Queen's College/Foundation, Birmingham

The college was formed as the first ecumenical theological college in Britain by the transfer of the proceeds from the sale of Handsworth College to the Anglican Queen's College, Edgbaston, originally a medical college founded in 1828. This had been recognized since 1934 for the training of ordinands. On its opening in 1970, there were 87 students from six denominations, men training for the ordained ministry and women for the Wesley Deaconess Order. Close links were developed with Oscott (RC) and the Selly Oak Colleges. Since 1972 it has been the home of the West Midlands Ministerial Training Course for non-residential students. In 1996 the College was reformulated as the Queen's Foundation, of which the College, the Training Course and a Theological Research Centre are constituent parts. In 2013, with the closure of other centres as a result of the 'Fruitful Field' process, it became the only centre for those accepted candidates for presbyteral and diaconal ministry undertaking initial training on a full-time residential basis.

Sources
  • Denise A. Creed, The Queen's College, Birmingham: an ecumenical college, 1970-1991 (Birmingham, 1991)
  • C.S. Rodd (ed.), Church and Theology: Reflections on Ministry. Essays in honour of William Strawson ( Buxton, 2004) pp.3-51
  • Andrew Chandler, The Latter Glory of this House: A History of Two Christian Commonwealths in Modern Britain, 1828-1980 (2013)

Entry written by: TSAM
Category: School/College
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