Experience England & Scotland on a GTI Signature Study Tour and you'll see Scripture in a new light.
On this Signature Study Tour, journey with us through our British Christian heritage from ancient Christianity to Mere Christianity and give our modern faith ancient roots. Christians reached Roman Britannia by the second century, and their legacy continues to shape our lives today.
In London, we’ll explore biblical artifacts at the British Museum—tangible evidence from the ancient world that affirms the names and stories of Scripture. We’ll walk in the footsteps of great Reformers who championed religious freedom, including John Wycliffe, William Tyndale, John Wesley, George Whitefield, Lord Shaftesbury, John Newton, and William Wilberforce. In Cambridge, we’ll dive into the development of the Bible and hear from world-renowned experts on the reliability of Biblical manuscripts. Oxford will take us through pivotal moments in the Reformers fight with Bloody Mary, and we’ll also immerse ourselves in the world of C.S. Lewis and the Inklings. We’ll consider the intersection of faith and science at Woolsthorpe Manor, home to Isaac Newton, scientist and theologian. Further north, we’ll step into the awe-inspiring York Minster Cathedral and attend the choral evensong worship service, a tradition going back over 1000 years. In Durham, we’ll visit the renowned Cathedral and work with the University’s Department of Archaeology to uncover discoveries tied to early Christianity in England. We’ll walk on the Roman ruins of Hadrian’s Wall (122 AD), and visit Lindisfarne Priory & Castle, founded in 635 by the extraordinary Irish monks who journeyed from Iona (Scotland), summoned by the first Christian Anglo-Saxon king. Finally, in Edinburgh, we’ll walk the Royal Mile, where the Scottish Reformation was ignited. In short, come and “meet” the people who form the bridge between Bible times and our times.
Traveling between sites, we’ll hear stories about leaders who all publicly owned the Christian faith, and how their faith shaped their impact (or not) and what it means for us today—from regents like King Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn and Bloody Mary, to scholars like Erasmus, economists like Adam Smith, and social reformers like Florence Nightingale, to literary giants like Shakespeare and Milton and Bunyan and Dickens and Austen, to scientific pioneers like Isaac Newton and Francis Crick, and many others—including of course Lewis and Tolkien!
After growing up in Georgia, Adam spent 17 years serving in Russia with Moscow Bible Church locally and training pastors nationally. He met his wife Heather there, also serving in missions in Moscow and Siberia. In 2011, the Richardsons moved to Cambridge, England, for PhD studies. Since 2015, Adam has been serving on the pastoral staff of the Church at Sandhurst in South Carolina. Adam loves the good gifts of God’s creation – the ocean, coffee, woodworking, and nature. He loves old things that last – old trees, old churches, old books with old thoughts that live on, old stories that wear well with time, old songs renewed, old movies (original Star Wars, please), old tools that are simple and strong, and especially old people who are full of stories that may stretch and fade but deeply satisfy. Perhaps this is why he’s uniquely passionate about reviving old roots for modern faith in the ancient land of Britain.
Adam loves Tolkien and Lewis such that he is always reading The Hobbit and LOTR, as well as Narnia. His love of nature, food, simple labors and simple joys, at times makes him suspect having Hobbit blood, with not-so distant relations to the Bagginses and Tooks, though more realistically with the Pevensies. All of this would be spurious if it were not for his world-class education: Adam received his BA from Vanderbilt (Russian, English), his MA from Dallas Theological Seminary (Biblical Studies), and his PhD from the University of Leicester (History), a study of the life and works of the 17th century English minister Thomas Manton. Adam's wife Heather received her BS from Cornell (Human Development and Family Studies) and her MA from the University of South Carolina in Library and Information Science. Adam and Heather were married in 2001 and have three teenagers, which keeps the house hopping!
You will book your own flights and meet the rest of the group in London.
There are no official GTI events this day, so depending on when you arrive, suggested self-guided tours in the London area include: Westminster Abbey, Tower of London, Buckingham Palace, Windsor Castle, National Gallery, “Hop-on Hop-off” bus tour, London eye.
We’ll begin in Cambridge, where we’ll visit the Round Church (built 1130), tour the University (founded 1209), have lunch at the historic Eagle Pub, visit the International Bible Society’s archive in the Cambridge Library, and see the world-class Tyndale House Biblical Library, where Dr Peter Williams will walk us through the nature and reliability of Biblical manuscripts, and staff will present modern discoveries related to the Old Testament fueling our confidence in Scripture. Bring your Bible questions!
