How it started

My favorite bike ride in San Antonio is a short little jaunt through an area of the city that still has an almost rural feel. The first time I rode it (and every time since) I was impressed with the variety of churches/houses of worship that I passed in just six or so miles of "country." There is a Chinese Methodist Mission Home, a Sikh Center, a Jehovah's Witness Hall, a Presbyterian Children's Home, a Buddhist Temple, a Maronite Church, a Catholic church, and a handful of Christian churches.

I have always been curious about other religions, but growing up in Utah County doesn't exactly lend itself to exposure to religious diversity. Passing all these churches on my bike rides piqued my interest anew, and I toyed with the idea of visiting some of them. When the Buddhist Temple started building some spectacularly white statues (shrines?) in the field next to the temple, curiosity got the best of me and I knew I had to find out more about this place.

Visiting one religion led to visiting another, and another...and the San Antonio Church Tour of '09 was born.