LOUISVILLE, Ky. (BP)–An editorial by Southern Baptist Theological Seminary President R. Albert Mohler Jr. received the highest award given by two Kentucky public relations professional organizations in an Oct. 16 awards ceremony.
The seminary also won awards in two other categories of the 1997 Landmarks of Excellence competition co-sponsored by the Bluegrass Chapter of the Public Relations Society of America and the International Association of Business Communicators of Kentucky. The ceremony was held at the Kentucky Derby Museum in Louisville.
Mohler won the Award of Excellence in the editorial writing category for his commentary, “The Party’s Over.” The essay was released on May 30 as a part of the president’s regular commentary series, “Fidelitas: Commentary on Theology and Culture.”
“The Party’s Over” addressed immoral behavior of public officials in San Francisco during a birthday party held for a prominent political operative of the city. Mohler wrote, “A culture is known by its celebrations. … We tolerate what others celebrate, and eventually celebrate what we tolerate.”
“The Party’s Over” has been published in various newspapers and other media outlets, including the November 1997 issue of SBC LIFE, a monthly periodical of the Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee.
The seminary’s weekly campus publication, Towers, won the Award of Merit in the newsletter (one or two colors) category of the competition. As an Award of Excellence was not given in the category, Towers received the highest honor for the category. Heather Oldfield, a second-year master of divinity student and former managing editor of Towers, and publications assistant John Rogers were named in the award.
Receiving the only award given in the news story writing division, James A. Smith Sr. won an honorable mention. Smith, Southern’s director of news and information, was honored for his story, “Southern student, Carolina church connect in helping flood victims.” The article was carried by Baptist Press on March 26 and reported efforts in providing relief to victims of the flood which devastated parts of Louisville and other locales in the Ohio River Valley earlier this year.
The Landmarks of Excellence awards were given in 39 categories involving all facets of public relations and communications work, including publications, writing, photography, graphic design and audiovisual.
