NEWS AUTUMN 2016 New Faces at Trinity INSIDE: What does it mean to forgive? A tribute to Alex Motyer …and lots more www.trinitycollegebristol.ac.uk Cover photo: Meet five of the eighty new students who’ve joined us (p10). in all our similarities and differences, into the In this issue Newsletter photography by Chris Dobson. kind of community the world is longing to see, that in our commitment and love for one another we would bear witness to Christ’s NEWS coming kingdom. From the principal 3 Kingdom Learning: We also believe in College news 4 the importance of knowing and engaging From the principal deeply with the Bible. While we often have Faculty news 8 fun together, we are here to learn—in the n the New Testament, Paul prays for the classrooms and in context—so that we might Alumni news 21 IPhilippians: ‘And this is my prayer, that serve God to the best of our abilities. The first your love may overflow more and more principal of Trinity, Alec Motyer (whose life with knowledge and full insight to help we celebrate on page 18) was an impressive FEATURES you to determine what is best, so that on biblical scholar who said simply of himself, the day of Christ you may be pure and ‘I am just a man who loves the word of God.’ New Faces at Trinity blameless, having produced the harvest of His love for God’s word motivated him to 10 understand the Bible as deeply as possible This autumn, Trinity welcomed a record intake of new righteousness that comes through Jesus and to help others do the same. We aspire students, with 63 new full-time and 17 new part-time Christ for the glory and praise of God’ students. Here are a few of their stories. (Phil 1:9-11). to honour his legacy of deep and thoughtful biblical scholarship today. We hope and pray this as well on behalf of our students—that their studies here would Kingdom Leading: It can be tempting to 15 What Does It Mean to Forgive? deepen their love for God and neighbour, and focus on the ‘gloom and doom’ talk about A Q&A with Tutor in Theology and Ethics Rev Dr Jon Coutts that God would be preparing them here to the future of the church and declining church about what it means to forgive and reconcile in the context serve him well and faithfully. attendance figures, but sometimes I wish of the church. everyone could see our dining room when all But what can this vision mean in reality, as we of our students and their families meet to eat attempt to put this into practice at Trinity? lunch together, or our chapel as passionate disciples worship and pray together. We had 18 A Tribute to Alex Motyer Kingdom Living: We believe in the a record number of new students join us this Four of the many people impacted by Alex’s faithful service importance of learning together in year, and that means lots more people to reflect on his ministry as the first principal of Trinity College. community. As I talk with the many influence the church, the world, and society students who have joined us this autumn, for the Kingdom of God. God is working in overwhelmingly they say they wanted to the lives of these men and women, and I study at Trinity because they valued the see such excitement among them, and that ways in which the Trinity community would excitement is contagious. May God reap a harvest of righteousness through Christ in Trinity College is a theological training college located in Bristol, England, dedicated to deepen their experience here, and benefit them to his praise and glory. equipping students to live like the Kingdom of God is near as they prepare to lead churches their families as well. But community also and Christian ministries around the world. The college offers certificate, diploma, bachelor’s, means the challenge of being real with one graduate, and postgraduate programmes to both residential and nonresidential students. another. It’s not easy. We’re all human with differences—our community includes people Trinity College News is published twice annually by the college to inform, serve, and connect who are married and single, male and Trinity’s alumni, students, and friends. To contact the editor, please email Melissa Stratis, female, younger and older, ordinands and [email protected], or call + 1 (44) 117 968 0205, or by mail at Trinity College, independent students, coming from different Rev Dr Emma Ineson Stoke Hill, Bristol, BS9 1JP. For more information about Trinity, including recent news and blog regions with different stories and callings. Principal posts, please visit www.trinitycollegebristol.ac.uk and connect with us on Facebook, Twitter We need to allow the Holy Spirit to build us, and Instagram. 