Students, faculty trace Paul’s footsteps from Acts on trip to Greece

Over 80 Liberty University students, faculty, and friends traveled to Greece during Winter Break to follow in the footsteps of the Apostle Paul’s second missionary journey.

The trip was coordinated by the LU Send Office along with the John W. Rawlings School of Divinity and School of Education and offered students from any academic program to gain course credit studying Acts 16-18 while visiting the same sites where Paul himself shared the Gospel almost two millennia ago.

Eight university faculty led the trip, held Jan. 7-18. Students came from various educational, geographical, and personal backgrounds, including many who are pursuing their degrees through Liberty University Online Programs and some U.S. military service members.

“It adds a dimension to your education outside of the classroom,” said School of Divinity Online Chair Dr. John Cartwright, who spearheaded the trip. “Obviously, we love the classroom. But you could teach Acts in a classroom, or you could go to where Acts took place. It adds a three-dimensional aspect to your learning.”

While in Greece, participants heard lectures on biblical narratives where those very stories took place. Historical sites visited included Mars Hill, the monasteries of Meteora, Corinth, Athens, Thessaloniki, and more.

For pastoral leadership senior Preston Styons, the trip marked an opportunity to see the Bible in an entirely new light.

“(This trip is) a crazy way to look at how God worked in Greece and Macedonia during (biblical) times,” he said. “It takes you to a place where you don’t just feel like you’re reading, but you can actually picture (the stories) and say, ‘The same God that is working in my life in Lynchburg, Va., is also working and did work in Greek and Northern Macedonia, in Phillipi, and in all of the places I was able to literally see.’ … A real faith and real men who existed and lived for Christ lived here. It kind of made me come home and say, ‘Wow, that’s the same God, and I need to live in the same way back home.’”

Trip participants also spent a morning at Greek Bible College, where they learned about the struggles affecting Greece’s evangelical population as well as the ongoing refugee and human trafficking crises in the country.

“We want our student body to have a Kingdom mindset and to see the world,” Cartwright said. “Greece is not just an ancient country; it’s a current country with real needs.”

School of Education Associate Professor Dr. Megan Cordes led a discussion on Greek education and postsecondary education in the United States from the steps of the Acropolis Museum. Having been on numerous LU Send trips in the past, she said the Greece trip was her favorite as a Liberty faculty member.

“These are really valuable trips, not only for our students, but we also believe so much in them that we’re willing to pay for our families to come along too and experience different cultures,” she said, noting that she previously took her son on a Liberty trip to Rwanda.

On the trip, students were able to build lasting relationships with their peers and faculty members. In addition to structured lectures, the group also held impromptu Bible studies, attended a church service led by Liberty Theological Seminary Professor Dr. Kevin King, and more.

“It was an incredible experience because it’s not every day that you get the opportunity to walk the same steps of a missionary you look up to,” said Ariana Davis, who is pursuing a Master of Arts in Pastoral Counseling – Crisis Response and Trauma. “On Day 1 we were making connections solely from the joy of the Lord and experiencing that joy with other people while also witnessing what God has done many, many years ago. You can’t even deny the presence and existence of the Lord because it’s right there in front of you. It’s just truly remarkable.”

During the trip, Davis and some of her classmates lived out the Gospel by witnessing to a girl they met and rejoicing with her when she gave her life to Christ.

“It was so beautiful because that was our last full day in Greece,” Davis said. “It’s hard not to think that if Paul wasn’t bold, and if God never called Paul in that time, we would never have had a reason to go to Greece and walk in his same steps. And this beautiful girl would have never gotten saved.”

“Being able to learn about Paul and then participate in continuing his ministry in the same cities he did, it was (incredible),” she added. “You don’t often see your seeds grow when you plant them. It was just remarkable.”

Last month’s trip was just one of many future collaborative trips between the School of Divinity and the School of Education. In September, Cartwright and Cordes will lead a trip to Rwanda where students will be able to serve alongside local churches while experiencing the country’s rich culture. During next year’s Winter Break, the schools plan to offer another trip to historical biblical sites, with more details to be announced.

The LU Send Office provides numerous opportunities for students to gain course credit overseas, whether through Study Abroad or organized trips. Students interested in future trips can apply through the LU Send portal.

“We couldn’t do without LU Send; they are the backbone,” Cartwright said. “They’re really good at what they do, working with tour companies and risk management, which is a big factor when you’re traveling across the world. I always appreciate (Executive Director) Audrey Hammond and her team because their role is so important at LU Send. I don’t know that most schools would be able to put together a trip like this without their help.”