VALLEY FORGE, PA (ABNS 9/27/16)—The American Baptist Historical Society is accepting nominations for the George D. Younger Award for Excellence in Local or Regional American Baptist History. The deadline is May 1, 2017.  If your church has had an historical celebration in the last couple of years, please consider sharing your event with the other American Baptist churches.

Projects eligible for nomination include but are not restricted to church anniversary celebrations, congregational or regional histories, oral history projects, or other historical programs that promote Baptist history in the local community or region. The winner will be announced at the 2017 Biennial Convention in Portland, Oregon.  Nominations will be accepted for projects completed in either 2015 or 2016.

Nominations should include the following documentation:

1. cover sheet listing the name of the project and the name and contact information for the sponsoring church, group or institution;
2. a short (one or two page) description of the project or program, including a project timeline of the dates and locations of project events;
3. supporting material, such as program bulletins, newspaper clippings, and comments by those who participated, either by creating the program/project or as part of the targeted audience;
4. evidence of the quality (historical content and production quality) of the program or project;
5. written evidence or evaluations of the project or program may be supplemented by other records of the program, such as videos, newspaper clippings, audio-recordings, or photographic images;
6. evidence of impact on the targeted audience, with special consideration given for impact on a broader than Baptist community.

Mail nominations and supporting materials to be received at the Historical Society no later than May 1, 2017 to: The Younger Award, American Baptist Historical Society, 3001 Mercer University Drive, Atlanta, Georgia 30341-4155.

Submissions will not be returned. For more information please call ABHS at 678-547-6680 or email ABHS@abhsarchives.org.

Founded in 1853, the American Baptist Historical Society preserves and shares its collections documenting the influence Baptists have had on religious and civic life. Its six miles of shelving hold the archives of the national mission societies of the American Baptist Churches in the U.S.A., of which it is a part; the personal papers of prominent Baptist leaders; original church records; periodicals representing the world-wide Baptist press; national, state and associational published minutes from the vast array of Baptist denominations in the U.S.; and books and pamphlets that are by, about, and against Baptists. Researchers come from all over the world from a multitude of disciplines, including American history, political science, women’s studies, anthropology and sociology. For more information about ABHS, including how to make a research appointment or to volunteer, visit our website at http://www.abhsarchives.org/.

American Baptist Churches is one of the most diverse Christian denominations today, with approximately 5,000 local congregations comprised of 1.3 million members, across the United States and Puerto Rico, all engaged in God’s mission around the world.