Stories of Suffering


The Cordell Prize is awarded annually to elevate stories of Christian suffering endured with Spirit-empowered joy and Christ-like courage.

The prize is administered by WORLD Magazine. Winning submissions will demonstrate Biblical truth about suffering and trials through deeply reported, well-written stories of individuals and groups who have endured deep suffering with a strong Christian witness.

Monetary prizes will be awarded:

First Place: $2,500

Second Place: $1,500

Third Place: $1,000

Merit Prize: $500


Submission Guidelines

All submitted articles must be:

To Apply, see the form below!

Application Process and Timeline

Submit an online application to enter a chance to win the Cordell Prize. With the submission, please include a brief biography of the author (no more than 100 words), a PDF of the article, and the publisher's information.

If an author would like to submit more than one article, each article needs a separate application. Please note the limit of three submissions per person.

All decisions by the judging panel are final.

The prize will be awarded to written pieces, not multi-media presentations.

Submissions Due: May 30, 2025

Prize winners announced: August 1, 2025



Words from the Cordells

The Vision for the Cordell Prize

"What inspired us to establish this prize is the unheralded anonymity in which some Christians faithfully face uncomplainingly great struggles, especially those relating to physical pain and suffering, and whose example should inspire and instruct the Church at large. Yet for lack of an articulate and accessible voice, believers continue to hunger for 21st-century inspiration. This prize is intended to motivate and reward the voices, the vehicles for inspiration."

-Joseph and Yvonne Cordell

Apply by May 30

Please fill in all required fields marked with an asterisk before submitting your application for the Cordell Prize. The application deadline is Friday, May 30, 2025. Please email office@worldji.com if you have any questions or are encourntering difficulty in submitting your application.
Please share a breif autobiographical sketch in 100 words or less.

In the section below, files will be accepted only if it is a PDF, text, Word, or image files. If your application does not submit properly, please try submitting only PDF files.