Dana E. Jones retires
by YVETTE MOORE*
Dana E. Jones, director of communications for the Women’s Division of the United Methodist General Board of Global Ministries, retired Aug. 31 after 15 years of service. Ms. Jones was editor of Response, the official magazine of United Methodist Women, throughout her tenure.
“Editing Response has been an incredible journey that has been creative, challenging, life-giving,” Ms. Jones wrote in her final “From the Editor” column in the September issue of Response. “If I’d been told as a journalism student some years ago that one day I would be given 48 page a month – no advertising – in which to publish stories and images of women, children and youth, and to cover issues so important to this world, all from a faith perspective, I would have laughed. Yet that is what you entrusted to me.”
Ms. Jones presided over numerous changes in Response including a switch to full-color printing on each page; publishing monthly Bible studies; and adoption of a new design format featuring theme-based issues and the practical “How To Use This Issue” column. The magazine won numerous awards during Ms. Jones’ years of service. United Methodist Association of Communicators named Ms. Jones United Methodist Communicator of the Year in 2005.
A United Methodist deaconess and a life-long member of United Methodist Women, Ms. Jones is not leaving Christian mission. She is developing an arts-for-justice ministry that will help children and youth in
