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For HANS LEAMAN ’96, being rooted in Christ means recognizing that we belong to someone with a marvelous vision for redemption. Through his work as an educator, historian, and leader, he has dedicated his career to helping others understand their place within God’s story and the global church. It is this commitment to Christian discipleship, lifelong learning, and cultivating the next generation of faith-filled leaders that led the school to name him an LM Alumnus of the Year.
Today, Hans serves as Academic Dean and Associate Professor of History at Sattler College in Boston, where he helps lead a classical Christian liberal arts program rooted in the values of the early church and the Anabaptist tradition. His teaching and scholarship focus on church history, migration, and discipleship.
Hans traces many of these interests back to his years at Lancaster Mennonite. “The teachers gave me a sense of excitement about being part of the global church,” he recalls. Many faculty members had served in other countries and shared firsthand experiences of Christian communities around the world. Their example helped him see the church not simply as a local gathering, but as a worldwide body of believers connected through Christ.
After graduating from LM, Hans studied at Princeton University and Yale University before working as an attorney, researcher, and professor. His work with refugees and asylum seekers, research on migration and religious freedom, and recent presentations during the 500 Years of Anabaptism commemoration all reflect that calling to help others understand God’s work across cultures and throughout history.
In this season of life, Hans says marriage and parenting with his wife, Kara, has become his greatest teachers. Watching his children marvel at ordinary things reminds him of the virtue Jesus commended in children. “That kind of marvel breeds gratefulness and humility,” he says.
Whether teaching history, writing about Anabaptist theology, or raising his family, Hans seeks to help others understand their place within God’s larger story. He often describes believers as becoming “a new branch on a larger tree” when they join the church—supported by the prayers and faith of those who came before them and called to strengthen those who come after.
For Hans, a life rooted in Christ is one that remains connected—to Scripture, to the church, to the generations who have gone before, and to the God who continues to guide His people today.
