DBU Students Participate in Travel Study to England

Through the end of June into early July, 41 Ph.D. students from three different cohorts were able to learn from Dr. Mary Nelson, Director of the Ph.D. in Leadership Studies Program; Dr. Blake Killingsworth, Vice President of Communications; and Dr. Adam C. Wright, DBU's President, in Oxford, England.

"The trip is an essential moment in the doctoral experience," says Dr. Mary Nelson. "We visit the very locales where transformational figures embarked on their journeys as leaders. We spend time at the church of William Carey, the father of modern missions; we visit the underground war rooms where Churchill led WWII against Nazi forces, and we visit the Kilns, the home of CS Lewis, where he penned so many of his works."

Beginning the second week of July, nine undergraduates made their way to Oxford. These students were taught by Dr. Mark Cook, Assistant Professor of Leadership and Biblical Studies; Dr. Michael Whiting, Assistant Professor of Christian History and Leadership; and Dr. Nick Pitts, a Cook School of Leadership alumnus.

"The best part of the trip was the opportunity we had to be fully immersed in what we were learning; each experience was more holistically enriching and everything we learned had a deeper impact," says DBU undergraduate student, Lane Cabler. "At Dallas Baptist University, we are passionate about developing a Christ-centered worldview. In order for that to be true, we must go into the world and experience all it has to offer. We have to see how people around the globe act and think and then establish where we, as Christians, fit into the equation. Travel study opportunities broaden our worldview and bring us to a global understanding of what it means to live and love like Jesus."

Students were able to visit a number of England's historically rich locations and beautiful attractions, including the home of C.S. Lewis known as The Kilns, attend Evensong Service at Oxford's Christ Church, and explore Cambridge as well as Windsor Castle. They also enjoyed historical tours of Blenheim Palace, Parliament, Westminster Abbey, St. Paul's Cathedral, and the Churchill War Rooms in London.

"One of my favorite moments of the trip is when we gathered in St. Peter and St. Paul Church in Olney, England, where John Newton pastored," says Dr. Nelson. "Newton, a former slave ship captain, found Christ and became a pastor and fierce abolitionist. He also penned 'Amazing Grace.' As a group, we sang 'Amazing Grace' in Newton's very own church and we were reminded of the amazing redemption available through Christ alone. It is a sacred moment that I cherish." 

In closing, Dr. Nelson shares "Our ultimate prayer is that the trip will prompt students to carefully consider how the Lord is working in their lives to help them become incarnational leaders—leaders who emulate Christ and boldly advance the kingdom of God."