Christian Heritage London’s Ben Virgo will lead us in the morning on a City Walk through centuries of Christian History with stories of Wycliffe, Tyndale, Wesley, Whitefield, Lord Shaftesbury, John Newton and William Wilberforce. In the afternoon, Ben will lead us through Biblical history on display in the British Museum, including ancient artifacts relating to Abraham, Ashurbanipal, Isaiah, Esther, Sennacherib, Nehemiah, Jehu, Hezekiah and Paul.
In Oxford we’ll visit the ancient university, as well as the site of King Henry VIII’s daughter (Bloody) Mary burning reformers at the stake. But primary focus will be on the life and places of C S Lewis, who lived and taught and worshipped there. We’ll start with a tour of his actual home - The Kilns, then go to his church and his grave, before lunch at the Lamb and Flag, where the Inklings used to meet. Then on to Magdalen College where he studied and finishing at Addison’s Walk, where J R R Tolkien convinced him of the viability of theism. A huge treat for Lewis fans!
We’ll travel from London to Woolsthorpe Manor, the mid-1600’s homestead of Sir Isaac Newton. If you are interested in the connection of Christianity and science, come and see how Newton’s Christian faith didn’t compete with his science - it fueled it (a first edition of Newton’s math book is worth $95,000 - check your attic). After lunch, we’ll travel from Woolsthorpe to York, which has seen 2000 years of continuous history from the Romans, Anglo-Saxons, Vikings, and Normans to the present. We’ll visit the soaring York Minster Cathedral, first built 627 (rebuilt 1220-1472), where we will attend the afternoon “Evensong” choral worship service (a tradition going back over 1000 years). The Great East Window in the Minster was finished in 1408, and is the largest expanse of medieval stained glass in the world.
We’ll spend the morning in the beautiful Roman and medieval town of Durham, including a visit to the WHS Durham Cathedral (built 1093-1133) where St Cuthbert and the Venerable Bede are both buried. Behind the Cathedral stands the Castle that housed the Norman prince-bishops from the 11th century. After lunch we will visit Durham University, where the Department of Archaeology staff will walk us through research findings in the Durham and Northumberland region which provide evidence for Christianity all the way back to Roman Britain.
A big day! We’ll begin at WHS Hadrian’s Wall Housestead Roman fortress, built by Emperor Hadrian in 122 the entire length of the north of Britannia east-to-west to keep out the barbarian tribes. From there we will travel to Lindisfarne or “Holy Island” on the coast of Northumbria, one of the most important sites of early Christianity in Britain. Irish monks from Iona in Scotland founded a Benedictine monastery here in 634. Later led by St Cuthbert, this monastery produced the beautiful 8th century Lindisfarne Gospels, survived a brutal Viking raid, and ultimately lived as a Christian worship center for 900 years. From Lindisfarne we’ll take a scenic drive along the rugged Northumrian coast, up into Scotland and over to Edinburgh.
We’ll join local guide Paul James-Griffiths on a full day tour focusing on the extraordinary Christian history of the Royal Mile. We begin at Magdalen Chapel, birthplace of the Scottish Reformation led by John Knox, the beautiful Presbytery Hall with its treasures, the Covenanter memorials, Greyfriars’ Kirk, St Giles’ Cathedral and the historic St Columba’s Free Church. After lunch we continue with a visit to the Covenanters’ Prison, and then the National Museum which houses artefacts such as the National Covenant, early Celtic Christian crosses, and Chi-Rho silverware dated at about AD 410. Our route continues with the statue of philosopher David Hume, and then proceeds to St Giles’, John Knox’s grave, and as far down as John Knox’s House. The Royal Mile is rich with Christian history: see where the Covenanters were imprisoned and executed for their faith, and where Samuel Rutherford’s Lex Rex was burnt. Stand where the revivalist George Whitefield shook the city in 1741, and where Billy Graham preached in 1948. This evening we’ll gather for a final dinner to reflect on our time in Britain.
Our journey together has come to an end. Catch your flight from Edinburgh home or to your next travel destination.
More than simply a statement about pricing, “All Inclusive” describes GTI’s holistic approach to facilitating purposeful travel and experiential learning in cooperation with our Ministry Partners.
Your tour leader, study materials, and even itinerary are biblically focused, creating a journey that will draw you more deeply into God’s Word with each step you take.
Each stop on your itinerary is selected because it provides an experience than brings meaning and emotional significance to the information you will be learning.
There’s no need to worry about wasting time and money haggling or being surprised by hidden costs. Except for souvenirs and optional upgrades, every part of your trip is covered.
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We take care of everything so you can stay focused during your Study Tour, including providing you with a hydration backpack, study guide, plug adapter, and even a flashlight (when the trip calls for it).
We have spent years developing relationships with experienced guides and drivers because they are an integral part of a study tour. And if you already have a trusted guide/driver you prefer that’s ok too!
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