The 2020 young writers conference was held on the Gold Coast on Saturday 12 September.
First we can highlight a number of things looking ‘forward’
The 2020 Brain’s Trust photograph with Mr Basil Sellers AM was digitally altered to include the Gutenberg plaque and the three newer members added since 2015. The Gutenberg is the premier award of the Australasian Religious Press Association – the Logies of Christian press media awarded to the young writers last September.
The photograph retains Sydney’s Sam Gillespie (chair of the Brian’s Trust), Sunshine Coast’s Russell Modlin (the young writer representative on the Well-Being Australia board) and the Gold Coast’s Wes Tronson, sport writer and foundation member.
The newer members are Adelaide’s Amy Manners the 2020 Australian Theology Award winner, Sunshine Coast’s Cartia Moore the 2020 Basil Sellers Award and Rebecca Moore, senior writer and Week 1 editor.
Art Commission
14 year old Summer Moore an amazing portrait painter who captured Dr Mark Tronson with the Gutenberg has now been commissioned to paint the 2020 Brain’s Trust for Mr Basil Sellers.
A commission fee has been established along with monies for the canvas, frame and shipping - this will take several months for a January delivery.
Special Awards
At the end of the awards sessions of the conference, five special awards of thanks and acknowledgement –
Russell Modlin as the MC and led the sessions
Jesse Moore on the IT desk and Zoom
Rebecca Moore as the erstwhile executive to the conference
Josiah Gray as a young brilliant pianist and key board
Rev Dave the host of the venue – Living Temple Christian Church (Tugun Baptist)
Future Directions
The emphasis of Christian Today is that of Christian News and Christian Comment writing – this is their speciality. There are literally hundreds of thousands of web sites that cater for sermons and bible studies. These are not the core substance of Christian Today and the CMCI network – Christian Media Corporation Int. and their 101 mastheads. The largest international mast head is the Christian Post based in the US.
At the conference’s afternoon sessions one of the panellists retired Barrister Mr Gavin Lawrie .spelt out this in the language the young writers understood. As an assessor of their articles (a Panellist) he highlighted to everyone that he marks down sermon type articles and bible study type articles.
He looks for something fresh, a little out there, coming from a different angle. The young writers present recognised this reality, something which was in the back of their minds, but now delightfully clarified they were allowed!!