King’s College, Cambridge University
England/Scotland Reformation Tour
Sponsored by Reformed Theological Seminary
Friday, April 17—Saturday, April 25, 2009
Land tour cost: $2150
Scroll down for additional details and Registration Form
Reformed Theological Seminary is again sponsoring a Church History Tour to London, Canterbury,
Windsor, Oxford, Olney, Elstow. Bedford, Cambridge, York and continuing to Scotland, before
completing our tour in the beautiful city of Edinburgh. Details of the tour itself as well as cost and
payment options are shown as you scroll down.
The common thread connecting this tour is to look at the historical sites and learn about many of the
people who had an impact on the Christian heritage of the United States. Dr. Don Fortson, Professor
of Church History at RTS-Charlotte will accompany us on the tour and provide a series of minilectures and commentary throughout the tour. The role of the Kings and Queens of England and
Scotland will be studied to learn how their decisions affected both the history and religion of the
area. The background resulting in the Reformation (especially the English Reformation) is
emphasized. The development of the English Bible and the individuals who were a part of this
important work will be highlighted as well as the origins and beliefs of many groups coming out of
the 15th-17th centuries English Reformation.
Previous participants of this tour have told us that they are amazed of how much the tour helped them
to have a better understanding of their cultural and religious history as well as being able to identify
with newspaper and television coverage of sites and people visited or discussed that are a part of this
tour.
As you review the entire tour, you will realize that we cover a lot of places. Most evenings are free
to relax or enjoy meals in nearby local restaurants. Please read the following material and consider
this tour as an excellent, well-planned tour that provides you with opportunity to visit historical sites
and learn of those who brought about change during the middle of the last thousand years. If you
have questions, you may e-mail Luther Bigby at [email protected] or call at 704 688-4234 (leave a
message).
England/Scotland Reformation Tour
April 17—April 25, 2009
Day 1: Friday, April 17
Leave Charlotte (or some more convenient airport) in the afternoon and fly to London, England.
Day 2: Saturday, April 18
Arriving early Saturday morning, we will board our
deluxe coach and make the short trip to Canterbury, the
ecclesiastical capital of England. We’ll tour the historic
Canterbury Cathedral (pictured, left), where Thomas `a
Becket, the Archbishop of Canterbury, was murdered by
four knights of Henry II in 1170. We will return to
London, crossing the Tower Bridge before touring the
Tower of London. We’ll see the “bloody tower” where
Sir Walter Raleigh was held prisoner and Lady Jane
Grey, who was Queen for nine days, was beheaded. We
will also view the actual Crown Jewels and walk
through the White Tower and its contents of early
firearms and body armor of British royalty, before
arriving at our London hotel.
Day 3: Sunday, April 19
Our local guide will take us on a panoramic
sightseeing tour of London before we tour
Westminster Abbey. This famous church was where
the Westminster Confession of Faith was written and
is the location of many of the graves of many of the
world’s most famous people including many of the
early Kings and Queens of England. We’ll continue
our time in London with a short stop at Buckingham
Palace before touring the magnificently-designed St.
Paul’s Cathedral, and then heading to Bunhill Fields
Cemetery, known as the “cemetery of Puritan
England.” Walking through the cemetery, you will
see the graves of John Bunyan—Pilgrim’s Progress,
Isaac Watts--noted hymn writer, Daniel Defoe—
Robinson Crusoe, Susannah Wesley—mother of John and Charles as well as members of the Cromwell
family. Across the street, we’ll visit the Wesley Church located at the Wesley House and Museum and the
location of John Wesley’s gravesite. The Chapel has been the Mother Church of Methodism since the 18th
century. On the way back to our London hotel, we will have the option of shopping at the London’s worldfamous Harrods Department Store.
Day 4: Monday, April 20
Leaving our London hotel, we’ll ride to Windsor, the
site of the 1000 year-old Windsor Castle (pictured, left),
the traditional home of the British Monarchy. Here you
will explore the state apartments (if open), which house a
fabulous collection of treasures including works of art by
Van Dyck, Rubens, and Rembrandt. You will also
view the exquisite restoration completed recently on the
20% of Windsor Castle destroyed by fire in the 1990s.
