He transferred to a college, Christ Church, Oxford, in 1881, and graduated the following year with a pass Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree.

[2] While at Oxford, he came under the influence of Canon Alfred Christopher, the evangelical rector of St Aldate's Church.

[4] Tucker's style was, notably for this era, one of working with the local culture rather than trying to replace it with European attitudes.[who?]

He was quoted in 1908 saying, "We are pretty convinced in our mind that we have everything to give and nothing to receive; everything to teach and nothing to learn; moreover we find it very difficult to believe that there is anything good in the pagan races of Africa."

Tucker's approach to the evangelisation of Uganda had three phases: conversion of individual African men; church planting; and finally, education.