Denman Award

An evangelist has the gift of reaching out to others and introducing or helping bring them into a life-giving relationship with Christ. Evangelism is not a one-size-fits-all strategy, but an opportunity to share our faith and communicate about how Jesus has impacted us through our words and actions.

Evangelism is primarily a one-to-one or small group experience, grounded in building relationships with others and inviting them to make a decision for Christ. Gifted evangelists do not force their faith on others, but offer relationship with God as a gift, and are ready to tell the story of God and Christ in their own lives.

UMC.org

Have you seen your pastor reaching out into the community to form deeper connections with your neighbors? Is there a youth in your church who invites and welcomes new people into youth group? Do you have a lay person who leads small groups, which leads to participants’ deeper connection with Christ? 

The North Carolina Conference will begin seeking 2024 nominations in February. Check back for the nomination form or email cle@nccumc.org for more information.

Past Recipients

The North Carolina Conference is pleased to lift up the work of youth, clergy, and laity engaged in evangelism in many contexts throughout our Conference.

Since 1990, the NCCUMC has honored over 50 youth, clergy, and laity for their work in evangelism:

Year	Category	Name	Location
2023	clergy	Wesley Neal	Durham, NC
2023	laity	Daewon Goldenbaum-Yang	Greenville, NC
2023	youth	Gabriela Loaiza Muñoz	Murfreesboro, NC
2022	clergy	Stephen Robert Dunn	Farmville, NC
2022	laity	D. Gayle Tabor	Carolina Beach, NC
2022	youth	Jacey Rylan Hilburn	Clinton, NC
2020	clergy	Marty Cauley	Rocky Mount, NC
2019	laity	Bill Eure	Roanoke Rapids, NC
2019	clergy	Douglas Johnson	Fremont, NC
2019	youth	Jadon Charles Olsen	Laurinburg, NC
2018	clergy	David Blackman	Fayetteville, NC
2018	laity	Randy Evans	Wilmington, NC
2018	laity	Windy Hassell Rose	Columbia, NC
2018	youth	Hanna Berg	Wilmington, NC
2017	youth	Sarah Catherine Jeffries	Laurinburg, NC
2017	clergy	Cory B. Oliver	Roanoke Rapids, NC
2017	laity	Albert Q. Smith	Wilmington, NC
2016	laity	Laura Avery Manning	Roanoke Rapids, NC
2016	clergy	Karl Neuschaefer	Rocksboro, NC
2016	youth	Anna Van Deventer	Hillsborough, NC
2015	clergy	John A. Farmer	Arapahoe, NC
2015	laity	Joey Gore	Wilmington, NC
2015	youth	Matthew Marks	Kipling, NC
2015	youth	Abby Martin	Clayton, NC
2014	laity	Garry Ward	Rocky Mount, NC
2014	laity	Virginia Ward	Rocky Mount, NC
2014	clergy	Lisa Naa-Shormey Yebuah	Raleigh, NC
2013	clergy	Jerry E. Mitchell	Goldsboro, NC
2013	laity	Todd Rentz	Red Springs, NC
2013	youth	Jennifer White	Fayetteville, NC
2012	clergy	Neal Salter, Jr.	Burlington, NC
2012	youth	Josh Leslie	Clayton, NC
2011	clergy	Johnny Branch	Greenville, NC
2011	laity	Robert Gallagher	Wake Forest, NC
2011	youth	Cassie Hall	Fuquay-Varina, NC
2010	laity	Eston Brinkley	Wilmington, NC
2010	clergy	Jerry Jackson	Burlington, NC
2010	youth	Stephanie Patterson	Burlington, NC
2009	clergy	Eddie Hill	Supply, NC
2009	laity	Helen Little	Clayton, NC
2008	laity	Don Johnson	Jackson, NC
2008	laity	Isadora “Dodo” Johnson	Jackson, NC
2008	clergy	Bob Mangum	Cilo, SC
2007	clergy	Camille Yorkey Compton	Raleigh, NC
2007	laity	Dotsy Reynolds	Rockingham, NC
2006	laity	Gary Wayne Locklear	Pembroke, NC
2006	clergy	Robert Fairley	Maxton, NC
2005	clergy	Danny Allen	New Bern, NC
2005	laity	Sadot Mendez	Hertford, NC
2004	clergy	Matthew Evans	Henderson, NC
2004	laity	Dennis Tawney	Parkton, NC
2003	clergy	Tim Reaves	White Oak, NC
1997	laity	Gregory Bronson
1997	clergy	Jeffrey Lee Severt	New Bern, NC
1996	clergy	Sam Dixon, Jr.	Roanoke Rapids, NC
1996	laity	Thomas Walden	Youngsville, NC
1992	laity	Barbara Carey	Stonewall, NC
1992	clergy	Jerry Lowry	Sunset Beach, NC
1991	laity	Linda Harris	Raleigh, NC
1991	clergy	Ecwood Lancaster	Wilmington, NC
1990	clergy	M. Eugene Tyson	New Bern, NC