St Mellitus College is an English theological college established in 2007 by the

Diocese of London The Diocese of London forms part of the Church of England's Province of Canterbury in England. It lies directly north of the Thames. For centuries the diocese covered a vast tract and bordered the dioceses of Norwich and Lincoln to the north ...

and the

Diocese of Chelmsford The Diocese of Chelmsford is a Church of England diocese, part of the Province of Canterbury. The diocese covers Essex and the five East London boroughs of Barking and Dagenham, Havering, Newham, Redbridge, and Waltham Forest (most of which wer ...

of the Church of England. It has campuses in Earl's Court, Chelmsford, Liverpool and

Plymouth Plymouth () is a port city and unitary authority in South West England. It is located on the south coast of Devon, approximately south-west of Exeter and south-west of London. It is bordered by Cornwall to the west and south-west. Plymouth ...

, with growing links with other churches, colleges and dioceses throughout the United Kingdom and beyond. The president is

Graham Tomlin Graham Stuart Tomlin (born 1 August 1958) is a British theologian, author and Church of England bishop. Since 2022, he has led the Centre for Cultural Witness; he served as Bishop of Kensington, an area bishop in the Diocese of London from 2015 u ...

Bishop of Kensington The Bishop of Kensington is an episcopal title used by an area bishop of the Church of England Diocese of London, in the Province of Canterbury, England. The Bishop of Kensington is responsible for a part of Greater London, including Kensingt ...

, and the dean is Russell Winfield. St Mellitus College is a wholly non-residential college and has pioneered context-based training within the Church of England, integrating academic theological study with ministry placements throughout the course of study.

History

Named after the very first Bishop of London, whose territory covered London and Essex, the college was founded in 2007 by the bishops of London and Chelmsford to serve the church’s mission in those regions and beyond. The college was formed as a merger between North Thames Ministerial Training Course, which was based in the dioceses of London and Chelmsford, and St Paul’s Theological Centre (part of

Holy Trinity, Brompton Holy Trinity Brompton with St Paul's, Onslow Square and St Augustine's, South Kensington, often referred to simply as HTB, is an Anglicanism, Anglican church (building), church in London, England. The church consists of six sites: HTB Brompton ...

). It has grown significantly since being founded and moved into its own premises at

St Jude's Church, Kensington St Jude's Church, Courtfield Gardens, Kensington, London, was designed by architects George Godwin and Henry Godwin, and built between 1867–70; the tower and spire were constructed in 1879. It was built on the northern portion of Captain Robert ...

, in 2012, a building renovated specifically for this purpose. The centre houses a range of teaching space, rooms for pastoral care, academic and administrative offices, a growing academic library, space for hospitality and college worship. In 2013, St Mellitus North West was established at Liverpool Cathedral, reestablishing full-time

Anglican Anglicanism is a Western Christian tradition that has developed from the practices, liturgy, and identity of the Church of England following the English Reformation, in the context of the Protestant Reformation in Europe. It is one of th ...

ordination training in that area for the first time in more than 40 years. This venture was directed by Jill Duff (now Bishop of Lancaster), in partnership with five dioceses in that area (Blackburn, Carlisle, Chester, Liverpool and Manchester). In September 2017, St Mellitus South West was launched, based in St Matthias Plymouth.

Organisation and purpose

The college offers courses for many different kinds of students, including: *

ordinand Ordination is the process by which individuals are consecrated, that is, set apart and elevated from the laity class to the clergy, who are thus then authorized (usually by the denominational hierarchy composed of other clergy) to perform vario ...

s looking for full or part-time training, including for self-supporting and pioneer ministry *

Lay worker In religious organizations, the laity () consists of all members who are not part of the clergy, usually including any non-ordained members of religious orders, e.g. a nun or a lay brother. In both religious and wider secular usage, a layperson ...

s and

licensed lay minister In Anglicanism, a licensed lay minister (LLM) or lay reader (in some jurisdictions simply reader) is a person authorised by a bishop to lead certain services of worship (or parts of the service), to preach and to carry out pastoral and teaching ...

s (LLMs, also known as readers) * Undergraduate students on certificate, diploma and BA courses in theology, ministry and mission, or theology and youth ministry * Postgraduate students on the MA in Christian Leadership, or MA in Theology, Ministry and Mission (specialising in systematic theology * Church leaders from a range of denominations wanting to study theology and ministry more deeply * Those looking for an introduction to the study of theology, through the Beginning Theology programme, non-accredited study, or the School of Theology from SPTC * Those wanting to learn more about church planting under the guidance of associate tutor Ric Thorpe (

Bishop of Islington The Bishop of Islington is an episcopal title used by a suffragan bishop of the Church of England Diocese of London, in the Province of Canterbury, England. The title takes its name after Islington, an inner-city district of London, and the fir ...

) The college's programmes are validated by the universities of Durham or Middlesex, depending on the course.

Name and link to college mission

The college is named after St Mellitus, one of the least known but most significant figures in the establishment of the church in London and Essex – a key moment in the conversion of the British Isles. Mellitus was sent to England by Pope Gregory the Great, following in the footsteps of St Augustine who had made the same journey a few years before.

Publications by college members

* ''Why did Jesus have to die?'', Jane Williams * ''Kierkegaard: A Single Life'', Stephen Backhouse * ''The Widening Circle'',

* ''Looking Through the Cross'' (the Archbishop of Canterbury's Lent Book 2014; Bloomsbury Continuum),

* ''Am I My Brother's Keeper?'', Mark Scarlata * ''A Brief Theology of Sport'' (SCM), Lincoln Harvey * ''Beyond Old and New Perspectives on Paul: Reflections on the Work of Douglas Campbell'', Chris Tilling (editor) * ''How God Became Jesus'', including contributions from Chris Tilling * ''Theology and Economic Ethics: Martin Luther and Arthur Rich in dialogue'' (OUP), Sean Doherty * ''The Only Way is Ethics'', Sean Doherty *''Faithful Living: Discipleship, Creed, and Ethics'' (SCM), Michael Leyden * "God, Freedom and the Body of Christ" (Cascade), Alex Irving * "We Believe: Exploring the Nicene Faith" (Apollos), Alex Irving * "God's Church Community: The Ecclesiology of Dietrich Bonhoeffer" (T&T Clark), David Emerton * "An Interweaving Ecclesiology: The Church, Mission, and Young People" (SCM), Mark Scanlan

Notable alumni

Stephen Cottrell Stephen Geoffrey Cottrell (born 31 August 1958) is a Church of England bishop. Since 9 July 2020, he has been the Archbishop of York and Primate of England; the second-most senior bishop of the church and the most senior in northern England. He ...

, Archbishop of York, Master of Arts degree * Tim Hughes, worship leader, founder of Worship Central and vicar of St Luke's Gas Street * Mike Pilavachi, founder of Soul Survivor and senior pastor of Soul Survivor Watford

References

External links

Official website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Saint Mellitus College Buildings and structures of the Church of England Educational institutions established in 2007 2007 in London 2007 establishments in England Anglican buildings and structures in the United Kingdom St Mellitus College