Alex Simpson ‘19

There are times in life where God works in mysterious and unforeseen ways, and the collegiate search for Alex Simpson ’19 was no exception. The Bowling Green, Ky. native, who majors in worship arts and minors in adventure leadership, had a very specific set of qualities she was hoping to find in a university and ultimately, found that special combination of characteristics at Asbury University.

“At the time, I really tried to narrow my search down to three things: small school, swimming program and somewhere in Kentucky,” Simpson said, reflecting on her path to Asbury. “When I noticed Asbury, I hadn’t ever heard of it, but it fit, so I came to visit.”

The rest, as they say, is history. Simpson came to Asbury in the fall of 2015. For the duration of her freshman year, she was a member of the Asbury swim team and majored in history.  

“It was a nice time,” Simpson said. “But things started changing pretty quickly.”

As her freshman year came hurdling to a close, Simpson found herself at a metaphorical crossroads with her college path.

Having made several friends at Asbury, she found herself surrounded by students of the worship arts discipline. These friendships opened her eyes to new academic passions that she might want to pursue.

“Ministry has always been something I’ve wanted to do,” Simpson said. “I get to help people that way. When I realized that worship arts blended ministry and musical creativity, then I started to look at it more seriously.”

Simpson made the switch from history to worship arts and found her true passion in ministry, thanks to the help of professors and friends at Asbury.

“I just had this overbearing feeling that it was the right decision to make,” Simpson said. “I felt like I had a lot of untapped creative potential that I really wanted to let out and use. It sounds cliché but it’s what the Spirit was wanting me to do.”

At the same time, Simpson made the decision to quit the swim team, electing instead to invest her resources into her new major’s activities, like worship band for Chapel services.

Over the course of her time at Asbury, Simpson has been able to grow tremendously in both her spiritual and academic lives. Now, she’s ready to impact the world with the skills and passion she found in worship arts classes.

“Since I’ve been with [worship arts], I’ve met so many awesome people, I’ve had the opportunity to work together with others who are strong in their beliefs and faith,” Simpson said. “The people I get to meet and work with are definitely worth it. The classes have helped me find and strengthen what I believe theologically.”

Like most Asbury students, Simpson has taken advantage of faculty, staff and alumni connections to begin impacting the world even before graduation. On more than a couple of occasions, Simpson has led the worship music during service at Church Under the Bridge (a ministry for the homeless each Sunday in Lexington).

“Our guests love it when they see Alex will be worshipping with us,” said Asbury Assistant Vice President of Marketing & Communications Brad Johnson, who manages the ministry. “Just two weeks ago Alex was with us and one of our guests said, ‘Hey look, the angel is back to lead us in song!’”

When it comes to post-graduate life, her plans are fit to her character. “I want to blend ministry, music and the outdoors,” Simpson said. “Wherever the Spirit leads me is where I’ll go. Frankly, it doesn’t matter to me where I go as long as I can help others who need it.”

When asked how Asbury has been influential for her, she answered immediately. Along with the quality education and passion she found at Asbury, Simpson gained a supportive community of people to walk through life, on campus and beyond, with.

“I truly believe that I’ve met some of the most genuinely good, loving and friendly people at Asbury,” Simpson said. “Many of them have become very good friends. Having friends like that makes everything worthwhile.”