Connecting Christian media professionals across North America
The Associated Church Press is a professional organization brought together by a common commitment to excellence in journalism as a means to describe, reflect, and support the life of faith and the Christian community. Among its purposes are:
- to provide mutual support and encouragement, fostered by personal and professional relationships;
- to promote higher standards of communication through professional growth opportunities and recognition of excellence;
- to join in interfaith and public discourse with those who seek to build a more just society for all God’s people.
The Associated Church Press traces its origin to a Saint Louis, Mo., meeting in 1916. Editors covering the quadrennial meeting of the Federal Council of Churches (now the National Council of Churches of Christ in the U.S.A.) decided that they should meet on a continuing basis.
Wartime constraints in 1917 and 1918 prevented meetings those two years. The second meeting was convened in Cleveland, Ohio, in June 1919. E. C. Wareing, Western Christian Advocate, was elected president of the then-named Editorial Council of the Religious Press. Jaspar T. Moses, National Bulletin, and F. M. Barton, The Expositor, were chosen secretary and treasurer, respectively.
In 1937, the name of the organization was changed to the Associated Church Press, and the constitution was revised. In 1947, a new constitution was adopted based on the recommendations of a special study committee headed by William B. Lipphard, Missions Magazine. Under the provisions of that constitution, membership in the Associated Church Press was extended to publications rather than to individual editors. However, provision for individual associate membership was made.
The constitution has been revised periodically; the current edition appears on this website as bylaws. The “Statement of Ethics and Standards of Professional Practice,” which is included in the bylaws, was adopted by the Boston convention in April 1983. The Associated Church Press cooperates in educational and postal matters with religious press associations in the United States and Canada. It is also a corporate member of the World Association of Christian Communication, London, England.
Past Executive Directors
| 1951 – 1961 | Dr. William B. Lipphard |
| 1961 – 1974 | Dr. Alfred P. Klausler |
| 1974 – 1977 | The Rev. Dennis E. Shoemaker |
| 1977 – 1990 | The Rev. Donald F. Hetzler |
| 1990 – 1998 | The Rev. Dr. John Stapert |
| 1998 – 2001 | Joe Roos |
| 2001 – 2006 | Mary Lynn Hendrickson |
| 2006 – 2017 | Joe Thoma |
| 2017 – 2024 | The Rev. Gregg Brekke |
| 2024 – | Rebecca Snyder |
| 1. | No official records records of elections were kept of the meetings from 1916-1918. |
| 2. | David D. Baker died shortly after the 1950 convention and Harold E. Fey succeeded him. |
| 3. | Roger R. Kahle died in his second year of office and Mary Lynn Hendrickson replaced him. |