Three students from varied church backgrounds won the annual Kennel-Charles Anabaptist Research Essay Competition, exemplifying how students from many backgrounds learn about and embrace EMS values.

The purpose of the contest is to encourage students to immerse themselves in Anabaptist history and theology and make connections with contemporary issues, according to Nathan Hershberger, Ph.D. “Current challenges drove all of the students who submitted essays,” explains Hershberger, who teaches Bible classes, including an Anabaptist history elective.

The winners for 2023 were:

• Eleanor Albers ’25, first place for The Dangers of Theocracy Exposed by the Salem Witch Trials
• Karinna Fink ’24, second place for Sor Juana Ines de la Cruz: Writer and Early Feminist
• Hannah Dredger ’24, third place for The Role of Women in the Church

The participating students explored everything “from the relation between church and state to schisms over disagreements, to the role of women in church leadership,” Hershberger said. “They wrote insightfully about how resources from church history can guide us today as we navigate challenging times.”