Julie Long , Associate Pastor and Minister of Children and Families at First Baptist Church of Macon, Ga. was awarded the Young Baptist Leadership Award for her excellence in Christian education ministry and leadership Monday at the 2015 ChurchWorks Conference in Decatur, Ga.

Julie Long accepts the Young Baptist Leadership Award.

This award is presented annually to a young Baptist, clergy or congregational leader, who represents a growing interaction with and support of the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship and has demonstrated ministry to peers and colleagues of every generation. The award is given to affirm the recipient and to encourage the younger generation of Cooperative Baptists.

The Jack Naish Distinguished Christian Educator Award was presented to Jeffrey Pethel who serves as the Associate Pastor of Family Ministries at The Baptist Church of Beaufort, S.C. This award is presented annually to a Cooperative Baptist who exemplifies the dedication to educational ministry that Jack Naish’s legacy of Christian education represents.

Jeffrey Pethel accepts the Jack Naish Distinguished Christian Educator Award.

CBF Coordinator of Organizational Relationships, Bo Prosser, presented the awards to the recipients, stating that both Long and Pethel demonstrated four similar qualities: longevity, loyalty, intentionality and trustworthiness. These two leaders exemplify authentic and intentional relational ministry through the work that they do and their commitment to Christian education.