The Rev. . William Green, associate pastor of First United Methodist Church in Cary won the award, which means he will be included in the coalition's hall of fame.

"Rev. Green has served as an extremely effective men's ministry leader in his congregation, and set a high standard for other lay and clergy leaders to follow," said an announcement from the National Coalition of Men's Ministries, based in Redmond, Wash. The award was presented at the annual conference in Nashville last week.

Green has been instrumental in creating small groups for men at First United Methodist. Last year he helped organize a "No Man Left Behind," conference. This year he helped organize a "Letters from Dad," conference urging men to write letters to their loved ones.

The coalition includes 75 men's organizations, both independent and denominationally affiliated.