LEXINGTON, Ky. (BP) – Bobby S. “Bob” Terry’s contributions to the Christian publishing world continue to be noticed across the industry.

Evangelical Press Association honored him with its Terry White Lifetime Achievement award Tuesday (April 23) during its annual meeting, held this year in Lexington.

Terry, editor emeritus of The Alabama Baptist, received a similar honor from Associated Church Press (the William B. Lipphard Award, for Distinguished Service to Religious Journalism) in 2019 and is the only person to date to be honored with both ACP and EPA’s lifetime achievement awards.

Widespread contributions

Lamar Keener, executive director of EPA, said during the presentation, “Dr. Terry led a storied career running state newspapers for … 50 years with three publications. Under his leadership, The Alabama Baptist was consistently recognized as one of the top regional newspapers in the U.S.”

Terry, also the winner of countless individual awards throughout his career, has invested in young journalists, served in numerous leadership capacities and helped many groups navigate difficult circumstances. He became well known among his peers who were involved in EPA, ACP, Baptist Communicators Association, the Association of State Baptist Publications (ASBP) and other national professional organizations.

He received a lifetime membership role in BCA in 2019 and was surprised in 2018 with the naming of a journalism scholarship at Samford University in his honor by ASBP and endowed by The Alabama Baptist’s board of directors. Terry served as ASBP’s executive secretary for more than 25 years. He also received TAB Media Group’s inaugural distinctive service award in 2022, four years after his retirement from the president and editor position, which he had held since 1995.

Terry continues to research, write and share on a variety of topics with individuals, groups and churches.

Prior to his service in Alabama, Terry served 20 years as editor of Missouri’s Word & Way newspaper and as associate editor of Kentucky’s Western Recorder before that. He is the author of two books – “Struggling Toward Hope: Life after the Death of a Spouse” and “Gethsemane to Golgotha: 40 Bible Study Devotionals about Jesus’ Last Day.”

Terry and his wife, Patricia (Samford professor emerita in culinary nutrition), live in Vestavia Hills, Alabama, and are members of Dawson Memorial Baptist Church in Homewood.

(EDITOR’S NOTE – This article originally appeared in The Alabama Baptist.)