October 1, 2026
MOBILE, Ala. — The Christian Index received three first-place awards in the Baptist Communicators Association’s Wilmer C. Fields Awards competition, which recognizes outstanding work by members of the organization.
The awards were presented on Tuesday, April 14, during the association’s annual workshop in Mobile.
“I’m grateful and humbled,” said Index Editor Henry Durand. “It is a blessing and a privilege to serve Georgia Baptists by telling stories that point to the Lord’s work in churches and communities.”
Durand received first place in the feature photo category for an image showing Curt Mize, pastor of disciple-making at Fortified Hills Baptist Church, baptizing a young believer as her mother looks on.
Durand also earned first place in news writing, single article over 1500 words, for a story on recovery efforts one year after Hurricane Helene struck Georgia.
A third first-place honor came in event coverage, single photo, for an image of a man praying during a Georgia Baptist Mission Board evangelism conference.
In addition, a photo series from an event marking the 100th anniversary of the Cooperative Program received second place in the event coverage, series, category.
Durand also placed third in the feature photo category for an image of Pastor Robert Jones of Higher Level Worship in Stone Mountain and his wife, Laketia, enjoying an arcade game during the Georgia Baptist Mission Board's ReCharge retreat.
“While my name is on the stories and photos, none of this happens in a vacuum,” Durand said. “I’m blessed to serve alongside brothers and sisters who help make this work possible and who care deeply about telling the story of God’s work through His people.”
The Baptist Communicators Association, which began meeting in 1954, is a professional organization for people serving in communications and marketing roles within Baptist ministries and institutions. The annual competition is named in honor of Wilmer C. Fields, a longtime BCA member and former vice president of public relations for the Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee.
The Christian Index, the oldest continuously published religious newspaper in the nation, continues to serve Georgia Baptists through statewide news and feature coverage.
Share with others
