Bishop Ward:
Grace and peace to you in the name of Jesus Christ. It’s a joy to share with you a high honor conferred last week as The United Methodist Association of Communicators met.
Rick Wolcott (UMAC Chair):
I am honored to announce the 2021 Communicator of the Year is Derek Leek, Director of Communications in the North Carolina Conference. Recently Derek was asked by Bishop Hope Morgan Ward and Director of Connectional Ministries, Steve Taylor, to join them for a Zoom call. It is my pleasure to show you a portion of that call now. Please join me in welcoming Bishop Hope Morgan Ward of the North Carolina Conference of The United Methodist Church.
Bishop Ward:
Well, it’s a joy to gather on this Zoom. Rick shall I share the purpose of our call?
Rick Wolcott:
Absolutely.
Bishop Ward:
Derek, we are gathered on this Zoom to congratulate you as United Methodist Communicator of the Year.
Derek Leek:
You guys are sneaky.
Bishop Ward:
We thank you. We salute you. We’re so grateful for your work, your servant leadership among us, and Steve submitted the most beautiful, beautiful recommendation, and I along with him let Rick and others know all of your wonderfulness, all the ways you’ve been creative and in the last year Steve and I both said to one another, “How did he do all this? How’d he do all this?” as we began to just put the things that we remembered and that came to mind and I’m sure there are things we left out. But through the pandemic, through the racial reckoning and violence of last spring, through the continued postponements of gatherings with people across the church, through your wonderful help in the response of our churches so generously to apportionments, on and on and on.
Steve Taylor:
The work of Gary’s [Locklear] service, when we desperately needed a place to gather together and to lament and mourn and you helped make that happen. All of it’s been such a gift brother.
Derek Leek:
Thank you.
Bishop Ward:
And so much of it done on short notice. Just last week on Thursday afternoon, “Gosh can we have it by Monday morning?” And lo and behold by Monday at noon it was done.
Derek Leek:
Wow. Thank you all so much that’s so awesome. You all are very sneaky.
Bishop Ward:
We’re so grateful for what you do and for what you do and for the connection of communicators
Steve Taylor:
Absolutely
Bishop Ward:
and we know the way Derek is held in such high esteem in the community of communicators across the church.
Rick Wolcott:
Derek is a gift and a treasure for all of us and so it’s my honor to be able to represent the leadership team of UMAC (United Methodist Association of Communicators) to officially congratulate Derek on winning the Communicator of the Year Award and Derek you’ve had a chance to sit here and listen to people talk about you. What would you like to say in response?
Derek Leek:
I am so thankful to you Bishop, to you Steve, Rick to you, the whole UMAC leadership team. I’ve learned a lot in the time that I’ve been Director here and a lot of that is because of you all so I’m so thankful. I definitely know that God has given me this position even when I don’t think I’m doing the best or what I feel like I should be doing I know God is helping me and giving me this place so I am thankful to God for this. I definitely don’t want to leave out my team because I would not be doing this if I didn’t have my team so I’m going to give a quick shout-out to LeeAnne Thornton, to Linda Smith, to Chris Daniel, to Amanda Packer, to Jay Locklear, to Ani Simpkins, to Emanuel Lirag and just the whole staff at the Conference because they help us make communications a priority and what it is, so I’m so thankful, again for everyone for their support and you guys are definitely sneaky so I’m grateful.
Rick Wolcott:
Well, congratulations.
Derek Leek:
Thank you, thank you, thank you so much.