2 33 students travelled from around the world Trinity NEWS to Trinity, twenty-three of whom presented papers related to their current research topic. Rev Dr Walter Moberly (pictured, right), who is professor of theology and School of Leadership biblical interpretation at Durham University, Completes First Year delivered a lecture titled ‘More Jesus or Another Jesus? A New New Testament and Last spring, the School of Leadership Questions of Canon and Religious Truth.’ He completed its first year, offering students also participated in a panel discussion on two leadership tracks, one for first-year his recent book Old Testament Theology students, and another for second-years. (Baker, 2013), a book with which the PGR During their two years of training, students community had engaged during the spring gather in the chapel fortnightly for the could put up a team.” I said I’d hold them to term’s research seminar. Student Michael sessions, which run between September and that.’ The squad includes two women who’ve Rhodes was awarded the annual paper prize April and cover topics in the areas of leading Library and eat lunch at the historic Ye Olde served in the British army, a university rower, for his essay ‘Forward Unto Virtue: Formative yourself, leading people, leading change, Cheshire Cheese pub. ‘It’s been a pleasure and many for whom this is their first time Practices and 1 Corinthians 11:17-34’. The and leading mission. Topics could range to get to build new relationships with playing rugby. The team meets at lunchtime conference also included a book launch and from personal development issues, such as faculty, staff, and fellow students, who have on Wednesdays to work on ball handling and reception to honour New Testament tutor Dr ‘Developing courage’, to practical topics that inspired and humbled me as they’ve shared basic training exercises before learning touch Jamie Davies’s new book, Paul Among the include ‘Handling conflict’ and ‘Pioneering their research and passion for thoughtful rugby and how to play proper seven-a-side. Apocalypses? At the end of the conference, as a leader—church planting and fresh discipleship,’ said attendee Trevor Neill, a They hope ultimately to get a fixture with a PGR students travelled to London to view the expressions’. The majority of the sessions Baptist minister from Birmingham. local team. ‘Life at Trinity is holistic—training fourth century Codex Sinaiticus at the British are led by CPAS Leadership Specialist Ian the body, mind, and the soul—so it is a fitting Parkinson, who is passionate about coaching and exciting beginning to integrate women’s and mentoring leaders, especially those sport into the rhythms here. Oh, and it’s a involved in turning around less promising good excuse to have a laugh together!” church situations and those who want to says Thea Smith, a first-year ordinand from see a missional culture develop in their Coventry Diocese. churches. ‘It has been great having the theory combined with Ian’s practical experiences in turning churches toward growth,’ says Bristol Trinity on Instagram ordinand Neil Shepherd. Are you on Instagram? You can now follow us at ‘trinity_bristol’ New Women’s Rugby Team for regular photos from Trinity. We continue to post news, blog posts, and This autumn, a squad of fifteen Trinity photos on Twitter at ‘trinity_bristol’ and on our students have formed a new rugby women’s Facebook ‘Trinity College Bristol’ page. sevens team. In its early stages, the squad is coached by missiology tutor Rev Dr Howard Valedictory Worsley, who had previously been a player Postgraduate Conference On 27 May, students, faculty, staff, and their service. The Rt Revd Ruth Worsley, Bishop of and then chaplain at a semi-professional From 22-24 June 2016, we hosted our annual families spent all afternoon on Trinity’s lawn Taunton, preached on Colossians 1:9-20, in a rugby team in the Midlands. He is joined postgraduate research (PGR) conference, an celebrating the end of the academic year sermon titled ‘Be prayerful. Be prepared’. For by Trinity’s Property and Facilities Manager event during which Trinity College and Bristol with a barbecue, bouncy castles, sumo the formal farewell at the end of the service, Malcolm Bourne, who is a rugby sevens Baptist College welcome our postgraduate wrestling, a magic show, and other games. Trinity’s forty leavers each received a gift specialist. ‘We were chatting at meal time, researchers for three days of presentations, The next morning, the Trinity community from the principal before their pastoral group and they were talking about my background,’ discussion, workshops, and interaction gathered again at St Mary Magdalene tutors laid hands on them to pray for each of says Howard. ‘One of the students said, “We with a noted senior scholar.