S T AUGUSTINE’S COLLEGE O F THEOLOGY

S T AUGUSTINE’S COLLEGE OF THEOLOGY NEWSLETTER EDITION 1 SUMMER 2018

From the Principal

At the end of the academic year, I usually breathe a sigh of relief and sit back amazed that we all got through another one. This is ridiculous, because we have a solid and stable College; full of enthusiastic folk, brimming with ideas, and grounded in a shared sense of serving a merciful God. Becky and Dulce continue to administer our lives gracefully (avoiding most of the banana skins), and keeping up a cheerful office with the aid of Dulce’s cakes. Our growing library is trimmed, catalogued, and watered by Rosie Irvine, while Chris Irvine has joined us as an Honorary Teaching Fellow and consultant on the arts and the arcane. Suzy Gregory St Augustine’s College of Theology Staff (from left to right) Simon Stocks, Lorraine Turner, David Flagg, Rosie Irvine, Alan Gregory, John Seymour, Anthony Hammill, Becky Young, Harvey Howlett, Chris Irvine, Dulce Peddar continues to reveal the mysteries of writing, (insets from left to right) Suzy Gregory, Guido de Graaff, Clare Herbert rhetoric, and fluent argument, turning those who think they can’t into those that know they can. And Guido de Graaff masterminds Parochial ministry demands virtuoso spinning our academic accreditation and the of multiple plates and the capacity to combine complexities of Common Awards while the sublime with the ridiculous in a single teaching ethics and doctrine and even giving afternoon. Only rarely is that exemplified and academic papers in Oxford. demonstrated in a theological college. Clare (now Doctor) Herbert, however, has pulled it As the College has grown and added new off - to the good of us all. She has moved from programmes, the infrastructure has got much residential planning and curricular design, more complex. I have, therefore, appointed through theological reflection, to pastoral care Simon Stocks ‘Senior Tutor’, with special and spiritual guidance, without grinding a single Revd Dr responsibility for overseeing the Ordained gear. She has also cheered the staff, held us to Clare Herbert Ministry programme. John Seymour, who joined account, fuelled our hopes, and preached the us last year, has taken on the job of refining gospel. A hard act to follow. May God richly and developing our placement programme, bless her and Philippa in their new home in New beginnings supporting the large number of clergy, including Emsworth. a good few alumni, upon whom we rely for for Clare Herbert this vital part of ministerial formation. (That, of course, would have made a fine last line had not Clare ruined it by refusing to leave ‘All Change’ sums up my time at With a support team like this, you’d think I’d us adrift without her help. She will, therefore, St Augustine’s College. I arrived five years be left twiddling my thumbs and consuming return – a bit like the Rolling Stones – for ago when one Principal had left and bonbons. Not a bit of it. I scurry and puff, and another stint next year as an Associate Tutor and another was about to be interviewed. Becky (who has revolutionised our recruitment consultant for some important developments in I worked closely with Ronni Lamont processes), keeps me supplied with a our Pastoral and Practical Theology programme.) teaching Pastoral Care, and then with bewildering stream of appointments. Georgie Heskins, adding Mission to this Occasionally, but not very often, I write a few God bless. agenda until John Seymour arrived. We more lines of my rather neglected book on Yours, moved from Canterbury to West Malling, the Devil. Revd Dr Alan Gregory gaining a new logo and name, and shedding Principal administrative staff members along the way, while adding delightful new ones. In that Fond farewells sense it has been a rollercoaster.

Sadly, we say goodbye to Clare Herbert and But underneath the changes, the task of Bea Clifford. Bea has spent the last two years as our formation in Christ, the formation of all a very faithful academic registrar, earning us of us, has kept me anchored, stretched, compliments for our administration of grades and fulfilled. Now another change looms. and greatly improving the once reviled but The last five years of thinking and talking, now surprisingly appreciated Moodle. Our with students and staff alike, has prepared prayers and gratitude follow Bea into her new me well. Thank you all! ventures. S T AUGUSTINE’S COLLEGE O F THEOLOGY

Cool jazz at the Abbey

On the 25th May, we held our second St Augustine’s Day celebration, this year with the Rt Revd Jo Bailey-Wells, Bishop of Dorking, as our speaker. The afternoon was well attended by alumni, present and prospective students, tutors, and Sisters from the Abbey. Also among the guests was Jemima Lewis from the Church Times who is featuring us in a forthcoming article on theological colleges and religious communities.

Bishop Jo took for her lecture the Ascension theme of ‘looking up’ and crafted a passionate vision of mission and discipleship around the symbol of raising hearts and minds to God. Good conversation, excellent food, and some fine jazz played by Tim Boniface and friends finished our day on a happy note. Next year’s event falls on the 24th May, when Rowan Williams will be our guest.

