The Presbyterian Church USA presented the Northern Kansas Presbytery with the inaugural John B. Evans Award for supporting and funding the theological education in the denomination, during the annual gathering of the Theological Education Funding Network in Chicago, April 15, 2004.

The Evans award, established by the Theological Education Advancement Team, will be an annual award, honoring those who pledge at least 1 percent of the operating budgets each year to the Theological Education Fund. In 2003, over 2,100 congregations contributed to the fund, which is the only church-wide vehicle to support the PCUSA seminaries.

John B. Evans, a native of Laurinburg, NC, served the PC(USA) as a pastor, college professor and presbytery executive and in various education-related departments of the national staff before his retirement in 1994.

“John Evans has been an inspiration to all of us who work on behalf of theological education in the Presbyterian Church,” said Patsy Godwin of the Office of Theological Education. “His work (as executive presbyter) in New Harmony Presbytery has become the model for encouraging every presbytery to take ownership of the Theological Education Fund.”