Published on May 22, 2018 by Sean Flynt  
BHHS
Student Hannah Atchley will present her research at the annual conference of the Baptist History and Heritage Society

Rising Samford University sophomore Hannah Atchley will present original research at the annual conference of the Baptist History and Heritage Society (BHHS) at Smoke Rise Baptist Church in Stone Mountain, Georgia, May 31-June 1. The BHHS also honored her with a conference travel grant from its Alberta Canady Mission Fund for Young Scholars, supported by Scott Boulevard Baptist Church of Decatur, Georgia.

The theme of this year’s BHHS conference is “Baptist Women in the Twentieth Century: Missionaries, Mission Leaders, Churchwomen, Civil Rights Activists, and Ministers.” The organization selected Atchley, a global and cultural studies major, on the strength of her proposed presentation, “Have Sex and Race Influenced Single White Southern Baptist Women to Become International Missionaries?”.

Atchley’s presentation, based on a research paper she completed in a Communication Arts course led by professor Carol Ann Vaughn Cross, explores the experiences of three women, including Samford alumna alumna Martha Myers. As a conference presenter, Atchley will have the opportunity to submit the paper to the BHHS Journal for publication.

In addition to Cross, Samford professors Angela Ferguson, Delane Tew and Anna DeVries inspired and encouraged Atchley in her freshman year, and hope to guide her as she continues to explore the intersection of sex, race, class and religion. Tew and Cross will literally be by Atchley's side at the BHHS conference. Tew will serve as the moderator for Atchley's session. Cross will present her own research on the first woman to address the Southern Baptist Convention.

 
Samford is a leading Christian university offering undergraduate programs grounded in the liberal arts with an array of nationally recognized graduate and professional schools. Founded in 1841, Samford is the 87th-oldest institution of higher learning in the United States. Samford enrolls 6,101 students from 45 states, Puerto Rico and 16 countries in its 10 academic schools: arts, arts and sciences, business, divinity, education, health professions, law, nursing, pharmacy and public health. Samford fields 17 athletic teams that compete in the tradition-rich Southern Conference and ranks 6th nationally for its Graduation Success Rate among all NCAA Division I schools.