Asbury University Students Integrate Faith and Politics Through D.C. Trip

Asbury Reflects on Politics and Faith Through Washington Federal Seminar Class

In late January, as part of a three-credit Asbury University course (PS 300: Washington Federal Seminar), eight Asbury students visited Washington, D.C., to hear policymakers and activists, see landmark buildings and monuments, and to reflect upon the interaction of politics and faith. Dr. Steve Clements ’83, Asbury Professor of Political Science and Chair of the Asbury Social Science and History Department, led the trip which included attending the three-day-long Christian Student Leadership Conference (CSLC), sponsored by the National Association of Evangelicals.

Asbury students are challenged repeatedly, over an intense week, to consider the array of opportunities that are available to them for direct involvement in politics in our national capital, and how they as followers of Christ can have an impact in government and service.”

Dr. Steve Clements Asbury Professor of Political Science and Chair of the Asbury Social Science and History Department

In addition to touring the United States Capitol, the Supreme Court, and the Library of Congress, Asbury students sat on the floor of the House chamber. Visited sites included the Eisenhower Executive Office Building, the Basilica of the Immaculate Conception, the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, the National Air and Space Museum, and monuments along the Mall (including the Lincoln Memorial and the WWII Memorial). Students also heard briefings in the Russell Senate Office Building and met with Kentucky delegation members.

“Washington, D.C., sits at the crossroads of national and global politics: exactly the kind of space my generation should be willing to step into,” said Asbury Finance major Santiago Burgos Villeda ’28 (hometown: Tegucigalpa, Honduras). “During my time in the Capitol, I met with policymakers and thought leaders who helped shape the world through their decisions. This trip was a gift. It reminded me that we’re called to carry the character of Jesus Christ into every space, including the way we engage politics and public life.”

Clements reflects on the trip, which began more than 40 years ago.

“Asbury students have been taking part in the CSLC for decades,” he said. “In fact, I attended this conference myself along with several other Asbury students when I was a senior, way back in January of 1983.”

Clements outlines the nature of the class for students.

“We have numerous Monday evening class sessions on campus (before and after the trip), with an assigned book, journaling, and various writing assignments,” he said. “We may adjust this trip-course from time to time, but we hope to keep stewarding the tradition of the Washington Federal Seminar into the future.”

Asbury University graduates continue to pursue excellence in their fields. Almost 90 percent of Asbury History or Social Science majors attend graduate school. For the past two years, 100 percent of all Asbury Social Studies Teacher Education graduates have received placement in the teaching workforce.