The Traveler's Path: Finding Spiritual Growth and Inspiration Through Travel

Recipient of a 2026 Award of Excellence from the Religion Communicators Council

Pastor Douglas J. Brouwer has walked the sacred, centuries-old Camino paths of Spain and Portugal alone, led mission teams, study tours, and pilgrimages, and served international congregations in Zurich, Switzerland, and The Hague, Netherlands. In The Traveler's Path, the pastor, scholar, and lifelong traveler draws on these journeys to show how travel in all its forms can reshape our understanding of ourselves, of others, and of the divine.

The Religion Communicators Council, a nearly century-old organization of professionals in faith-based media, reserves its Award of Excellence for work judged to be of excellent quality and unquestionably worthy of recognition. The council honored The Traveler's Path in a 2026 competition that drew a record number of entries from across the U.S. and around the world.

Part memoir, part spiritual guide, and part travelogue, The Traveler's Path moves from childhood road trips through more than 40 years of pastoral ministry in the U.S. and Europe. Along the way, Brouwer explores how even the most ordinary trips can teach humility, build empathy, and reveal deeper truths about belonging and purpose. He challenges readers to go beyond tourism, step outside their comfort zones and see travel as a sacred act, where every journey becomes an opportunity for transformation.

Brouwer's stories will stir your own travel memories and your hopes for trips still to come. That makes the book a natural fit for individual reading or small-group discussion, and a free, downloadable discussion guide is available to help groups go deeper.

For the seasoned pilgrim, the armchair traveler and anyone who senses there is more to a journey than the destination, The Traveler's Path is a warm, wise companion for the road and a meaningful gift for the travelers in your life. As Brouwer reminds us, the road itself can lead us home.

Beginning with family road trips as a child, Douglas J. Brouwer has traveled throughout his life and has written, spoken and taught about the transformative power of travel. He has led mission trips, pilgrimages, and study tours to countries around the world and, in recent years, he has discovered the joys and challenges of walking solo along the various Camino paths in Spain and Portugal. Doug has been a Presbyterian pastor for 45 years, serving churches in the U.S. and Europe, including Wheaton, Illinois, Ann Arbor, Michigan, and Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Before his retirement, he served for five years as pastor of an international congregation in Zürich, Switzerland. He also has returned twice to Europe to serve as an interim pastor, once in Lucerne, Switzerland, and most recently in The Hague, The Netherlands. His previous books include Chasing After Wind: A Pastor's Life; Remembering the Faith: What Christians Believe; and How to Become A Multicultural Church. He is a frequent contributor to publications such as ReformedJournal.com and Englewood Review of Books. Doug received his undergraduate degree from Calvin University (formerly Calvin College) and his Master of Divinity and Doctor of Ministry degrees from Princeton Theological Seminary. His wife and frequent travel partner, Susan DeYoung, was an attorney in private practice for most of her career. She retired as executive director of Habitat for Humanity in Broward County, Florida. Their older daughter is a Presbyterian pastor in St. Paul, Minnesota, and their younger daughter is a health economist who lives in Seattle, Washington.