Two members of the BGU family, Matthew Todd and Willy Kotiuga, have received Word Awards for articles published in Faith Today, the magazine of the Evangelical Fellowship of Canada.

Presented annually by The Word Guild, the Word Awards celebrate excellence in Canadian Christian writing across books, articles, journalism, devotionals and other forms. They recognize outstanding work while encouraging professional growth and faithful storytelling among both established and emerging writers.

Matthew Todd, of Coquitlam, B.C., was a joint winner in the Christian Article/Short Piece — Blog–Topical category for “Handing on the Faith to the Next Generation.” Todd challenges the assumption that faithful parenting guarantees children will remain in the church. Drawing on Scripture, research and personal experience, he distinguishes parents’ responsibility to nurture faith from their children’s freedom to choose. He calls on churches to support parents whose children leave the faith, replacing blame with compassion and recognizing the value of their continuing love and faithful example.

Willy Kotiuga, of Pointe-Claire, Que., won the Christian Article/Short Piece — Column–Single category for “Artificial Intelligence: Servant, Not Substitute.” Kotiuga explores how Christians can use AI responsibly without surrendering spiritual discernment. Technology can assist with writing, research and productivity, but cannot replace prayer, compassion or wisdom gained through experience. Drawing on Daniel’s reliance on God, he encourages believers to guide technology with integrity and humility, keeping it in service to the human responsibilities of loving, leading and bearing witness.

Congratulations to Matthew and Willy on this recognition of their contributions to Canadian Christian writing.