Hall of Fame Inductees

2011 Hall of Fame Inductee: Wally Athey

2011 Hall of Fame Inductee: The Rev. Ann Greene Whiting (posthumous)

2009 Hall of Fame Inductee: The Rev. Hilly Hicks

By Steve Horswill Johnston

The Rev. Hilly Hicks dramatically raised the level and value of film and video production for The United Methodist Church beginning in the middle 1980s. Hilly was the first “Hollywood” actor/producer to be wooed to come to Nashville, Tenn., to lead the denomination into a new era of film and video production. It was because of his producing and acting experience the church launched its first weekly TV national news magazine show, Catch The Spirit and Hilly served as the anchor. Years later, this work led to the current national television advertising campaign.

At the height of his acting career, Hilly attended seminary and became an ordained pastor. Immediately out of seminary, he became a senior producer at UMCom and started prepping for the on-camera talent and co-producer for Catch the Spirit.

Hilly's best-remembered role is probably as Lewis Moore, the younger son of Chicken George, in the groundbreaking TV mini-series Roots. He had been a finalist for the part of Kinte Kunte. He also appeared in TV episodic programs such as Adam-12, Lassie, One Day at a Time, The Mod Squad, Cannon, The Bill Cosby Show, Good Times, Night Gallery, Hill Street Blues, hada recurring role on M*A*S*H, and was a co-star on his own TV show called Roll Out. Feature film credits include Friendly Fire, Gray Lady Down with Charlton Heston, Go Tell The Spartans, Call Me Mister Tibbs and Raise the Titanic. A multi-talented performer, Hilly evendid voice work in Hanna Barbera's 1970s Godzilla TV cartoon.

Hilly brought this level of experience to United Methodist Communications in 1984. His producing abilities were legendary—small “church” productions became nationally recognized. His productions told rich stories.

Hilly left UMCom in 2008 to become senior pastor at Crenshaw United Methodist Church in south central Los Angeles, California, near the heart of the racial unrest in the early 1990s. His son is playwright Hilly Hicks Jr., who has written for TV shows such as Lost and was lead writer for the network program Pasadena.

2008 Hall of Fame Inductee

The late Sharon Fulmer, Director of Communications, North Central New York Annual Conference

A writer, editor and photographer, Sharon served as the Director of Communications for the north Central New York Annual Conference. A member of Liverpool United Methodist Church in New York, Sharon had been the editor of the Liverpool Review for 20 years. She was involved in many church and community organizations, including the Willow Museum Committee, Gleason Mansion Restoration Project, Sainte Marie among the Iroquois and the Salt Museum.

Sharon died on May 10, 2008. She is survived by her husband, Dave, children and grandchildren.

Hall of Fame
Previous United Methodist Association of Communicators inducted into the Hall of Fame are:

2007
Lynne DeMichele		Rev. Paul Widicus		J. Richard Peck
2005
Thomas McAnally		Donald Small (posthumously)		Rev. Dr. Robert Robertson (posthumously)
2004
Roger Sadler		The Rev. Judith Weidman
2003
Ron Council		The Rev. James Wall
2002
Bettie Wilson Story		Robert Lear		Vilmars M. Zile
2001
Keith I. Pohl		William F. Fore		Betty Thompson
2000
John Louis Borhert		Daniel D'Umuk Aguila
1999
Bill Matthews		Lee A. Ranck		John Williams (posthumous)
1998
Rev. Kenneth Horn	Bishop W. T. Handy (posthumous)	Winston Taylor	John Lovelace
1997
Laura J. Okumu		Rev. D. L. Dykes (posthumous)		Rev. Gilbert Galloway
1996
Rev. Bruno Caliandro (posthumous)		Nelson Price		Rev. G. Ross Freeman
1995
Rev. David Briddell	Rev. Emory Stevens Bucke (posthumous)	John G. Goodwin	Rev. Robert E. Ortmayer
1994
Roger L. Burgess	Carol Marie Herb	Rev. Roy Stinson Smyres (posthumous)	Rev. David Abernathy (posthumous)
1993
John S. Workman	Darrell R. Shamblin (posthumous)	John E. Marvin (posthumous)	Ruth Esther Meeker
1992
Spurgeon M. Dunnam III (posthumous)	Sophie Lee Lonetree Mrotek (posthumous)	Grant J. VerHulst (posthumous)	Curtis A. Chambers	Anton J. Pilversack	Chester A. Vanderbilt
1991
Gene W. Carter	Miron A. Morrill	Charles A. McEowen	Charlotte OÕNeal	Maude M. Turpin (posthumous)
1990
George M. Daniels	Robert E. Goodrich (posthumous)	Doris E. Hess	Edward J. Mikula
1989
Georgia M. Dailey	Lewis O. Hartman (posthumous)	William M. Holt	Floyd A. Johnson	Edwin A. Maynard
1988
Arthur J. Moore	Frances S. Smith	John F. Young	Toge Fujihira (posthumous)	Robert F. Story	A. McKay Brabham, Jr.