Welcome to our monthly round-up of news about RCC members and friends! In addition to mentions in our monthly Update e-newsletter, we will feature news in greater detail about our members and friends on RCC’s website.

This post includes condolences, congratulations, and news of notable leadership by RCC members and friends.

Condolences

Past Board of Governors member Patrick Horn of the Vedanta Society shared the passing of Swami Atmatattwananda, 91, on September 13. Known as Shiva, the Swami was a Sunday School student of Marvin Wilbur and later worked actively on interfaith efforts — particularly with the Southern California Committee for a Parliament of the World’s Religions.

Congratulations

Amy Hurd, APR (Nashville Chapter) was honored by the Public Relations Society of America’s Nashville Chapter with the Hercules Award in late August. The Hercules Award, named for the hero from Greek mythology renowned for knowledge and strength, honors an individual with at least 10 years of experience who uses their professional talents for the benefit of the public relations profession. Hurd said, “In a world where everyone now has access to the microphone, we as trained communications professionals have a responsibility to elevate the conversation.”

Jennifer Rash Davis (Member-At-Large) was honored earlier this year for 25 years of service with The Alabama Baptist (TAB) newspaper. Her achievement was paid tribute by the TAB Media Board of Directors through the establishment of a scholarship in her name available to students in the Beeson Divinity School at Samford University. Davis noted the recent start of school at Samford was also 25th anniversary of when she began her own studies at Beeson aided by scholarships that were available to her.

Steve Horswill-Johnston (Nashville Chapter) has been named Vice-President of Communications and Advancement at Claremont School of Theology (CST) in Claremont, CA. He will begin his new duties on Nov. 1. An Emmy award-winning communications executive in the United Methodist Church (UMC), Horswill-Johnston currently serves as Chief Communications Officer for Discipleship Ministries, an international agency of the UMC. He is a graduate of CST and was named Distinguished Alumni in 2019.

Notable leadership

Philip Lee (Member-At-Large) offered a greeting on the final day in mid-September for “Communication for Social Justice in a Digital Age”, an international symposium to help strengthen excluded voices and uphold principles of social justice and common good through communication rights. Lee is the General Secretary of World Association of Christian Communicators (WACC). He noted there are “signs of hope” to better“ guarantee public voices and the genuine participation of everyone” in digital communications and platforms.

Mohamed Elsanousi (a sustaining Member-At-Large) attended the G20 Interfaith Forum (IF20) in Bologna, Italy in mid-September. The IF20 offers an annual platform where a network of religiously linked institutions and initiatives engage on global agendas (primarily and including the Sustainable Development Goals or SDGs) with the goal to contribute meaningful insight and recommendations that respond to and help shape the G20 and thus global policy agendas. Elsanousi is Director of The Network for Religious and Traditional Peacemakers Washington DC Office.

Former RCC member Rev. Shannon White was the featured guest on the September 3 “Truth to Power” episode of the Dismantle Racism podcast with Rev. Dr. TLC (Terry Lynn Curry), during which she discussed the pressures of having a pulpit as a platform and how religious leaders should confront the conversation about racism.