. June 23, 2004 United Methodist News Service Edward
J. Mikula, 88, the artist who designed the United Methodist Church's
insignia--the Cross and Flame--died June 20 at Meadows Manor North,
Terre Haute, Ind.  Mikula,
who retired from United Methodist Communications in 1979, was assigned
the task of creating an insignia for the church after the merger of the
Evangelical United Brethren Church and the Methodist Church in 1968.
Mikula
and Edwin H. Maynard, editorial director, worked for United Methodist
Communication's predecessor agency, the Commission on Promotion and
Cultivation. Historical information about the Cross and Flame states
that early on the two men decided the design "should be simple, bold,
instantly recognizable, obviously Christian and uniquely Wesleyan." Mikula was quoted as saying, "You can't have elegance without simplicity." "Edward
Mikula was a gifted artist who worked closely with Edwin Maynard in the
development of an insignia that was to become the classic symbol of the
United Methodist Church known around the world," said the Rev. Curtis
Chambers, who retired as top executive of United Methodist
Communications in 1984. The Cross and Flame was formally adopted
and registered with the United States Patent and Trademark Office in
1971. "The insignia can be seen wherever the church exists, in many
different cultures and parts of the globe," he said. "It is a lasting
legacy for Mikula." Mikula was trained at the Art Institute of
Chicago; he was experienced in the graphic arts and had created logos
for the Illinois Farm Supply Company and the Associated Church Press
before joining the commission. He was art director for The Methodist Story and later for The Interpreter,
the denomination's program journal. He was also art director for the
former Promotion, Benevolence and Interpretation Division of United
Methodist Communications. The funeral was held June 23 at Frist
Funeral Home, Clinton, Ind. He was preceded in death by his wife, Clara
"Mae" Strazzabosco and his brother, Walter Mikula. He is survived by his
daughters and granddaughters. News media contact: Kathy L. Gilbert, Nashville, Tenn., (615) 742-5470 or newsdesk@umcom.org.
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