Trinity is not just for Anglicans!
Our students come from a variety of denominations. Many of them are training to work in the Anglican Church (Trinity was founded as an Anglican theological college); others go on to work in non-Anglican churches, or are doing postgraduate research degrees with a view to teaching or writing, or are studying for their own development.
Many of our independent students come to us because they want a good academic grounding (with teachers from the Bristol Baptist College as well as from within Trinity) complemented by practical Christian service, within a lively worshipping community, and with the broad perspective provided by Christians from a variety of traditions. Two of them comment below about their time in Trinity.
We now offer an opportunity for practical church work in an independent church, Woodlands Christian Centre, as part of our context-based training. There are also many mission opportunities in non-church settings.
Why choose an Anglican college if you're not an Anglican? Two former students comment:
‘Anglicans have a rich heritage of spirituality, liturgy, involvement with society, and appreciation of creativity. What Trinity does so well is involve you with all this by integrating you into a worshipping community where, as students, we were expected to mine this heritage and present it in creative and accessible services. From this exposure and involvement, I have been well equipped to enrich the teaching and spirituality within my own tradition. I have seen other ways of doing things, teaching things and seeing things.
‘As a leader I realise how perspective and experience are vital for leadership. Trinity offers this perhaps most of all to non-Anglicans precisely because it is an Anglican college. As an independent student, I was expected to be part of all the ministry opportunities others had. Because I was coming from a different tradition, these were fresh, exciting and refreshing. But I also found people gave me the chance to let my experiences and beliefs shape those around me.
‘If you want to be equipped to build God's kingdom, as well as your local church, then I can recommend Trinity. You will be taught by people expert in their field and changed by their God. You will train with people who have responded to God's call on their lives. You will become part of a community who come from different churches, denominations, countries and cultures. You will be stretched.'John Mark (top photo) did a BA and then an MA at Trinity. He now helps lead an independent church in Bristol
'I really enjoyed the lectures at Trinity College. It was a real privilege to be taught by some of the top scholars in theology and have the opportunity to grapple with issues which affect our everyday lives in a theoretical and practical way. I believe the teaching at Trinity is second to none.
'I particularly loved learning the biblical languages - the tutors challenged us to push ourselves academically, but we also had light-hearted and fun lessons. Trinity is a great environment to learn in.
'While it is challenging to be an independent student of a non-Anglican background among so many ordinands, something I really value from my time at Trinity is how much I learned from the other students, as well as the deep and caring friendships that developed between us.'
Sarah (bottom photo) is on the staff of an evangelical church
