Gegrapha
Gegrapha "is non-political, non-partisan and non-sectarian. Gegrapha is Christian. But Gegrapha itself is not an evangelistic or a missionary organization. We believe in the integrity of the profession and we reject the use of journalism for any political, philosophical or religious propagandistic purposes, even those pertaining to Christianity." [1]
Contents
History
"Gegrapha began as a small prayer group in the mid-1980s when a group of Christians working for several media outlets in Washington began gathering to pray for the life of Terry Anderson, the one-time bureau chief for Associated Press who was abducted in 1985 by Muslim extremists. By the time Terry was released in 1991, the group had become close-knit and its participants wanted to continue meeting. David Aikman, then a senior correspondent for Time magazine, emerged as its leader and in November 1992, this group organized a first-ever national conference for Christians in the secular media. Sixty journalists from 15 states met at the Preacher's College at the Washington Cathedral with Terry Anderson as the keynote speaker. Several of Gegrapha's current board members first met each other at this conference.
"The group continued to meet for monthly breakfasts with the help of the Washington Arts Group, led by Jerry Eisley...
"Beginning in late 1998, the Fieldstead Foundation gave two generous grants that enabled the prayer group to consolidate itself as an international fellowship for Christians in the secular media under the umbrella of the Ethics and Public Policy Center in Washington. ...
"In 2003, with the help of more grants from Fieldstead and the Parker Foundation in Richmond, Va., Gegrapha hired its first executive director, T. Diane Bryhn, a former associate of David Aikman's who helped organize the Chichester conference. Gegrapha held an Asian conference in the Philippines in 2004, and Gegrapha board members participated in a national conference in Australia in 2005." [2]
Directors
Accessed February 2009: [3]
- David Aikman, Founder - Washington, D.C.
- Arne H. Fjeldstad, Chairman - Kristiansand, Norway
- Gordon Govier, Secretary - Madison, Wisconsin
- Julia Bicknell, - London, England
- Steven David, - Bangalore, India
- Emeka Izeze, Executive Board Member - Lagos, Nigeria
- Dominic Steele, Global Network - Sydney, Australia
- Rebecca Hagelin - Washington DC
- Tony Carnes - New York NY
- Bret Dalton - Black Forest CO
