EES Morgan Directors’ Award for Innovative Evangelism 2018: The Rev. Dcn. Janice Hicks

The Board of Directors of the Episcopal Evangelism Society (EES) is pleased to announce that the recipient of the Morgan Directors’ Award for 2018 is the Rev. Dcn. Janice Hicks. Recipients of this award are selected for the scope, quality and particularly for the evangelical impact of their EES grant-supported evangelism projects.

Hicks’ work integrates spirituality, theology and science in a way that challenges users to reflect deeply on what makes us human, in the context of our relationship with God, and to see and name God’s loving presence in people and relationships that may be familiar but have not been explored in this way. The process requires great vulnerability and confrontation of fear, and opens the door for the Spirit to engage God’s faithful people in new ways.

Hicks came to VTS with an established career as a chemist and a call to chaplaincy as a deacon. During the summers of 2016 and 2017, Hicks did EES grant-supported work researching the Dementia-Friendly Church movement in the UK, along with a broad scale of domestic interviews. She used the data she collected to develop the Spirituality and Dementia website, which shares her research results and offers resources to congregations to develop a dementia care ministry. She has continued to share her work through community events, academic gatherings, and an article for Sojourners around spirituality and dementia. She earned the M.Div. from Virginia Theological Seminary in 2017 and has completed a year-long chaplaincy residency in Philadelphia. She was ordained deacon in September 2018.

Together with former EES grantee Dorothy Linthicum, Hicks has co-authored  Redeeming Dementia, available this month through Church Publishing. “This book shows us – friends and family, pastoral caregivers, and congregations – how to have grace-filled relationships with people with dementia,” says Day Smith Pritchartt, Executive Director of EES. “Through these relationships we may all grow in our relationship with God.”

About the Morgan Directors’ Award

Each year, the EES Board of Directors selects the grant recipient(s) whose completed work best exemplifies the objectives of the Society. The award was named in November, 2007 for retiring Board Chair the Rev. Dr. Michael Morgan. Mike received support from the Society as a seminarian and served on the Board for many years. As Chair, he established the Director’s Award in 2002.

More about the Episcopal Evangelism Society

EES supports innovative evangelism by awarding Evangelism for the 21st Century grants for projects that will share the Gospel in new and exciting ways, and help take the Episcopal church where she needs to be. Any Episcopalian in any accredited seminary community or local formation program (ie. diocesan school, Iona Collaborative) is eligible. This includes students, faculty or staff or the Episcopalian spouse or partner of a student, faculty or staff member. Call or email the Executive Director with questions about eligibility. Get contact information and read more about the 150-year history of EES at www.ees1862.org.

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