If you’re considering ordination training, you’ll know it’s a big commitment. What you may not know is that training can fit around your life, rather than take over it.
We spoke to a group of ordinands about what training at St Augustine’s College of Theology actually feels like, in their own words.
Ministry Training you’ll enjoy
James came to St Augustine’s wanting to learn about ordination, but he didn’t expect how much he’d enjoy the actual study.
“I was interested in learning about what it’s like to be a priest one day, but I’m really surprised at how much I’ve enjoyed the study. The weekends away, as well as the formal study, combine to form the person that I’m becoming.”
Ministry Training is about formation, and for many students, that happens in the moments between classes, as well as in lessons.
Training that fits around your life
Fitting study around a full-time job was Tim’s biggest concern before he applied. Here’s what changed things for him:
“I needed a college that I could get to easily alongside working. Being able to study at London Bridge on a Monday worked really well. What I have done a lot is use the study room here, and that has really broken the back of all the study. I think St Augustine’s is well designed for people who are studying alongside work.”
Sharon found that same flexibility built into the timetable:
“With St Augustine’s, it’s about meeting the needs of learners. If you can’t be here for a whole day on a Friday, there’s an opportunity to study on a Monday evening, or on a Wednesday by Zoom.”
Whichever day suits you, there’s a study pattern designed to work around your life.
Study support to help you succeed and banish nerves
Raymond Baudon, Assistant DDO for Southwark Diocese, sees how much support means to people returning to study after time away:
“For ordinands who haven’t been in education for a while, or who haven’t studied at this level before, study support is crucial. St Augustine’s provides good support to our ordinands who need that.”
Nicola felt nervous before she started, and found something different:
“I was nervous and apprehensive and had a lot of anxiety about what I wouldn’t be able to achieve. I found the college and the whole environment – the teachers, tutors, and my peers, just so encouraging.”
Community across different traditions
Ministry Training at St Augustine’s also means spending time with fellow students on weekend residentials, experiencing different viewpoints. Jolley said:
“The residentials are such an integral part of the training at St Augustine’s. Because there’s more time to just be with one another, to rub up against each other, I think that’s where the formation seems to really happen for me in the training.”
David found that stepping outside his usual worship style prepared him for life beyond the classroom:
“It’s been really good to share worship in different styles with people who are comfortable using those styles, and to learn how to use them myself. It stood me in really good stead for when I went on my church placement this year in a charismatic evangelical church, which I enjoyed loads. I love how supportive everyone is.”
Experience Ministry Training with a free taster day
If that sounds like the kind of study environment you’ve been looking for, the best way to find out is to see it for yourself.
You can book a free theology taster event at St Augustine’s, where you can experience real lectures, meet students and tutors, and get a feel for the college before you apply.
