George Fox University | Academics | Departments | Religious Studies | Faculty | Kendra Irons

Newberg Oregon is a long way from the yellow brick road and yet I can think of no place I'd rather be. Having just arrived this summer (2003), what a stark contrast Oregon is from the sprawling wheat fields of Kansas or the metropolis of Fort Worth, Texas. And yet, immediately I have felt at home. This kind of hospitality is a wonderful tribute to the community here at GFU!

While I wasn't taken up in a whirlwind like Dorothy, my journey here has involved some unexpected and unforeseen turns. One Sunday morning in a small church in Minneola, Kansas, God called me. Now, I did not know what that meant or where this was supposed to take me, but I intended to respond.

That led me to study religion and philosophy at Friends University in Wichita, Kansas. My undergraduate experience confirmed this calling and enabled me to see the numerous possibilities this calling meant. My next destination was Asbury Theological Seminary in Wilmore, Kentucky. Two years later with a degree in theological studies and a firmer vision, my path took me to Fort Worth, Texas. While in Fort Worth, I studied at Baylor University, my major field being the history of Christianity.

In the midst of this journey, I was fortunate enough to marry an excellent man, Bryan, who was willing to make an adventure out of a move to Kentucky and who now is thrilled to become an Oregonian!

I'm excited about being here and would like to meet you and hear your story!