Many Hillsdale students have found themselves receiving emails, advertising a weekly Bible study. For most, it’s a mystery how they ended up on the email list.

Freshman Paul Bwamiki, an international student from Uganda, started the Bible study at the end of last semester.  

Bwamiki first began attending Bible studies as a middle schooler. 

“When I was in grade seven, I started praying with other students in my school,” Bwamiki said. “I was so happy when I came to Hillsdale because it’s a Christian community.”

After arriving at Hillsdale, Bwamiki said he felt called to continue his spiritual outreach in the Hillsdale student body. 

“Last semester, as I was reading and doing my assignments, I reached a point where I’d lost my place in the reading,” he recalled. “When I lost the reading, I started praying, and that’s when it came into my mind — I needed to start a Bible study.”

Bwamiki wasn’t quite sure how to start the group, but he felt confident that he needed to give it a try regardless.

“I had a lot of questions,” Bwamiki said. “How would I start it? Who knows me? Where are we going to be having it? But inside, God told me what to do.”

Bwamiki proceeded by inviting anyone who might have an interest in joining the study via email or personal contact. He also added plenty of students to the email list at random.  The list now has 100 total recipients.

“It’s mostly random,” Bwamiki said. “There are even some professors on the list. I’d just type in names of people I know and go from there, adding anyone else that pops up.”

Bwamiki decided to gather students at the end of their busy weeks, choosing Friday at 6:30 p.m. for his weekly Bible study.

“He actually approached me first,” said freshman Maria Adamow, a classmate of Bwamiki’s. “It was after lab on a Tuesday, and he came up to me and asked if I was interested in a Bible study that met on Fridays. He explained what they do and invited me to be on the email list.”

Bwamiki didn’t expect many students to join him for his first study, but he was surprised by the turnout.

“I didn’t expect anyone to come because no one knew about it and few people knew me,” Bwamiki said. “The first day, I went in and started praying to God knowing I was going to be there alone. But surprisingly, six people came.”

Bwamiki’s study focuses on student input and a collaborative analysis of scripture.

“It’s not just one person speaking — everyone can be given an opportunity,” Bwamiki said. “It’s an interaction where everyone gets to express what they think. Then after, we open up the Bible and see what the Bible says.”

Freshman Jean Veillard is glad to be a participant in the study.

“At first I didn’t want to go because I wasn’t really interested. But I went once, and I just keep coming back every Friday. We spend time learning new things, but we also meet new people.,” Veillard said. “He always tells people to come with a friend.”

Bwamiki sees his endeavor to organize and lead the Bible study as a duty of his faith. 

“If the world ends right now or if Jesus comes back right now, and the world disappears, and we face Christ, he may ask me, ‘When you were in Hillsdale, what did you contribute to Hillsdale other than the academic part — but based on the spiritual, what did you add into this community?’”