsletter, visit christiancitizen.us.

Founded in 1929, the RCC is an association of communications professionals who work with and for a diverse group of faith-based organizations in the areas of communications, public relations, advertising, and development.

A complete list of the 2025 DeRose-Hinkhouse Memorial Awards winners is available online at https://religioncommunicators.org/derose-hinkhouse-awards/.

To learn more about all of ABHMS’ publishing ministries, visit abhms.org.

American Baptist Home Mission Societies partners with American Baptists to promote Christian faith, cultivate Christ-centered leaders and disciples, and bring healing and transformation to communities across the United States and Puerto Rico.

American Baptist Churches USA is one of the most diverse Christian denominations today, with approximately 5,000 congregations comprised of 1.3 million members across the United States and Puerto Rico, all engaged in God’s mission around the world.