On Friday, October 31, two missionaries from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints made an unexpected appearance on Samford University’s campus. The pair set up on Ben Brown, engaging students in conversations about faith and their beliefs.
The sight very quickly drew attention on the Baptist campus, where discussion of theology and denominational difference are not uncommon, but are rarely so public.
According to Elder Stringham, one of the missionaries, their purpose was straightforward.
“Our intent wasn’t necessarily to engage in theological discussions,” he said. “We wanted to help people come closer to Christ.”
Still, their presence naturally invited questions and debate. Students stopped by on their way to class to listen, ask questions, and in some cases, offer their own perspectives on Christianity.
“The responses were great, the students are very knowledgeable and kind,” Stringham said.
For some students, the encounter was an unexpected test of both conviction and composure. Samford Junior, Stephen Heath, who spoke at length with one of the missionaries, described the tension between hospitality and theological clarity.
“With respect to him, if you’re going to come to a Christian campus that you know is Christian, you can’t come here and spread a different gospel and expect not to be met with some sort of challenge,” Heath said. “If I went to a predominantly Mormon school tabling for my beliefs, I would not expect to get out without some sort of exchange of ideas.”
Senior Liza Coffin, who observed the interactions from nearby, admitted she was initially nervous about how the Samford community might react.
“I was scared to see how Samford was going to represent themselves, but honestly, I was impressed,” Coffin said. “They did a good job. It was very respectful.”
She added, “I think our students kind of saw it as an opportunity to be like, ‘Well, let me talk to you about Christianity.’”
While the conversations drew a crowd, the university clarified that the missionaries had not received permission to be on campus.
Chief Tommy Taylor of Samford’s Department of Public Safety explained, “Campus staff members told the group to leave because requests for outside groups to be on campus are supposed to be approved by the University (regardless of type of group or purpose).”
Taylor emphasized that “DPS was not directly involved in the conversation with them and the group left without any incident or issue.”
Though their visit was brief, students did not shy away from conversation or conviction; instead, they responded with measured faith and intellectual curiosity.
As Elder Stringham and his companion left the campus, the exchange left a quiet impression on both sides: one of mutual respect, shared belief in Christ, and a lasting example of what it means to live out one’s faith with grace.
Staff Reporter
