bill hadden traveled to scotland and israel during the 1950s on a study grant from the disciples of christ church. he later found that a travel company in nashville, tennessee, would pay his way if he led a tour of ten people to europe, and so he found twenty people and was able to take his wife along for free. they were able to get tickets to the oberammergau passion play in 1960. he would also lead several other tours to europe and the holy lands throughout the later 1960s, and later took another study tour of anglican university chaplains in england for the episcopal church in 1983. "taking tour groups to europe is the hobby of the rev. bill hadden, episcopal chaplain at east carolina university and until five years ago an ordained minister in the christian church. hadden has extensive experience in writing as he served as writer of sunday school material for the christian board of publication, contributed a weekly column for seven years in the tennessean of nashville, and has been published in the christian and the pulpit digest."