The board of directors of the Presbyterian Outlook Foundation selected the Rev. Jimmie R. Hawkins as the recipient of the 2026 Ernest Trice Thompson Award. The award will be presented during the Outlook’s Facebook Live interview with Hawkins on Thursday, June 4, at noon ET. Viewers are invited to join the conversation and celebrate Hawkins’ faithful witness and service to the church.
The award is named for Ernest Trice Thompson, the founding editor of the Presbyterian Outlook. Thompson was an educator, historian, church journalist, leader in the church’s social witness and tireless worker for church union. The award honors those who have worked vigorously in service to the church and the larger society and who have shown exemplary leadership in their pursuits.
The board of directors of the Presbyterian Outlook Foundation, Inc., unanimously conferred the Ernest Trice Thompson Award to Hawkins for his distinctive service to the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) and to those causes the Presbyterian Outlook has advocated throughout its history.
Hawkins has served since 2017 as director of advocacy for the PC(USA)’s Office of Public Witness, helping Presbyterians engage faithfully in public life and equipping the church to bear witness to God’s justice in the world. In 2026, he also became director for advocacy of the Presbyterian Ministry at the United Nations. Before beginning this denominational role, Hawkins served for 20 years as senior pastor of Covenant Presbyterian Church in Durham, North Carolina, and previously as senior pastor of Grace Presbyterian Church in Martinsville, Virginia, where he also served as stated supply for Holmes Memorial and Trinity Presbyterian churches.
Join us on June 4, 2026, at 12 pm ET for a Facebook Live conversation with Hawkins about his ministry.
A graduate of North Carolina Central University, Hawkins earned a Master of Arts in Christian Education from the Presbyterian School of Christian Education (now Union Presbyterian Seminary) in Richmond, Virginia, and a Master of Divinity from Johnson C. Smith Theological Seminary (now the Justice Center for Sacred Theological Studies) of the Interdenominational Theological Center in Atlanta.
“The ministry of Jimmie Hawkins reminds us that, as people of faith, we are at our best when our work is governed by justice, compassion and truth.” — Paul Roberts, Sr., on Jimmie Hawkins
The Rev. Paul Roberts, Sr., president of the Justice Center for Sacred Theological Studies, wrote of Hawkins:
“The ministry of Jimmie Hawkins reminds us that, as people of faith, we are at our best when our work is governed by justice, compassion and truth. Through prophetic leadership and pastoral witness, Jimmie has challenged the church not only to articulate what it believes, but to embody it.
Related reading: What is the E.T. Thompson Award? by Rose Schrott Taylor, Presbyterian Outlook
In the process, he has helped all of us to love better, serve better, be better. Jimmie is a sterling and devoted graduate of Johnson C. Smith Theological Seminary. He is blessed to have the kind of character that inspires current and future generations seeking a more hope-filled future. We who are part of the JCSTS community are proud of his numerous and varied accomplishments and celebrate this honor.”
Hawkins’ ministry has long connected the life of the church with the needs of the world. The Outlook board’s resolution recognizes his faithful service to the PC(USA), his leadership in public witness, and his participation in civil rights and justice movements, including the Moral Monday movement and the Poor People’s Campaign. Through these commitments, Hawkins has stood alongside faith leaders and community advocates to challenge systemic injustice and proclaim God’s vision of dignity, equity and freedom for all people.
Learn more about the history of the E.T. Thompson Award
Hawkins has also served the common good through leadership with numerous organizations, including the National Council of Churches, Church World Service, the National Religious Campaign Against Torture, the National Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty, and local initiatives focused on educational opportunity, housing stability, racial justice and nonviolent activism. His service has included leadership with the Durham Committee on the Affairs of Black People, Housing for New Hope, Religious Coalition for a Non-Violent Durham, Washington Interfaith Staff Community and Heads of Washington Offices.
A preacher, teacher, keynote speaker and mentor, Hawkins has spoken and preached across the church, including for presbyteries, youth retreats and conferences. His ministry has encouraged Presbyterians to pursue justice, deepen their faith and serve their neighbors with courage and compassion.
Hawkins has also strengthened the church’s witness through scholarship and writing. His books, Unbroken and Unbowed: A History of Black Protest in America and The Shaping of Black Identities: Redefining the Generations Through the Legacy of Race and Culture, both published by Westminster John Knox Press, illuminate the long struggle for justice and the enduring hope found in the faith and resilience of Black communities. He has also authored articles for the Presbyterian Outlook, Presbyterians Today, Call to Worship, Union Presbyterian Seminary and other publications.
The Rev. Dr. Bridgett Green, president of Presbyterian Publishing Corporation and president of the Outlook’s board, said of Hawkins:
“For decades, Jimmie’s hope-filled ministry has testified to God’s grace and to the call to act justly, love mercy and walk humbly. Like E.T. Thompson, he exemplifies the hallmarks of the Reformed tradition through his public witness to the gospel of Jesus Christ in his preaching, teaching, writings, and activism.
“For decades, Jimmie’s hope-filled ministry has testified to God’s grace and to the call to act justly, love mercy and walk humbly.” — Bridgett Green on Jimmie Hawkins
Grounded in the rich history and robust faith of his Black heritage, Jimmie inspires us, with the guidance of the Holy Spirit, to live with fervor the prophetic witness of Isaiah 58 and Jesus’s teachings in Matthew 25.”
Through his pastoral leadership, denominational service, public advocacy and scholarship, Hawkins has embodied the prophetic calling of the church. His work has helped Presbyterians speak with moral clarity in public life while remaining rooted in the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Hawkins is married to Sheinita, and they have two children, Kaela and James.
Past recipients of the E.T. Thompson Award include Brian K. Blount, O. Benjamin Sparks III, Cliff Kirkpatrick, Syngman Rhee, Laura Mendenhall, Heath Rada, Barbara Wheeler, Joseph Small and John Buchanan.
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