Revd Dr Alan Gregory

A selection of photos taken during St Augustine’s Day celebrations at Malling Abbey on the 25th May 2018

well on those who view the Church from a • The Venerable the of Honorary Fellows wary distance. In other words, we need to Hackney, Liz Adekunle promote the ways in which theological • Tom Tugendhat MBE, Member of Theological education in the Church of education builds up the Church and helps it Parliament for Tonbridge and Malling England deserves a lot more celebration than engage persuasively in local and national it gets. Instead, rather like small boys on the culture. Their charge reads, “in the spheres of their subject of school food, complaining about work and ministry, to advocate and represent theological colleges has institutionalised itself With this in mind, St Augustine’s went in with enthusiasm theological education in as an expected and uncontroversial moan. search of men and women willing to general and, in particular, the virtues of There’s no conspiracy behind this, of course, represent us in their various Church and non-residential training and the opportunities and no simple cure either even if one could public spheres. To our delight, we have now and resources of St Augustine’s.” identify what exactly needs curing. appointed our first four Honorary Fellows to be our ambassadors: If you’d like to find out more, see our website What might help, though, are people willing at www.staugustinescollege.ac.uk. to speak up for theological education in • The Rt Revd , networks that have some influence on the Dame (and SEITE/St Please remember our Honorary Fellows in attitudes and opinions of laity and clergy, as Augustine’s alumna!) your prayers as they begin their ambassadorial role. • The Rt Revd Bishop of Woolwich, Dr Woyin Karowei Dorgu Revd Dr Alan Gregory 2 formation S T AUGUSTINE’S COLLEGE O F THEOLOGY

For over two decades, final year students have spent an ecumenical weekend hosted by the Ecumenical Roman Catholic seminary at Bovendonk in the Journeys Netherlands. Owing to changes in their programme, we made our farewell visit there in 2017. This left us wondering where to go next, so we decided on a varied series of ecumenical ventures including some a little further afield. For our first three trips we decided to go to Bruges for 2018; have booked a visit to Estonia, hosted by the Lutheran church, in 2019; and in 2020 (funding permitting), St. George’s College will welcome us to Jerusalem.

Our visit to Bruges got things off to a brilliant start, staying at St Andrew’s monastery near Bruges, sharing in the brothers’ silent meals and attending their prayers. We also spent a day with the Anglican congregation in Ghent, meeting members of what is now a very international, indeed global community.

Though the number of Anglicans in Belgium is very small indeed, the Church has a significant ecumenical role, especially in mediating collaboration between Roman Catholicism and the Protestant and Pentecostal churches. The Catholic Church has experienced precipitous decline over the past 20 years with a loss of active support especially dire among the Flemish population. In the context of such a traumatic crisis ecumenism takes on a new importance, and it was heartening to discover the lively congregation in Ghent making its mark in this area. Bruges itself was our other destination, more historical in focus since the city is one of the most complete medieval towns in Europe. Here we learned about the recent rebirth of the city as a tourist centre, visited a stunning Michelangelo sculpture of the Virgin and Child, and feasted on cake and beer.

We believe that a more adventurous approach to our ecumenical weekends will yield benefits both in enriching students’ understanding of the diverse forms of ecumenical venture, and heightening their awareness of Christian mission in contexts very different from our own. Our biggest challenge in developing this programme, though, is raising the necessary funds. If you would like to support us, please make a designated gift using the donations form on our website, or join the Friends and Clergy Friends of St Augustine’s.

Revd Dr Alan Gregory

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Theological Library Move During August we will be moving the books from Education Sundays the library in Southwark Cathedral to Trinity House, where the Monday evening classes will S T AUGUSTINE’S Sunday 3rd June was ‘Theological Education take place. This will hugely increase the COLLEGE O F THEOLOGY Sunday’ at All Saints, Sanderstead. Simon opportunities for students to access this Stocks preached at both morning services, Transforming formation collection, as the library will be open during office taking the story of Samuel hearing God’s hours from Monday to Saturday. This allows voice in the night as a model of getting to students to use the library throughout the week know God better. Thinking about Eli, many in a way that was not possible at the Cathedral, people in the congregation who had ever and we are confident that it will be a great been woken in the night by a small person improvement. found there was something they could St Augustine’s College of Theology engage with! Guido de Graaff also attended, We are hoping to extend this facility to alumni and after the services there were several and others – more details to follow. Look out for lively conversations about the work of the photos and more information in the next College. We are most grateful to the newsletter! Malling Abbey Rector, Revd Canon Martin Greenfield, for 52 Swan Street Revd Dr Alan Gregory welcoming us so warmly, and to his , West Malling Revd Jeremy Groombridge. Jeremy, having Kent ME19 6JX completed his training for Ordination at the college and now undertaking MA studies as an Independent Student, was well able to endorse the benefits of theological Trinity House education, and spoke very warmly of what 4 Chapel Court he had gained from his programmes. Borough High Street SE1 IHW Why not consider having a ‘Theological Education Sunday’ in your parish? We would be delighted to promote the many ways – not only through the College – in which people can study in order to grow in their faith. T 01732 252 656 E [email protected] Revd Dr Simon Stocks

@StAugustinesCollegeofTheology

If you would value having a student on placement @StAugustinesCo Placements! in your parish – or having a mission project undertaken there – do drop me a line so that I As I come towards the end of my first year in can put the learning experience you can offer in post, placements – such a vital learning and my database. I would love to hear from you. The vocational experience for students - are taking a best way to contact me is by email, on: central place in my thoughts. There are three [email protected] reasons for this: not only is this the season when students’ placements need to be confirmed for Revd Dr John Seymour next year but marking for placement portfolios flags for me the strengths and weaknesses of our current arrangements. Watch out for revised and simplified placement briefings and a guidance booklet cover the different kinds we offer: parish, mission, pastoral, church, pioneer, mixed mode, contextual theology. Finally, with Clare leaving post, from the autumn I will pick up responsibility for mixed mode as well as pastoral placements.

www.staugustinescollege.ac.uk 4 formation