[1]NASHVILLE (BP) – Baptist Press took home a dozen honors this spring in annual awards competitions among professional societies of evangelical and Baptist communicators.
The BP staff of Brandon Porter, Laura Erlanson, Diana Chandler and Scott Barkley received awards of excellence from the Evangelical Press Association (EPA) for best digital denominational news service and best online news service. The Baptist Communicators Association (BCA) awarded BP second place in its competition for best website with 25 pages or more.
BP writers and photographers received several awards in the individual competitions of both organizations, as did a graphic designer for the SBC Executive Committee, which publishes BP.
“I’m grateful to be on this talented and dedicated team with Laura Erlanson, Diana Chandler and Scott Barkley,” BP editor Brandon Porter said. “They are Southern Baptists who love the Lord and His church, and they care about the mission He has given us. Each of our team members strives to find the right mix of journalistic integrity and drive with their Southern Baptist convictions and it shows in their work.”
Multiple Baptist state papers, Baptist state conventions and SBC entities received awards from EPA and BCA as well.
“We’re thankful for our Baptist convention state paper partners who not only utilize our content on a daily basis but also contribute to tell the full story of how God is at work across the SBC,” Porter said. “We count it a joy to serve the Lord as we look to inform Southern Baptists and the world around us by delivering news stories and features that showcase how the Lord is working through His people.”
BP, the SBC’s news service, turned 80 this year, evolving [2] over its lifetime from a weekly set of news releases mailed to editors of state Baptist newspapers to a worldwide digital organization covering news and culture from an evangelical perspective. In 2025, BP produced more than 1,200 articles and 125 podcast episodes, according to the 2026 Executive Committee CP Ministry Report [3].
EC President Jeff Iorg congratulated BP on its 2026 recognitions.
“Our Baptist Press team continues to inform and inspire Southern Baptists with stories of God’s work through us,” Iorg said. “The depth of their personal devotion to Jesus, commitment to our shared mission and passion for their profession come through daily in their work. We are grateful for these significant recognitions by their peers and for the honorable way they serve.”
Among EPA individual honors received by BP contributors:
- Roy Burroughs won second place in the EPA’s single photo (controlled) category for his photograph [4] of the Dallas skyline during the 2025 SBC Annual meeting.
- Tim Ellsworth won third place in the EPA’s cause of the year category for his article [5] commemorating the 100th anniversary of the Scopes Monkey Trial.
- Burroughs won fifth place in the EPA’s single photo (candid) category for his photograph [6] of the 2025 SBC Annual Meeting.
Among BCA individual honors received by BP contributors:
- Sonya Singh and Jim Veneman won second place in the photo feature series or package category for their coverage of the 2025 SBC Annual Meeting.
- Barkley won second place in the single article less than 750 words category for his article [7] on phone-free zones at church youth ministries.
- Barkley won second place in the single article 750-1500 words category for his article [8] on NASA astronaut and Southern Baptist elder Barry Wilmore.
- Andy Beachum, EC creative director, won first place in the print collateral (poster or flyer) category for the 2025 SBC Annual Meeting poster.
- Beachum won third place in the print collateral (booklet) category for the 2025 SBC Messenger Guide.
- Beachum won third place in the print publications (magazine spread) category for the 2025 SBC Messenger Guide CP 100 feature.
“I’m both humbled and honored by this recognition from our peers,” BP managing editor Laura Erlanson said. “I’m so thankful for my colleagues at Baptist Press, Brandon Porter, Diana Chander and Scott Barkley. They are all gifted and experienced professionals who love the Lord and love Southern Baptists.
“These certificates are not big enough to contain the names that made them possible. Baptist Press could not accomplish our daily publication without our partners in state conventions and SBC entities. And that’s not to mention several veteran freelancers that find and report important stories around the Convention. As I tell many of these folks regularly — they save my life every day,” she said.
“Southern Baptists are blessed with many impressive communicators, and Baptist Press is blessed to work with all of them. These awards are a testament to their great work.”
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