The Rev Bonnie Evans-Hills has been honoured in the 2022 Lambeth Awards for her long-standing dedication to building interfaith relationships.

The Priest-in-Charge at St Margaret of Scotland in Leven, Fife, is one of 37 recipients from across four continents. The awards, announced on Tuesday by the Most Rev Justin Welby, Archbishop of Canterbury, are given to people within the Church of England, the wider Anglican Communion, other Christian churches, as well as to those of other faiths and none.

Musicians, activists, clergy, peacemakers and educators are included, alongside people whose quiet dedication to their work hasn’t drawn the public eye.

Ms Evans-Hill was at Lambeth Palace to collect The Hubert Walter Award for Reconciliation and Interfaith Cooperation from the Archbishop. The award was made for “her decades-long passionate dedication to building interfaith relationships at local, national and international level for the sake of a better world”.

Commenting after the ceremony, Rev Bonnie said: “It is a huge honour to receive this, but really the honour belongs to all who have shared their journeys, and stories of courage and love.”

Announcing the awards, the Archbishop said: “The world around us is not as it should be. There is grave injustice and we currently face war in Europe, while Covid-19 continues to cause much grief. But we do not despair. Our faith in Jesus teaches us that we are justified in maintaining hope. One thing which feeds that hope is the work and service of the people we recognise today.”

The Most Rev Mark Strange, Bishop of Moray, Ross & Caithness and Primus, said: “We in the Scottish Episcopal Church are absolutely delighted that the Rev Bonnie Evans-Hills has received this award which recognises her long commitment to interfaith relationships. We are also delighted that she is putting all her talents to work on behalf of our Church as Convener of the Provincial Interfaith Relations Committee.”

The current Lambeth Awards began in 2016. Recipients are recognised for contributions to community service, worship, evangelism, interfaith cooperation, ecumenism and education.

(Picture shows the Most Rev Justin Welby, Archbishop of Canterbury, the Rev Bonnie Evans-Hills, the Rev Fiona Souter, chaplain at University of Hertfordshire, and the Rev Canon Jane Richards from the Diocese of Chelmsford)