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TAC Communications Honored for Ministry Excellence

“Worth the Wait” is the title of this photo taken in Cote d’Ivoire. It was named best photo taken by an Annual Conference by the United Methodist Association of Communicators.

Texas Annual Conference Communications won four awards at the United Methodist Association of Communicators meeting, held in Nashville, October 21-24. Team coverage of the November 2008 net distribution in Cote d’Ivoire won best blog among all annual conferences.

Half dozen writers contributed content throughout the trip, to collaboratively cover the event.

“I was extremely proud of this work because it told the story of our partnership from multiple perspectives,” said Eleanor Colvin, TAC Director of Communications. “Because pastors and lay people shared their voices and testimonies, we were able to tell a more compelling and more comprehensive story than if it were only one person writing.”

Also, taking top honors among annual conferences was a photo entitled “Worth the Wait.” Colvin snapped this photo of a mother waiting in line on the first day of net distribution in the Ivorian village of Alepe.

The wait for a long-lasting insecticide treated mosquito net could range from two to six hours. And occasionally, people were asked to return the next day. But day after day, in six locations across southern Cote d’Ivoire, mothers, fathers, uncles, aunts and older siblings patiently stood in line to secure the health of Ivorian children and protect them against malaria.

“The woman in the photograph embodied the desperation and dedication of the people of Cote d’Ivoire,” Colvin said. “They desperately need a way to protect their children from a preventable disease, and they’re dedicated enough to walk for miles or wait for hours to do so. She captured that.”

Ike Video Hits Hard

It was the third-costliest storm in United States history. Hurricane Ike stormed through Texas in September 2008, and one year and one month later, Hurricane Ike – the Aftermath stormed the entire UMAC video division. The compilation of testimonials and footage of what Ike left behind won first place in its class among annual conferences.

Additionally, the video claimed Best in Division. This means it not only excelled among peer annual conferences, but was deemed superior to video resources produced by denominational agencies as well.

Two20 Media, led by TAC Communications Committee member John Hines, filmed, edited and packaged the Hurricane Ike video. Although the conference had identified some churches and areas to spotlight, some of Two20 Media’s video subjects were a “God send.”

“When we first got to Orange, we couldn’t communicate with anyone – cell phones were down and street signs down,” Hines said. “So, we just started talking to people and the stories were just amazing. Some of the video we used of people wasn’t anything pre-arranged. We saw people and realized they had a need.

“It was eye-opening to see the need and to see everyone – no matter what denomination – working together. That gave us hope.” Another thing Hines said impacted him and the film crew was people’s willingness to step up.

“People just gave and gave and gave – and it wasn’t all just about money,” Hines said. “It was about Jesus with skin on, and really caring about each other. And, there were a lot of smaller churches (serving). They sometimes don’t have the resources – but they stepped up to the plate.”

Accessible at www.txcumc.org/ikevideo, the video was created to educate people on Hurricane Ike’s impact on the Texas Annual Conference, and the need for recovery help.

“It was so bad, like a bomb had been dropped – it made you want to fall to your knees.”  

“Everything I own is totally gone.”

These were among the quotes of residents featured in Hurricane Ike – the Aftermath.

This resource made it possible for people throughout the connection and beyond to view these stories and respond to the call to serve and restore Ike-damaged communities.  

Comments

1. Jill Krone wrote on 11/2/2009 3:53:14 PM

Congratulations all! Your ministry is our blessing...