Heritage Center announces essay contest. The Center for Baptist Heritage & Studies reminds all high school juniors and seniors of the third annual Roots and Wings Young Scholars Essay Contest. Entries for the contest should be postmarked by April 15 for consideration. All entries
will be judged by a jury. Up to three cash awards may be presented: $500 for first place, $300 for second place and $200 for third place, as well as the possibility of the essays being published in a Center publication. The essay question for 2009 focuses on “Diversity in Baptist Life.” All interested parties should visit www.baptistheritage.org for more information concerning the essay topic and complete rules governing the contest. The essay contest is open to all 11th and 12th grade high school students (public, private or home school) attending a Baptist church in Virginia.
Hansen
New collegiate minister named at UVA. Evan Hansen has been named Baptist Collegiate Minister at the University of Virginia, effective Jan. 1. Hansen has assumed the position in Charlottesville while completing the final requirements for a master of arts in theology from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary. He expects to graduate in May 2009. In addition to directing all Baptist collegiate ministries at UVA., Hansen will also be working closely with Winn Collier, who was the interim Baptist collegiate minister at UVA. and is now serving as a church planter in Charlottesville. “We're pairing a vital, growing collegiate ministry with a new church that is working with young adults,” said Susan McBride, team leader for the Virginia Baptist Mission Board's emerging leaders team. “The collegiate minister and the church planter will be working hand-in-hand. We're very enthusiastic at how God is bringing these partnerships together.” Before enrolling at Gordon-Conwell in 2007, Hansen worked with college students as a deacon and house church leader at Downtown Community Fellowship in Clemson, S.C. A native of South Carolina, Hansen is a graduate of Clemson University.