The Evangelical Press Association awarded the Christian Leader magazine two awards in its 2026 contest—an Award of Merit in the Awards of Excellence contest and one award in the Higher Goals contest.
Awards of Excellence recognizes publications as a whole. The Christian Leader received an Award of Merit in the denominational print category.
The judge wrote, “Nice selection of content in your magazine with great resources for the Mennonite Brethren audience.”
The Higher Goals competition honors individual aspects of a publication, such as writing, photography, design and special features.
Cheryl Dueck Smith earned fourth place in the Higher Goals: Devotional category for her article, “All the lonely people.” Written for the Nov/Dec 2025 issue, Smith highlights the loneliness epidemic occurring across generations. She describes how loneliness shows up in different age groups and what the church can do about it.
The judge wrote, “The research and information found here is both timely and helpful.”
In hearing the news of the award, Dueck Smith shares it is both unexpected and appreciated.
“This award is an unexpected honor,” Dueck Smith says. “I am indebted to Lacey and Janae for their editorial support and guidance. Writing for the Christian Leader has been such a gift to me, and I am grateful to have been given the opportunity to encourage my Mennonite Brethren family.”
Credit to Faber, Shafer
Lacey Scully, editor of the Christian Leader, gives credit to Connie Faber, the previous editor of the publication, and Janae Shafer, associate editor.
“This publication has a long history of sharing the stories and highlighting the beliefs of the Mennonite Brethren community,” Scully says. “Connie and Janae did so much work in 2025 as I joined the team to keep the magazine going strong. The awards testify to their teamwork and skill. They’ve earned this honor and recognition.”
The Evangelical Press Association awarded the honors during its media convention May 12-13 in Franklin, Tennessee.
This article has been posted by Christian Leader staff. The Christian Leader is the magazine of U.S. Mennonite Brethren.
