Context students commissioned by bishop

21 September 2010

Sixteen students who are starting Trinity's context-based training this year were commissioned by the Bishop of Swindon, the Right Revd Lee Rayfield (above right, with Trinity's Principal Revd Canon George Kovoor), on Sunday evening. The special service was held in Lea, one of the Woodbridge Group of Churches in Wiltshire where one group of Trinity students is based.

'The Diocese of Bristol is very positive about context-based training,' the bishop told the congregation of Trinity staff and students and local people. Traditionally, he said, the philosophy of training for the ordained ministry was to teach the theory in college and to leave most of the application and practice to a curacy. 'Context-based training tries to integrate action and reflection from the beginning of ministerial development. I am very supportive of this model of training.' 

The transition from college to ministry can be a shock to the system, said the bishop, as he preached on the story of Jesus bringing Lazarus back to life. 'My hope is that context-based training will provide more realism and better awareness of the gap between what we might hope for, and what we experience.'

Thirty Trinity students are training in context, living and working as a group in a particular parish or area. There are three contexts apart from the Woodbridge villages: in Henbury and Brentry (known as BS10); in Shirehamtpon, Lawrence Weston and Avonmouth (known as J18); and in St Matthew's and Woodlands churches in Bristol. Representatives from the context churches were at the service.

During the service the Revd Richard East (below), the vicar of Woodbridge, was thanked for his vision which led to his invitation to Trinity to start a rural context group. We are glad to report that he is to be made an Honorary Canon of Bristol cathedral on 26 September.

More about Trinity's context-based training