Our staff was shocked and grieved to hear this evening that Len Evans passed away last night in Alabama. He was 50 years old.
Len served with NNYM from 2009-2016 as a state coordinator in Texas and Oklahoma, then in the West Texas area. He was deeply appreciated for his whimsical humor, love of all things superhero, crazy socks and his beloved Boston Red Sox.
But more significantly, anyone who knew Len was drawn to his compassion, intelligence, deep capacity for enduring friendship, and concern for the souls of those who serve in ministry, especially youth leaders.
Len's life was marked by grace and service. He graduated from Auburn University in Montgomery, Alabama and then went to Dallas Seminary for his MA. He served as a youth pastor and started youth leader networks in several states, joined the NNYM team, and recently returned to Alabama where he served as a pastor and hospice chaplain.
He spoke often to members of our team of how proud he was of his two daughters.
As a writer, he contributed to many articles and books, including, most appropriately, The Youth Workers Book of Hope. It was hope and encouragement that many who knew him would say was his legacy, volunteering often at youth worker conferences to offer a listening ear and counsel to those who would say, "He encouraged me to keep going."