The Religion Communicators Council (RCC) will honor actor, author, and producer Rainn Wilson as the inaugural recipient of the Struchen Award during its 2026 annual convention in Cincinnati, Ohio, April 16–18.
The Struchen Award recognizes an individual, organization, or project that elevates religious communication and spiritual consciousness beyond traditional boundaries of faith. Wilson, best known for his Emmy-nominated role as Dwight Schrute on the hit television series “The Office,” has become an influential public voice for spiritual exploration, interfaith understanding, and moral imagination through his books, public speaking, and digital media projects.
Beyond his work in film and television, Wilson—who is a member of the Baha’i Faith—has written and spoken extensively about the role of spirituality in addressing social fragmentation, advocating for a vision of society grounded in justice, equity, love, and reducing unnecessary suffering. His recent work, including his book “Soul Boom: Why We Need a Spiritual Revolution,” invites audiences from many backgrounds to consider how faith, ethics, and community can contribute to healing a polarized world.
“Rainn Wilson’s creative and spiritual work exemplifies what the Struchen Award is all about: communicating across lines of belief in ways that invite deeper reflection, compassion, and hope,” said Ryan Koch, chair of the RCC Board of Governors and director of the New York Office of Public and International Affairs for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Koch continues, “His commitment to thoughtful dialogue about faith and meaning has reached millions of people who may never walk into a house of worship but are still searching for spiritual meaning.”
“I feel that my role as an actor and artist is synonymous with my role as a spiritual being searching for truth, beauty and meaning in life,” explains Wilson. “The reason that I speak about faith with such passion and forthrightness is it’s an integral part of my life and I would not have integrity and integration if I didn’t speak about it.”
Noting that his faith path was incredibly important to helping him as a young person deal with struggles such as anxiety and depression, Wilson adds, “I felt it is kind of a mission to engage in these deep, heady but heart-based conversations, not just for me but also for young people.”
In addition to his books and the Soul Boom podcast, Wilson is co-founder of Lide Haiti, an arts and education non-profit in rural Haiti. He is the co-founder of Climate Basecamp and has worked to increase communication around the dangers of climate change to young audiences by speaking “science to culture”.
The Struchen Award, named in honor of former RCC executive director Shirley Whipple Struchen, celebrates communicators whose work embodies her legacy of excellence, inclusivity, and collaboration in religion communication.
The inaugural Struchen Award will be celebrated at a special ceremony during the RCC’s 2026 annual convention, “Coming Together, Charting Our Course,” to be held April 16–18 in Cincinnati.
