Drs. Karen and Mark Alexander Witness God’s Faithfulness Through Missions During Sabbatical

Traveling overseas during a time of sabbatical, Drs. Karen and Mark Alexander were encouraged as they witnessed how God is moving around the world as they reconnected with their missionary community, visited historic mission sites, and met with DBU alumni serving internationally.

Both Karen and Mark developed a heart for missions early in life, shaped by their Christian upbringing, international experiences, and involvement in church ministry. Throughout their careers, they have served in higher education, ministry, and in the mission field. Karen taught English at Longwood University in Virginia before becoming a professor of English and Spanish at Baylor University as she began her Ph.D., while Mark pastored two churches in Buckingham County, Virginia. The couple later joined the International Mission Board to serve as missionaries in Córdoba, Argentina, where they lived for 25 years.

Returning to the U.S. to take care of their parents, Karen and Mark became part of the DBU Family—Karen as a Professor of English and Spanish, and Mark as an Assistant Professor of Missions before becoming a Professor of Missions and the Director of the M.A. in Global Leadership Program. "One of the best things about being at DBU is getting to be part of what God is doing to prepare a new generation of missionaries for service," Mark shares.

After serving on University Hill for many years, the couple took a sabbatical during the Fall 2025 semester, dedicating time to spend with the Lord and pursue research to incorporate into their courses. As Karen and Mark traveled to Scotland, Oxford, Barcelona, Denia, Valencia, Argentina, and Bolivia, they visited historic mission sites and with DBU alumni serving as missionaries.

During this time of research, Karen studied Elizabeth Cary, a contemporary of Shakespeare and the first woman to publish a play in English, while Mark focused on James Thomson, an early cross-cultural missionary from Scotland. Drawing from their research and experiences, Karen and Mark brought back visuals of historic mission sites, including Lindisfarne in Scotland and the San Isidoro del Campo Monastery in Spain; religious context for Cary's play The Tragedy of Mariam; and stories from individuals in mission-related fields, allowing students to engage more deeply with the history and impact of missions.

While continuing their research, Karen and Mark reconnected with the community they had served with as missionaries in Argentina. During this time, Mark preached and shared in three different congregations, and the two participated in an associational gathering where 25 churches were represented.

A highlight from Karen and Mark's trip was connecting with DBU alumni serving as missionaries in the UK, Spain, and Argentina. As they met with eight alumni, Karen and Mark heard each person's testimony, which have been shared in DBU's prayer ministry to continue supporting the mission of reaching people with the Word of God.

Among those alumni were Emily Dark and Shelby Weatherly, who are both serving in Spain. Karen and Mark learned more about Emily's experience serving with Restore Hope, where she and the team minister to Muslim immigrants in Barcelona, and Shelby's experience in coordinating and leading volunteers at the Alfa y Omega School in Denia.

Karen and Mark continued to see God's faithfulness through the lives of their former community in Argentina and DBU alumni serving around the world. "To see men and women that God has transformed continuing to serve and reach out to others in spite of physical challenges, economic hardships, and emotional trauma, reminds me that He who calls us is faithful, and He will do His redemptive work," Dr. Karen Alexander says.

Today, Karen and Mark attend Duncanville's First Baptist Church. Karen serves on various committees, including a Spanish-speaking journey group, while Mark teaches a couples' Sunday School class in Spanish. The couple has three children, Ariel, Lucas, and Steven, and six grandchildren.

Throughout each season of life, Karen and Mark have witnessed God's goodness and faithfulness in providing exactly what they needed. They know that the Lord will continue to go before them and pray that the research, experiences, and testimonies would be encouragement for more DBU students to share about the Lord in their own communities, across the United States, and around the world.