We also visit Windsor Castle’s St. George’s Chapel, the
burial place of the last ten Sovereigns of the British
Empire. Free time to explore the picturesque streets of
Windsor is given before busing to nearby Runnymede, the site of the signing of the Magna Carta. We’ll
continue to Oxford to see Christ Church College, one of the 39 colleges that are a part of Oxford
University. Our local guide will lead us on a behind-the-scenes tour of the Cathedral as well as point out
Oxford’s relation with Lewis Carroll, who wrote “Alice In Wonderland.” We will also visit the site where
Nicholas Ridley and Hugh Latimer were burned at the stake for their beliefs. On the way to Bedford, we
will stop at the church in Olney where John Newton, the slave-trader turned preacher and writer of the hymn,
“Amazing Grace,” was the Rector and is buried.
Day 5: Tuesday, April 21
After spending the night in Bedford, we will take a
short trip to the village of Elstow, the birthplace of
John Bunyan, the author of Pilgrim’s Progress, the
most widely read book in the world after the Bible.
After visiting the church where he was baptised and
also influenced his allegorical writings, we will go
back to Bedford to visit the Bunyan Museum at the
John Bunyan Free Church—a church that he pastored
in the 1600s. Continuing on our deluxe coach
through the beautiful rolling hills of the central
English countryside, we’ll stop on the outskirts of
Cambridge to visit the restful and beautiful American
Military Cemetery, the only American cemetery in
England. Entering the university city of Cambridge,
we’ll tour King’s College Chapel, one of England’s architectural gems. The Chapel houses
Rubens’s The Adoration of the Magi. Cambridge has been a University town since 1209 when a
small group of students who were fleeing from riot-torn Oxford established a seat of learning there.
Leaving Cambridge, we will arrive in the late afternoon in the walled Viking city of York.. If time
permits, we will attend the Evensong service at Yorkminster, England’s largest medieval church
(pictured above). It boasts the largest collection of medieval stained glass windows in Great
Britain. We should have time to enjoy a “wall-walk” and enjoy shopping in the many unique shops
near the York Minister.
Day 6: Wednesday, April 22
Leaving York, we will ride north through the countryside. If time allows, we will visit Durham Cathedral,
which provides the best look at Norman architecture in England. We’ll cross the England/Scottish “border” and
are immediately met with the beautiful hilly fields and steams of Scotland. We will stop at Jedburg Abbey,
literally a shell of its’ former self, but still providing a great view. We take advantage of nearby Scottish shops
to sample the foods and wools of Scotland before traveling the short distance to the wonderful city of
Edinburgh, certainly one of the most world’s most picturesque, where we spend the next two nights.
Day 7: Thursday, April 23
Our short coach ride will take us to Stirling Castle, probably the most strategically important castle in Scotland.
We’ll learn about “Braveheart” (William Wallace), the Scot who led the Scots to a victory at the Battle of
Stirling Bridge in 1297. We will also visit the site of the Battle of Bannockburn, where Robert the Bruce
decisively defeated the British, under Edward II in 1314. While in Stirling, we’ll visit the Church of the Holy
Rood (Holy Cross). Of particular note is the fact that this is the only active church in Great Britain that can say
that a coronation was held there. James VI was quickly crowned when he was less than a year old - witnessed
by about 13 men, with John Knox preaching the coronation sermon. We will continue to Dunfermline to visit
Dunfermline Abbey. This old abbey holds the remains of Robert the Bruce and Robert Erskine, the Scottish
evangelical leader who helped form the Associate Presbytery - a forerunner of the Associate Reformed
Presbyterian (ARP) Church. We take the short trip to Edinburgh for our second night.
Day 8: Friday, April 24
After a full Scottish breakfast, we will spend the day with
our local guide in Edinburgh with an orientation tour and
a ride to Arthur’s Seat, an extinct volcano in the
downtown area. We’ll continue our tour beginning at the
the lower end of the Royal Mile with a visit to the Palace
of Holyrood House, the Queens official residence in
Edinburgh and continue up the Royal Mile to St. Giles
Cathedral where the Reformer, John Knox, preached
powerful sermons. We also tour the nearby John Knox
House/Museum, before reaching historic Edinburgh
Castle. Parts of the castle date back to the 11th century,
including the apartments of Mary, Queen of Scots and
James IV’s 16th century great hall. Within the castle
grounds is the Stone of Scone, the famous stone recently returned to Scotland, and the Scottish Crown Jewels.
