Meet DBU Alumnus Shawn Spurrier, Director of Buckner Shoes for Orphan Souls

"Whether it's a single hopeful moment such as washing the feet of a child, placing a pair of new shoes on their feet and letting them know God loves them and has a plan for them, or seeing how that pair of shoes opens doors for entire families to plug into Buckner programs where they experience life change and achieve sustainability, I am consistently reminded of the value of how small acts of generosity can lead to greater transformation."

Shawn Spurrier ('13) is the Director of Buckner Shoes for Orphan Souls, one of Buckner International's largest humanitarian aid projects. His time on University Hill spurred his passion for serving vulnerable communities in a Christ-centered manner. Shawn's story is a testament to DBU's mission of sending Christ-centered servant leaders around the world.

Shawn was raised in Grand Prairie, Texas, not too far from the DBU campus. As a child raised in the 90s, his life was filled with skateboarding, baseball, and music. Music is a vital part of Shawn's story, as he fell in love with it at a young age. His passion for music drove him to learn how to play the drums and play in various bands as a teenager.

Shawn was always curious about the Christian faith as a child. He remembers accepting Christ in his first-grade classroom at the private Christian school he attended. Shawn reflected, "Our principal asked if anyone would like to discuss having a relationship with Christ. I vividly remember kneeling in her office and praying to receive Christ as my Savior." From that point, he started a faith journey filled with seasons in which God was always faithful.

In his early twenties, Shawn traveled with his band. Two of his bandmates were students at DBU, and most of his community were students who studied there. When he began transitioning out of the season of traveling, he felt compelled to finish his degree. Due to his bandmate's positive experience at DBU, Shawn applied and enrolled.

When Shawn was in junior high and high school, he wasn't always the greatest student. He found it difficult to connect with the teachers and the material. However, everything changed when he began his classes at DBU. Through his coursework and interactions with professors, he discovered a lifelong love for learning. He fondly remembers courses with Dr. Danny Rose and Dr. Jack Goodyear being highlights for him during his time on campus. As a student, he was a member of the Psi Xi chapter of Lambda Pi Eta National Communications Honor Society. "DBU laid the foundation for my further academic pursuits." Motivated by his newfound love for learning, Shawn continued his education and earned an M.A. from Moody Theological Seminary in 2024.

During his time at DBU, the Lord revealed Shawn's calling during a mission trip with Northway Church (formerly The Village Church's Dallas Northway campus). He traveled to Vishakhapatnam, India, where they served local children coming from vulnerable situations and communities. Shawn reflected, "I left this trip knowing I wanted to spend the next seasons of my life and career serving vulnerable people and communities in a Christ-centered ministry setting." It was on this trip that he discovered his calling to serve others in such a way that is reflective of Christ.

Shawn's time studying communications at DBU played a key role in the last decade of ministry and career endeavors. He was introduced to Bucker International during a Service-Learning Project at DBU. The project he conducted over Buckner led to him receiving the opportunity to be a communications intern there. The internship showed him the breadth of Buckner's ministry and the reach the ministry had. During his time as an intern, God opened doors for him to start his career at Buckner in 2014. Shawn shared, "I have spent the last ten years of my career as a part of a talented and passionate communications team at Buckner. As such, my time as a communications student at DBU is something I draw upon daily in my work."

In Shawn's role as the Director of Buckner Shoes for Orphan Souls, he serves vulnerable communities in Latin America, Texas, and Africa. The ministry seeks to serve lives through Christ-centered values and to bring hope to communities across the globe. "In this capacity, I have the privilege to lead and collaborate with a fantastic team to engage and resource churches, businesses, organizations, Christian radio stations, and families throughout the country to impact lives throughout the world by providing new shoes for vulnerable children."

Buckner has a 145-year history of following the example of Jesus by serving vulnerable children, families, and seniors. It's a collaborative mission across the organization to serve people and help the community. "Recently, we have had the privilege to celebrate providing our five millionth pair of shoes to an 8-year-old boy named Rodrigo in Oaxaca, Mexico," he shared. "To have the opportunity to be a small part of something that has had five million opportunities across 86 countries over the span of 25 years to promote health, education, opportunity, and hope to children has truly been a gift."

Shawn has been married for 12 years to Sarah, a Texas Tech alum. Shawn and Sarah met on the trip he took to India with his church while he was a student at DBU. They have a creative and musical 9-year-old daughter named Hattie, who was baptized last June. They are members of Church at the Cross in Grapevine, Texas, where Shawn plays the drums on the worship team, and Sarah volunteers with the children's ministry.