Announcing Our 2023 Essay Contest Winners

Posted On April 18, 2023

One hundred years ago, J. Gresham Machen wrote his classic book Christianity and Liberalism. His answers to rising challenges in the church and the world are perhaps even more necessary now than when the book was published in 1923.

For the opportunity to win a full scholarship for his or her first year of tuition, students were challenged to submit papers on any theme related to Machen’s classic work. Each essay was required to be about 4,500 words in length, while thoughtfully addressing Machen’s clarion call to steer clear of compromise and to stand firm for the faith.

We are pleased to announce that the winner of the 2023 Essay Contest and recipient of a full-year tuition scholarship is Ainsley from Florida. Ainsley’s exemplary essay demonstrated clear and persuasive thinking on themes from Christianity and Liberalism, exhibiting careful theological reflection, biblical exposition, and practical application for the Christian life. Here is a note from Ainsley as she looks forward to joining the RBC family in the fall:

“I almost gave up before my essay was complete, but I’m so glad I didn’t. My hard work truly paid off, and I know it will only continue to pay off while I attend RBC.”

Several other submissions deserve recognition. Mercy from Michigan, Ila from Illinois, and Kate from Georgia also earned an honorable mention scholarship for their outstanding work.

Thank you to everyone who entered the contest. Please join us in congratulating our winners.

This year’s essay topic aligns with the theme of RBC’s 2023 Winter Conference, Machen’s Christianity and Liberalism: 100 Years Later. We hosted this conference on January 16, 2023 on our campus in Central Florida, where we reflected together on Machen’s life and work, his hope in the power of the gospel, and the implications that his classic book Christianity and Liberalism has for the church today.

Many of the sessions from our Winter Conference were livestreamed, and you can watch the recording of each stream on our YouTube channel.

If you are interested in studying at RBC in August, our Admissions team would be happy to answer any of your questions about RBC life. Our well-rounded on-campus and online programs focus on Scripture and the classical humanities. You can review the full list of programs here. We also offer free classes for high school students seeking to earn college credit and continuing education programs for adults interested in auditing classes. Come study the riches of the Reformed tradition with our dedicated faculty this fall.