Theological Colleges
Have you heard these questions about theological colleges, or even asked them yourself?
‘Why consider formal theological training?
‘Isn’t on the job training more valuable, especially if the pastor you work with is a good teacher?’
‘Isn’t full-time theological training an unnecessary luxury?’
‘Haven’t people lost their zeal and vision through becoming too academic?’
‘Don’t theological colleges ‘kill the church’?’
David Peterson, principal of Oak Hill College in London, outlines the answers to these questions in his chapter in the 9:38 book, ‘Workers for the Harvest Field’, entitled, ‘Training for ministry’.
After deciding to go to college, the big question is which one to go to?
‘What
to look for in a training institution?’
Here’s an extract from the same chapter with some helpful pointers.
A colleague of mine has rightly argued that effective training for gospel ministry
can be summed up in three words: knowledge, skills, and personal formation.
You need to have the necessary knowledge and skills to apply the Bible, entailing exegesis (how
to understand texts), hermeneutics (how to interpret those texts),
and the appropriate skills for delivering the Bible’s message to your
particular context. You need to understand how the church, guided
by the Holy Spirit, has wrestled with these issues through history. You need
a sensitive and robust systematic
theology, so that you can make sense of the all the biblical data. You
need to be able to understand people and the contexts in which they
live, so that you can minister to them more effectively. And, above all,
you need to be fashioned as a man or woman into one who is godly and prayerful,
whose gifts are not exercised except with a servant heart.
Find out what knowledge and skills are being offered by the institution you are
investigating, and ask how they propose to help you in your personal formation
for Christian ministry. Look at the faculty profiles and discover their areas
of expertise and experience. Check out the resources of the institution,
especially the library, accommodation and study facilities. What opportunities
do they give for practical on-the-job learning? But, above all, pay careful
attention to the contents and structure of the course, its compulsory and
optional elements, and how the various strands integrate and hold
together. (The rest of this section of the chapter develops and expands
many of the sections above.)
Recommended Theological Colleges
It would be worthwhile chatting through various options with your church leaders to see what they suggest for you.
There are many good theological colleges across the UK including:
Wales Evangelical School of Theology
www.west.org.uk
admin@west.org.uk
WEST, Bryntirion House, Bridgend, CF31 4DX
01656 645411
Highland Theological College
www.htc.uhi.ac.uk
htc@uhi.ac.uk
Highland Theological College, High Street, Dingwall,
IV15 9HA, Scotland
01349 780 000
Oak Hill College
www.oakhill.ac.uk
clareo@oakhill.ac.uk
Oak Hill College, Chase Side, Southgate, London,
N14 4PS
020 8449 0467
Wycliffe Hall
www.wycliffe.ox.ac.uk
tracy.robinson@wycliffe.ox.ac.uk
Wycliffe Hall, 54 Banbury Road, Oxford OX2 6PW
01865 274200
There are also many excellent theological colleges overseas, which can have the benefit of lower fees. Amongst others, we would recommend:
George Whitefield College
www.gwc.ac.za
info@gwc.ac.za
Physical: 34 Beach Road, Muizenberg, Cape Town, South Africa, 7945
Postal: PO Box 64, Muizenberg, 7950, South Africa
Moore College
www.moore.edu.au
info@moore.edu.au
Moore Theological College, 1 King Street, Newtown NSW 2042, AUSTRALIA
0061 29577 9999