Published on November 3, 2026 by Neal Embry  
AnthonyStudstill

Last October, Anthony Studstill’s roommate told him about Oak Tree Ministries, which serves those living in the low-income public housing community of Marks Village in Birmingham’s Gate City neighborhood.

Studstill, a Master of Divinity student at Samford University’s Beeson Divinity School, began serving as the assistant to the coordinator overseeing ministry to the community’s teenage boys, and took on the lead role for that group this past summer.

Despite initial concerns over the cultural and socioeconomic gaps, Studstill has built connections with the boys and helped them with anything from job applications to getting connected with mental health resources.

“There is a lot of beauty in this community that I’ve come to see and appreciate,” Studstill said. “It’s been an honor to get to know their stories.”

Oak Tree Ministries started in 2013 when a group of church leaders and volunteers from Ambassador for Christ Church and the Church at Brook Hills met to begin a Bible study in the Marks Village. The work and approach shifted over the years as Oak Tree has sought to provide Gospel-centered, trauma-informed, holistic ministry to the community.

Studstill, originally from Abbeville, Georgia, said the grew up knowing who Jesus was, but he came to a deeper faith as he got older, eventually finding his way to Beeson through a friendship with Beeson alumni Blake and Erin Dean, MDiv ‘25

Beeson’s interdenominational aspect and Christ-centeredness have stood out to Studstill, preparing him to serve in the Anglican Church of North America. He will pursue ordination in the church after graduating in May 2027.

“Everything at Beeson points to proper formation. Beeson forms the head and the heart,” Studstill said.

Studstill has seen God’s faithfulness both at Beeson and at Oak Tree. Despite the pain and grief so many of the boys have endured, they continue to have joy and resilience.

“It shows the Lord’s grace to the community and His sustaining hand,” Studstill said. “It’s incredible to see people still showing up after a lot of hurt.”

At Beeson, he said he can look back and see God’s “slow, gentle hand.” His work at Beeson has helped him as he serves others, whether it’s learning to effectively communicate the faith through apologetics courses or learning how to counsel others.

Studstill said Beeson’s Anglican studies have taught him to remember God is “after His people’s hearts.” They have also equipped him to minister to those hearts through learning the theology of the Book of Common Prayer, Augustinian theology and more.

“Everybody’s going to have different stories,’ Studstill said. "But at the level of the heart, we all have those same needs, those same wants, those same hurts, those same pains.”

 
Located in the Homewood suburb of Birmingham, Alabama, Samford is a leading Christian university offering undergraduate programs grounded in the liberal arts with an array of nationally recognized graduate and professional schools. Founded in 1841, Samford enrolls 6,522 students from 46 states, Puerto Rico and 12 countries in its 10 academic schools: arts, arts and sciences, business, divinity, education, health professions, law, nursing, pharmacy and public health. Ranked among U.S. News & World Report’s 35 Most Beautiful College Campuses, Samford fields 17 athletic teams that compete in the tradition-rich Southern Conference and boasts one of the highest scores in the nation for its 97% Graduation Success Rate among all NCAA Division I schools.