Debbie Michel
May 8, 2025Winners in 90 categories — representing 71 organizations and 760 entries — highlighted the best of faith-based journalism produced in 2024.
Every year, the ACP recognizes excellence in religious communication, including newspapers, magazines, newsletters, and websites from multiple denominations across North America. The theme for the year’s convention was “Connect, Collaborate, Celebrate” and the organization awarded communicators for excellence in categories ranging from local reporting to denominational meeting coverage to website design.
The Herald, along with several other Adventist publications, including Ministry magazine, the Journal of Adventist Education, the North American Division’s NewsPoints newsletter, Southern Union’s Tidings magazine and Spectrum: Journal of the Association of Adventist Forums earned multiple awards.
The Herald took home awards in the following categories. (The award of excellence represents first place, award of merit signifies second place and honorable mention equates to third place.)
Award of Excellence for Marketing and Social Media/ Event Promotion/ Marketing Campaign/ Brand Awareness
Center for Adventist Research - Katharine Van Arsdale, Lake Union history
Award of Excellence, Visual Communication, Video Series
Debbie Michel, “Inside the Herald”
Award of Excellence, Visual Communication, Magazine/ Journal for Design, Spread or Story
Karen Findley, Education issue
Award of Merit, Best in Class, Video Production
Felicia Tonga, Stanton Witherspoon, Ruben Casabona, Herald video highlight reel
Award of Merit, Reporting and Writing, Best Emerging Journalist,
Honorable Mention: Best in Class: Denominational or Other, Special Interest Magazine
Debbie Michel, Lake Union Conference
Honorable Mention, Visual Communication, Social Media Short, Camporee
Stanton Witherspoon
Editor Debbie Michel said, “We don’t do what we do to win awards, but it’s always nice to be recognized. The ACP honor inspires us to remain focused on producing quality journalism, and by the grace of God we plan to keep on doing just that."
The Lake Union serves 90,000 members in five conferences—Indiana, Illinois, Lake Region, Michigan and Wisconsin—as well as the entities of Andrews University and UChicago Medicine AdventHealth. The Herald began in 1908 and today is a full-color magazine, reaching 30,000 homes. A companion website, lakeunionhearld.org, plus social media channels continues the rich legacy of “Telling the Stories of What God is Doing in the Lives of His People.”
The Associated Church Press, which began as the Editorial Council of the Religious Press in 1916, is a North American professional organization brought together by a common commitment to excellence in journalism as a means to describe, reflect and support the life of faith and the Christian community.
Debbie Michel is Lake Union Herald editor.
