Ciao! My name is Brenaé Snowden, and I am a Masters of Theology (ThM) student at Dallas Theological Seminary with a deep calling to help restore beauty, biblical literacy, and spiritual formation within the Church. I have been chosen as one of a select cohort of seminary students to travel with Dr.Sandra Glahn to Northern Italy in May 2026 for an immersive study of medieval cathedrals, biblical art, and church history.

As an African American woman in theology and church history, I carry a deep sense of purpose to serve as a bridge builder—bringing insight, representation, and renewed vision that strengthens the Church for future generations. My heart is especially burdened for biblical literacy. Many believers today have limited access to the historical, theological, and artistic richness that has helped Christians understand and connect with God for centuries. This opportunity will equip me to help restore that connection.

Through this experience, I will be equipped to:

• Advance biblical literacy through art and theology by studying how cathedrals, sacred imagery, and architecture were designed to visually teach Scripture and spiritually form believers, and bringing those insights back to help others engage God’s Word more deeply.

• Serve as a bridge builder for underrepresented communities by representing and contributing new perspectives as an African American woman in theological scholarship, and helping make theological beauty, church history, and biblical understanding more accessible to diverse and underserved communities.

• Develop resources to restore beauty and spiritual formation in the Church by using this research to create curriculum, gatherings, and teaching that help churches, especially in inner cities, reconnect with the power of beauty, theology, and visual storytelling as tools for discipleship.

I am incredibly honored to have been awarded a scholarship of $3,875 toward this program. I am currently raising an additional $7,500 to cover travel, tuition, and research expenses for this 21-day study. As the trip takes place at the end of May, my fundraising deadline is April 1st, which will allow me to purchase flights, pay tuition, and complete the necessary preparations.

Your support is an investment in the restoration of beauty and biblical understanding within the Church. It will equip me to bring back knowledge that will serve communities and help cultivate the faith, identity, and spiritual formation of the next generation. My prayer is that what I learn will help others see and encounter the beauty of God in deeper ways.

Thank you for your generosity, prayers, and partnership!

“Let the beauty of the Lord our God be upon us, and establish the work of our hands.” — Psalm 90:17