Statement of Vision and Strategy

God loves the world and calls us to respond in service. All are called, but some have a vocation to ordained ministry in the Church of God. In the light of this, the object of the Course shall be the training of recognised candidates for Ordained Ministry in the Church of England and in other main-stream Christian Churches. The Course also, where appropriate, prepares suitable candidates for Lay Ministry.
Ethos: Theological education in its broadest sense is the aim of the Course. This includes: academic, vocational, personal and spiritual education and takes place within the context of an ecumenical, worshipping, Eucharistic community.
Ecumenical: The Course is committed to its current ecumenical composition and to its membership of the Partnership for Theological Education, Manchester. As well as strengthening the awareness of its students of their own church tradition, it seeks to widen and develop ecumenical witness and understanding.
Education: The Course is pledged to use current educational best practice in the delivery of the agreed curriculum. The aim of the educational programme is to enable those called to the ministries of service, word and sacrament to be persons of integrity, humanity and godly wisdom. Where tensions exist between the needs of individual students for exemptions and special courses and the integrity of the overall community life of the Course a balance will be struck.
Collaboration: The Course works in collaboration with other institutions, including the Partnership for Theological Education, Manchester, Chester College of Higher Education, the College of York St John, the Mirfield Centre and the Ordained Local Ministry Schemes in the Liverpool and Wakefield dioceses.
Students: The Course is open to all candidates sponsored for any form of ordained ministry by their sending churches and to other students in good standing with their churches. Some parts of the programme are open to students sponsored by collaborating institutions. Other students may be admitted at the discretion of the Chair of the Council.
Staff: Since the Course is committed to a balanced educational programme — open to people from differing theological traditions and denominations — staff are chosen to reflect this. A balance between men and women, lay and ordained, is considered a vital consideration in the appointment of staff.
Catchment: The Course normally takes students from a corridor approximately 30 miles either side of the M62 from Liverpool to Goole. In special circumstances arrangements can be made for students from further afield.
Contribution to Church Life: In addition to working with individual students, the Course seeks to make a contribution to church life by assisting the churches in an ecumenical understanding of ministry. Modules within the educational programme are available to other church groups, and conferences on various aspects of ministry and theology are arranged from time to time. Staff individually also make their contribution to church life by scholarly publications, participation in conferences and conducting seminars for local church groups.