Evangelical press group renamed for Christian communicators

The Evangelical Press Association announced Thursday that its membership voted to change its name to the Christian Communicators Network. Of the 244 ballots cast, 57% voted for the change while 42% voted to retain the Evangelical Press Association.

EPA President Dwight Widaman wrote in a letter that the group’s evangelical convictions, statement of faith, membership standards, code of ethics, and commitment to their journalistic legacy remain unchanged. Widman said that the new name may reach new and younger individuals. He added that the decision was never about the association abandoning its heritage, but about carrying that heritage into a broader and rapidly changing communications landscape.

Why the change? EPA announced the name change recommendation in August, saying that its mission has expanded beyond the name it held for 75 years. The association said that the word evangelical increasingly carries political, cultural, and sociological meanings that obscure its theological intent. Instead, EPA leaders believed the word Christian is immediately understood around the world. They added that replacing evangelical with Christian should not be interpreted as a change in theology.

They changed the word press to communicators because journalism, writing, editing, publishing, design, and storytelling are practiced across many platforms. They said the word network better described the organization as a community.