UTS Grad shares his passion for fitness and ministry by starting gym

Dustin Webb (2012) has always had a passion for fitness. During his time at Urbana Theological Seminary (UTS), he trained for marathons by running with other people.  He often found this time valuable for building relationships and praying with others. 

After graduating from UTS Dustin sought a way to share the gospel and his love for fitness.  These twin passions ultimately led him to start his own gym, Dust2Glory Fitness. The gym’s name draws inspiration as a basic metanarrative of the Gospel, combining Genesis 2:7 (Then the LORD God formed a man from the dust) and 2 Corinthians 3:18 (from one degree of glory to another).

Dustin’s education has been critical in establishing this gym. The seminary has helped him not just “to have more head knowledge but to apply it practically.” This training has given him the tools and resources to follow God’s call wholeheartedly. His classes have helped him answer questions he encounters all the time in his ministry, such as, “How do you address [this] issue in a way that is Christlike and loving but also tangible and real?” 

Dustin has often seen how the material world mirrors the physical and how the gym mirrors the church. The same obstacles that people face when going to the gym also arise when going to church: for example, the idea that “I have to be at a certain level or do a certain thing to get into the building.” He has realized that just like the church people need “a relationship and an invitation” to encourage them to become involved in the gym.  

As he is working with people to improve their physical fitness, Dustin often has the opportunity to speak to their spiritual fitness as well, ministering to others who may not be involved in a local church. His ultimate goal is to help others “overcome obstacles of mind, body, and spirit” and to develop the consistency required to prevent “muscles, whether spiritual, mental, or physical, [from] atrophy[ing] when they are not used.” Whether in the church or in the gym You “can’t go one time and say I’m not changing” you must “be there on a regular basis then the fruit will start to bear.” 

Dustin encourages other seminary students: “all the book knowledge, it won’t do good if you can’t get out there and rub shoulders with people on the street and in the marketplace.” UTS has helped him transition from just receiving book knowledge to applying it to his life in a way that is life-giving to others. This has been the most impactful skill that he developed while interacting with seminary faculty. 

Dust2Glory Fitness is also meeting physical needs by providing meals, supporting those struggling with breast cancer, and helping those who have lost their homes by providing a depth of community that keeps people coming back. The skills that he developed through his classes at UTS have been an internal part of his ability to follow God and his call. 

If you would like to learn more about Dust2Glory Fitness please check out one of their Facebook, Instagram, or Website.