The afternoon will provide time for rest, sightseeing or shopping for Scottish woolens and other gift items. This
evening, we’ll enjoy a delicious Scottish farewell dinner.
Day 9: Saturday, April 25:
After a nourishing breakfast, we’ll check out of our hotel and go to the airport for our return flight to the USA..
Tour Information:
Tour Coordinator: Dr. Don Fortson, Professor of Church History at RTS will provide a series of
mini-lectures and commentary dealing with the historical church history, and the people places and
beliefs throughout the tour. Luther Bigby, retired Vice President for Administration at RTS will
lead the tour and provide some current information concerning the places visited..
Land tour Costs: $2150 Total
Payment Schedule: Payable with Registration $900
Second Payment $750 payable by January 1
Final Payment: $500 payable by February 1
Should the British Pound increase in value against the US Dollar there many be
an adjustment in the cost to recover the cost of the tour. We will make every
effort not initiate this.
The price of $2150 is based on 25 paying participants. An adjustment may be made if fewer sign
up.
General Information:
The land tour price quoted does not include airfare. International airfares are in a state of change—
going up because of fuel prices and taxes and going down when on sale We have found that
participants want to use Frequent Flyer tickets or use a local agent who may have better local
knowledge when they secure their tickets. If however, you desire assistance in ticketing, we will be
happy to assist you.
The cost of the tour includes all hotels, breakfasts, entry fees, payment of guides, gratuities, a
deluxe coach and a “farewell” meal The price does not include airfare International airfares are in
a state of change. Prices go up because of fuel and security surcharges and tax increases and prices
come down when tickets are on sale. We have found that some participants desire to use Frequent
Flyer miles and others desire to use a local travel agent who may be more familiar with local
pricing. With the length of time between now and departure time, we believe that airfare rates will
increase and decrease during the period. Certainly, we can assist you in securing tickets if you
desire, but you may find a sale going on that would reduce the price to make the risk worthwhile.
Participants will receive continuing information concerning the logistics of the tour as well as a
notebook containing information giving you background on the people and places that we will study
and visit.
Travel Insurance: The participant is responsible for making the decision about travel insurance.
Usually the travel insurance must be purchased within a few days of making of the initial payment
if you want pre-existing conditions covered. There are several sources of trip insurance which is
usually based on the age of the insured and the price of the tour. A website about travel insurance
that you may want to review is www.travelex-insurance.com . Again, the participant’s the decision
to purchase or not purchase trip insurance is left up to the tour participant. The only reason
for getting a refund from RTS would be that the tour would be cancelled. In that case, all funds
paid to RTS will be refunded.
To register for the tour:
1. Each person going should fill out a Registration form making sure to show the name the same
that is or will be on your passport (same as your birth certificate).
2. Decide which payment option you will choose.
3. Mail Registration form and check to: RTS Church History Tour
Luther Bigby
2101 Carmel Road
Charlotte, NC 28226
Questions: Contact Luther Bigby via e-mail at [email protected] or call him at 704 688-4234 (leave a
message and he will return the call)
Registration Form
England/Scotland Reformation Tour
April 17-25, 2009
Name____________________________________________________________
(You must register in the exact same name as your passport reads)
Address___________________________________________________________
City, State, ZIP_____________________________________________________
Home Phone # _________________________________________
E-mail address__________________________________________
Name of person to be notified in case of emergency: ____________________________________
Address of person to be notified: ____________________________________________________
City, State, ZIP of person to be notified: ______________________________________________
Phone # of person to be notified: ____________________________________________________
Amount enclosed: ________________ See payment options above
AMOUNTS ARE NOT REFUNDABLE UNLESS TRIP IS CANCELLED
Mail Registration form and check to:
Luther Bigby
RTS England/Scotland Reformation Tour
2101 Carmel Road
Charlotte, NC 28226