History

Episcopal Communicators is the descendant of an informal assembly of diocesan editors who met in New York in May 1971 at the invitation of the Episcopal Church Center's management team. They discussed what then appeared to be a credibility gap between the Church's leadership and its membership, a gap diocesan editors were feeling acutely.

Feeling that their concerns had been heard, their suggestions accepted, and that a new possibility for mutual cooperation in their ministry of communication had been opened up, the 11 editors decided it was important for them to remain in contact as a network, which they named the "Net-11."

The following year, they invited fellow Episcopal communication people to join them for a conference in Chicago. When 35 people came, the group decided it needed to become more serious and to undertake discussion as well as conduct a survey of the state of communication in the various dioceses.

By 1974, the group had grown sufficiently that it was necessary to adopt a name more reflective of the membership, and Episcopal Communicators was born. The organization today includes more than 300 people with communication responsibilities in the Episcopal Church at congregational, diocesan, regional, and national levels in both print and electronic media.

Episcopal Communicators is the link through which grassroots communicators and national staff work together to carry out the ministry of communication. The organization's annual meetings offer members opportunities to upgrade and enhance skills, to draw inspiration from outstanding speakers and theologians, and to support each other in fellowship.

Along the way, Episcopal Communicators has adopted statements that have become guidelines for its members and for the Church.

Founders
Richard Anderson - Diocese of Western New York  
Isabel Baumgartner - Diocese of Tennessee (total state, pre-division)
Polly Bond - Diocese of Ohio               
Salome Breck - Diocese of Colorado
The Rev. Benjamin Campbell - Diocese of Virginia
Larry Davidson - Diocese of Oregon
Stanley Gresley - Diocese of Florida       
John Lockerby - Diocese of Olympia
Robert Reagan - Diocese of Los Angeles        
The Rev. Herbert Scott - Diocese of Louisiana (total state, pre-division)     
The Rev. Erwin M. Soukup - Diocese of Chicago

Those who assisted at the first Net-11 meeting in 1971
Margaret (Magee) Andersen
Sonia Francis
Henry McCorkle

Honorary Members
Burtis Dougherty
James R. McDowell

Nancy Davidge

Melodie Woerman

AWARD ARCHIVES

Janette Pierce Award, established April 1988

https://episcopalarchives.org/cgi-bin/ENS/ENSpress_release.pl?pr_number=88012

https://www.episcopalchurch.org/glossary/janette-pierce-award-the/

• Melodie Woerman, 2023
• Carol Barnwell, 2019
• Ann Ball, 2007
• Jerry Hames Episcopal Life Editor Hames, who retires June 3, 2007
• Barbara Braver, 2005
• Sarah Moore, April 2003
• Revd Harry Crandall, April 1998
• Dan Crossland, 1997
• Canon Ruth Nicastro, 1993 retirement
• William Ferguson and his late wife, Helen, editors of the New Hampshire Episcopal News,1992
• The Rev. Charles Long, Forward Movement Publications in Cincinnati, 1990
• Salome Breck, 1989

Polly Bond Awards

In 1978 the organization decided to recognize excellence in church communications through an annual award, named for Polly Bond of the Diocese of Ohio, one of the organization’s founders who died of cancer that year. The first award, given to a single person for work in church communications, went to Ruth Nicastro of the Diocese of Los Angeles, later a president of the organization. Soon categories were introduced, allowing people to enter work done in a variety of media and formats.

Conference Locations

1971 — New York (Net-11)
1973 — Denver, CO
1974 — Washington, D.C.
1975 — Memphis, TN
1977 — Cleveland, OH
1978 — Philadelphia, PA
1979 — Denver, CO (at General Convention)
1980 — Nashville, TN (with Religion Communicators Congress)
1981 — Los Angeles, CA
1982 — New Orleans, LA (at General Convention)
1983 — Victoria, B.C.
1984 — Kanuga, Hendersonville, NC
1985 — Anaheim, CA (at General Convention)
1986 — Camp Allen, Navasota, TX
1987 — Montreal, B.C.
1988 — Sacramento, CA
1989 — Williamsburg, VA
1990 — Nashville, TN
1991 — New York, NY
1992 — CDSP, Berkeley, CA
1993 — New Orleans, LA
1994 — Kanuga, Hendersonville, NC
1995 — Boston, MA
1996 — Seattle, WA
1997 — Durango, CO
1998 — Atlanta, GA
1999 — Sewanee, TN
2000 — Chicago, IL (with Religion Communicators Congress)
2001 — Camp Allen, Navasota, TX
2002 — Washington, D.C.
2003 — Los Angeles, CA
2004 — Kanuga, Hendersonville, NC
2005 — Salt Lake City, UT
2006 — Sarasota, FL
2007 — Virginia Beach, VA
2008 — Seattle, WA
2009 — Camp Allen, Navasota, TX
2010 — Salem, MA
2011 — Memphis, TN
2012 — Kanuga, Hendersonville, NC
2013 — San Diego, CA
2014 — Chicago, IL
2015 — Claggett Center, Adamstown, MD
2016 — Portland, OR
2017 — Cincinnati, OH
2018 — Kanuga, Hendersonville, NC
2019 — Denver, CO
2020 — Savannah, GA (adjusted to online due to COVID-19)
2021 — Online Event
2022 — Savannah, GA
2023 — Camp Allen, Navasota, TX
2024 — Portland, ME
2025 — Oklahoma City, OK

Leadership

Until 2022, Episcopal Communicators was led by a President whose three-year term began at the annual conference in the year shown and concluded at the end of the conference three years later.

In 2022, the organization adopted a Chair and Vice Chair model, reflecting a more collaborative approach to leadership and governance.