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.