Preparing for ministry

Follow your calling with formational training for ordained ministry.

Answering a call to ministry can be a deeply profound and personally transformative experience.

Discerning the right place to train – to begin your lifelong ministerial formation – is a pivotal decision. We understand the gravity of the change you’re embracing.

As a St Augustine’s ordinand, you’ll dive into a robust and spiritually rich programme of ministerial education and formation – blending academic study with hands-on training.

As your chosen community of learning, we’ll rejoice in your formation as you learn to lead through faith, compassion and collaboration.

After being drawn in by flexible part-time study options, Beverley found a spiritual home during her two years as an ordinand at St Augustine’s.

Ministerial training that blends academic study with practical experience

As an ordinand embarking on your journey to ordained ministry, you will engage in a rich and diverse programme of theological learning.

We provide a range of qualifications – all accredited by Durham University and the Church of England – that suit almost any level of academic experience.

Engage in academic study of subjects like:

  • Biblical Studies, where you’ll explore critical approaches to Scripture

  • Reflective Practice, Ministry and Mission, to understand theology in a range of contexts

  • Christian Spirituality, examining voices from the spiritual tradition through an academic lens

  • Doctrine and Church History, where you’ll compare historical and modern takes on theology.

Depending on your programme of study, there is scope to tailor your studies to reflect your own interests or ministerial focus.

To learn more about the modules and subjects you can engage with, visit the modules page.

Discover what it’s like to study at St Augustine’s

Come along to one of our open-day style taster events. Meet the staff, chat with fellow students, sit in on classes, and join us in worshipping together.

Placements and practical learning

Alongside your academic endeavours, you’ll take part in a variety of exciting and spiritually compelling placements.

From embedding yourself in a brand new church community to supporting busy chaplains in hospitals and prisons, there are a wide variety of placements and mission projects available.

These placements give you the chance to put theoretical learning into practice. You’ll develop your ministerial leadership skills through the continued support of your tutors.

By the time your training is complete, you will have gained the knowledge, experience and wisdom you need to minister across a range of missions, from parochial to pioneer.

Part-time ordination student Charlie explains why St Augustine’s appealed so strongly to him – especially in searching for a college that embraced and valued a wide variety of Church traditions.

Train for ministry your way

When it comes to getting the most from your experience as an ordinand, your academic studies are just the start.

Non-residential training across two learning centres

Many of our ordinands have answered a call to become ordained later in life.

A non-residential approach means that you can train without having to move away from home and family.

Choose from convenient evening classes at our London city centre campus or teaching days at our rural Kent campus, with the option to attend classes online.

Choose flexible study pathways to suit you

Answer your call to ministry with a pathway to study that works with your goals and ongoing responsibilities.

Part-time study options allow ordinands to effectively fit study around work, family and volunteering, with fewer classroom and study hours required week on week.

Plus, the full-time mixed-mode pathway allows for a more significant level of church involvement through an ongoing placement.

Benefit from blended classrooms with ordinands and students

As a college, we are very lucky to have such a diverse student community. You will learn and train alongside ordinands from all walks of life and Church of England traditions.

You will also have the opportunity to attend lectures and tutorials with both fellow ordinands and students of theology who are pursuing learning for their own reasons.

By forging friendships with and learning from students who have differing ecclesiastical backgrounds, your own ministerial formation will continue to flourish.

Study support available throughout

While some of our ordinands may have studied at university level before, others are discovering academic study for the first time.

To help you adjust to and make the most of your academic studies and practical ministerial training, our student support team is here to help you.

Access mentoring and coaching to improve study skills, turn to ongoing pastoral and spiritual support, and take part in vocal training so you can lead worship with absolute confidence.

Find your training pathway

Explore our range of training and education pathways for people answering the call to ministry.

Training for ministry

Discover the kind of leader you can become through spiritually rigorous and formational ministerial training.

“I think we’re becoming a very different sort of Church; that’s our challenge right now, and it’s one I feel equipped to face because I trained at St Augustine’s.”

Emma
Ordinand at St Augustine’s

Training for Anglican Ordained Ministry

Experience your own theological and ministerial formation through ordination training.

Studying after ordination

Ideal for ordained deacons or priests who wish to deepen their theological knowledge and pursue their continued formation into curacy.

Student studying at St Augustine's

Postgraduate study in Theology, Ministry and Mission

Continue to deepen and stretch your faith with MA level theological learning.

Discernment process

Are you considering your call to ministry or thinking about the discernment process?

Reach out to us and start a conversation centred around your needs, concerns, goals and calling.

We also warmly invite you to come and meet us on campus; talk to staff and current ordinands, join us in daily worship, and find out what ordination training may be like for you in the future.

“I expected to find a diverse student body at St Augustine’s but I’ve been delighted to find even more variety than I imagined. Amidst the differences, there is a common commitment to grappling with thorny issues and growing in the knowledge and love of God.”

Duncan Gray

St Augustine’s ordinand training part-time

Interested in studying theology?

If you’re considering other routes to theological study, aside from ordination or licensed lay ministry training, why not find out which course might suit you?