From nursing to homeschooling, educational leadership, and doctoral research, Dr. Brantlee Taylor’s journey reflects the power of following God’s direction and preparing to serve others through Christian education.
Dr. Brantlee Taylor’s career in education began with an unexpected turn. Trained as a registered nurse, she never anticipated how a family experience would shape her future. It led her to homeschool her children, help establish a Christian school and pursue doctoral study. Today, having completed her PhD with a concentration in Educational Leadership, she serves on the faculty of Columbia International University (CIU).
Through each transition, Dr. Taylor discovered new opportunities to understand how people learn, serve students and families, and integrate biblical truth into educational practice. Her journey illustrates how CIU’s PhD with a concentration in Educational Leadership can prepare Christian educators to pursue meaningful research, grow as leaders and invest in the next generation.
Following God’s Direction into Christian Education
Dr. Taylor began her professional career as a registered nurse at the University of South Carolina. When life-threatening food allergies affected her children, however, her family entered the world of home education.
What began as a practical response to her family’s needs developed into a deeper interest in learning and the diverse ways students grow and develop. After several years of homeschooling, Dr. Taylor began serving at Liberty Christian School, where she gained new opportunities to apply educational theory and explore effective teaching practices.
That experience helped clarify her calling.
“Through prayer, I claimed the title of Christian educator and sought God’s direction about where to pursue graduate studies.” – Dr. Brantlee Taylor, Associate Professor
CIU became the natural choice for her next step. She pursued a Master of Education: Instruction and Learning, followed by an Education Specialist degree and, ultimately, a PhD: Educational Leadership, which she completed in May 2026.
Each stage deepened her understanding of education and strengthened her commitment to serving students through a biblical worldview.
Integrating Biblical Truth with Educational Leadership
For Dr. Taylor, Christian education shapes every aspect of leadership. This includes institutional decision-making and the way educators understand and serve individual learners.
At CIU, she found an academic environment grounded in biblical truth. This foundation informs the study of educational leadership, institutional finance, educational policy, stewardship and research.
“The biblical foundation exhibited in and through CIU strengthened the cornerstone of the biblical worldview that shapes and impacts my life and decision-making,” Dr. Taylor said.
This integration helped her approach professional questions through the lens of Scripture while developing the knowledge and skills needed to lead effectively.
“At CIU, we equip educators to think, teach, and lead biblically in educational settings throughout the world to impact the nations with the message of Christ.” – Dr. Michael Johnson, Dean of the College of Education
CIU’s PhD: Educational Leadership program prepares educators to examine leadership theory and practice within a biblical worldview. Through advanced study and research, students develop the ability to apply Christian thinking to the educational settings where God has called them to serve.
For Dr. Taylor, that preparation connected faith with the practical responsibilities of educational leadership. She sees Christian educators as stewards of both relationships and resources, equipped to serve with humility, competence and purpose.
The result is a foundation for leadership that extends beyond individual classrooms into schools, institutions and communities.
Researching Literacy to Serve Learners and Families
Dr. Taylor’s doctoral research brought another important dimension to her calling: literacy development.
Dr. Taylor was concerned about literacy attainment in the United States. Therefore, she examined literacy development among Christian homeschooling families in South Carolina. Her research explored their approaches to teaching reading and the dynamics between literacy development and spiritual formation.
Her research found that the Christian homeschooling families in her study valued reading. These families used eclectic, isolated reading components from varied literacy approaches between families and within the same family. However, many lacked awareness of and access to preventive literacy screenings.
Dr. Taylor also revealed that Christian homeschooling families embraced dynamics between literacy development and spiritual formation, including a biblical worldview, integration of learning for life and embedded literacy strategies using the Bible as curriculum. In conclusion, families in the study noted that reading struggles for learners affected both home and church-related educational opportunities.
She explored how literacy development for educational purposes might connect with biblical literacy and the growth of Christian faith, including opportunities for churches and Christian education providers to serve as partners in literacy development.
For Dr. Taylor, doctoral research provided a way to connect scholarly inquiry with practical service. Her experience illustrates how a PhD with a concentration in Educational Leadership can equip educators to investigate meaningful questions, contribute to professional conversations, and apply research to serve learners, families and communities.
Faculty Mentorship That Makes a Lasting Difference
Completing a doctorate requires discipline, sustained research, and a commitment to academic excellence. Dr. Taylor’s experience at CIU also reinforced her conviction that learning flourishes through meaningful relationships.
Throughout her graduate studies, CIU faculty members walked alongside her through multiple degree programs. Beyond academic instruction, they offered prayer, honest conversations and support during challenging seasons of life.
“Learning is deeply relational,” Dr. Taylor said. “The value found inside relationships of security offers learners of all ages initial access to the pursuit of understanding.”
That relational approach has become part of her own understanding of teaching and leadership.
Dr. Taylor also appreciated the guidance CIU faculty provided throughout the dissertation process. She described how professors communicated the steps toward successful completion, helping doctoral students understand their progress and identify what to do next.
These relationships shaped her perspective as an educator and prepared her to offer similar encouragement to her own students.
From Doctoral Student to CIU Professor
Dr. Taylor’s educational journey has brought her back to CIU in a new role. After co-founding Liberty Christian School and serving for 12 years as its administrator and lead teacher, she accepted an appointment as an associate professor in CIU’s College of Education.
For Dr. Taylor, teaching at the university where she completed her graduate studies is an opportunity to invest in the community that helped shape her.
“The ability to share in the teaching ministry alongside experienced College of Education faculty at CIU is deeply humbling,” she said.
Having experienced CIU as a student, Dr. Taylor brings an understanding of the academic expectations, biblical integration and personal growth that characterize the university’s approach to education.
She hopes to continue learning alongside her colleagues while preparing future Christian educators to serve faithfully in the places God calls them.
Her story demonstrates how graduate study, thoughtful research and faculty mentorship can work together to shape an educator’s professional direction and influence the lives of future students.
Take the Next Step in Your Calling
For educators who sense God leading them toward greater responsibility, advanced research or a new season of service, Dr. Taylor encourages them to take the next step with faith.
“God equips those whom He calls,” she said. “Take the first step into the PhD: Educational Leadership journey at Columbia International University with courage, not with the absence of fear, but the willingness to say ‘yes’ to God’s calling in the face of it!”
CIU’s PhD with a concentration in Educational Leadership offers Christian educators an opportunity to deepen their scholarship, strengthen their leadership and apply a biblical worldview to the challenges and opportunities of education.
Whether their calling leads them to school administration, higher education, educational research or other leadership roles, students can pursue advanced preparation grounded in faith and shaped by a commitment to serve others.
Explore CIU’s graduate education programs during an upcoming 30-minute webinar.
Meet faculty and an admissions representative, learn how a biblical worldview and faith formation shapes our approach and get your questions answered during a live Q&A.
Your Next Chapter in Education • Tuesday, November 10 • 7:00-7:30pm
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Graduate and doctoral students can apply for free, and a $500 Visit Scholarship is available for both campus and virtual visits. Learn more about financial aid and scholarships available to doctoral students.
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