Former TIME Magazine Beijing bureau chief Dr. David Aikman announced this week the launch of Aikman Opportunity Award that seeks to identify, encourage, and support a new generation of Christian nonfiction testimony writers.

Unlike most writing contests that award prizes for already completed manuscripts, the Aikman Opportunity Award promises a top prize of $20,000 to the writer who can compose the most compelling book proposal of true stories of how God has worked transformatively in the lives of individuals and communities, according to a statement released by Aikman Award.

As a journalist for TIME Magazine since the 60s, Aikman has observed the courage of Cambodian Christians before facing the Khmer Rouge insurgents, who killed the Christians when the Communists won, and met with China’s underground house churches during and after the massacre in Tiananmen Square in Beijing in 1989. Moreover, he has also witnessed war and unrest in Israel and Middle East in the early 1980s.

“All of these experiences confirmed for me the advantage and the wisdom of looking at the world through Christian eyes,” said Aikman, in the press release, noting the Christian testimonies produced in the 1970s and 1980s that told of people experiencing God’s faithfulness in wide array of circumstances.

“In recent years, though, the wellspring of good testimony writing has become drier. Yet, today it’s more important than ever to tell people what God is doing in the world,” he said. “At the end of the day writing, especially Christian writing, is a God-given calling.”

Explaining his intent for starting this writer’s contest, Aikman said, “I want to provide a spark of inspiration and a real practical incentive for Christian writers to start telling the most wonderful story we will ever hear: what God is doing in the lives of ordinary people.”

The organizers are seeking experienced and professionally trained writers, under the age of 35, who are motivated and capable of writing a full length work of Christian nonfiction. The contestant must reside in Canada, the USA, the United Kingdom or the Republic of Ireland.

Article submission is accepted on March 1, and the deadline is May 1. A carefully selected panel of judges will short-list the applicants and create a list of finalists, which will be announced on June 1, 2013. Upon notification, the finalists will then be required to prepare a 2,000 - 4,000 word proposal outlining their vision and offering verification of the authenticity of their story.

For more information, please visit: http://aikmanaward.com