Rev. Alicia Velez-Stewart (’18) is “The Wilbur C. Ziegler Award for Excellence in Preaching” Honoree 2025
The following is an excerpt from the New England Conference of UMC article, “Awards presented by Church & Society,” published on June 21, 2025. Click here to read the full article.
BU STH Alumn The Reverend Alicia Velez Steward (’18) has been honored with “The Wilbur C. Ziegler Award for Excellence in Preaching,” at the just ended 2025 New England UMC annual conference.
The New England Conference Board of Church and Society administers two awards each year to persons in New England who work for social justice: the Ziegler Award for Excellence in Preaching and the Bryant Award for Excellence in Social Justice Action.
Rev. Ziegler’s ministry was characterized by an unhesitating prophetic proclamation of social justice, leading him to preach the whole Gospel in ways that “afflicted the comfortable,” even and especially when that proclamation was unpopular in his ministry context.
Prophetic preaching is greatly needed in every generation, and the New England Conference Board of Church and Society is proud to lift up those who preach the whole Gospel in ways that challenge, convict, and compel a broad and diverse people of God.