Divine Achievements: Celebrating Our Youth

During the 30th Quadrennial of the Women’s Home and Overseas Missionary Society, Mrs. Melva Polk Wright, the Connectional Secretary for Youth, took a moment to honor the accomplishments of our dynamic youth through the presentation of the "Youth Missionary Society (YMS) Spotlight Awards." These awards, categorized into Academics, The Arts, Community Service, and Athletics, were established to commend outstanding youth within the denomination.

In the domain of athletics, awardees of the YMS Spotlight Awards were acknowledged for their outstanding contributions spanning steadfast support, participation in all-star games, inclusion in all-district/all-region/all-state teams, reception of notable awards recognizing their prominence in their respective sports, and those who received mentions in news clippings or stories, spotlighting their excellence in a specific game or their overall prowess in their chosen sport.

Let's take a moment to cast a spotlight on and applaud the outstanding youth award winners from the 30th Quadrennial in New Orleans.

•Eastern North Carolina Episcopal Area: Zoe Patterson
•Piedmont Episcopal Area: Deshawn Coulter
•Northeastern Episcopal Area: Al Vernon Davis
•Mid-Atlantic Episcopal Area: Domenique Sexton
•Mid-West Episcopal Area: Josiah Bridgeman
•Alabama – Florida Episcopal Area: Faith Smith
•Southwestern Delta Episcopal Area: Laila Young
•Honorable Mention: Andrew Williams

After the quadrennial event last summer, every awardee was presented with a unique gift from the Connectional Secretary recognizing and honoring their exceptional athletic ability within their respective sport.

During the 2024 Friday Night Lights Youth Celebration, commemorating the anniversary of the Youth Missionary Society, the Connectional Secretary extended recognition to additional student-athletes. The January 2024 Youth Spotlight Recipients in the sports category are:

•Northeastern Episcopal Area: Mason Davis, Reginald Lawrence, Jr., Marne't Bell, Maurice Daniels, Jr.
•South Atlantic Episcopal Area: Kamron Patterson, Amariah Shields, Brandon Tillman, Kosh Cue, Arione Truesdale, Anthonio Truesdale, Iyanna Boatwright, Cordelia Willis
•Mid Atlantic Episcopal Area: Amanda Ballard

Let's pause and extend our heartfelt congratulations to the student-athletes throughout Zion! While the skills required for victory are crucial for team triumph, the journey itself holds equal significance. These student-athletes have exemplified Christian behavior through their words and actions, honoring the game with respect for their team, opponents, and officials. Publicly acknowledging our youth is not only essential but also merits recognition from our church to celebrate our Christian athletes who express their faith through sports.

If you have any special recognitions, accomplishments, signing days, or draft days, please let us know so the individuals may be recognized within “The Playmakers Corner.” 

Email: sports@starofzion.org