Union School of Theology is a Reformed educational institution in Bryntirion in

Bridgend Bridgend (; cy, Pen-y-bont ar Ogwr or just , meaning "the end of the bridge on the Ogmore") is a town in Bridgend County Borough in Wales, west of Cardiff and east of Swansea. The town is named after the medieval bridge over the River Og ...

, South Wales. The School is part of the wider Christian ministry of Union which also involves church planting and the production of theological resources.

Leadership and faculty

The current President of the school is Michael Reeves who also functions as professor of theology. He took up the role in January 2016, having been head of theology at the

Universities and Colleges Christian Fellowship Universities and Colleges Christian Fellowship (UCCF) is a UK-based charity that was founded in 1928 as the Inter-Varsity Fellowship of Evangelical Unions. UCCF's dual aims are: #To advance the evangelical Christian faith amongst students, gr ...

. Other faculty of the school include provost Dustin Benge,

Robert Letham Robert Letham is Professor of Systematic and Historical Theology at the Union School of Theology (formerly called Wales Evangelical School of Theology). He is also Adjunct Professor of Systematic Theology at Westminster Theological Seminary. ...

, Raymond C. Ortlund Jr., and Richard Turnbull.

Programmes of study

The majority of Union School of Theology students study with the School in order to prepare for Christian ministry.

Campus courses

A three-year, full-time residential

BA Hons Bachelor of arts (BA or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts degree course is generally completed in three or four years ...

degree in Theology is offered, covering Biblical Studies, Theological and Historical Studies, and Ministerial and Missional Practice. Students on the Masters of Theology (MTh) and PhD programmes may also reside on campus.

Learning Communities

The School's largest programme, a Graduate diploma in theology, is taught in regional church-based 'Learning Communities' in more than 20 locations globally including

Oxford Oxford () is a city in England. It is the county town and only city of Oxfordshire. In 2020, its population was estimated at 151,584. It is north-west of London, south-east of Birmingham and north-east of Bristol. The city is home to the ...

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, and

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. The course is designed to combine academic rigor with 'the convenience and added value of sharing and growing together in vibrant local settings under the care and guidance of an experienced Lead Mentor.'

Postgraduate and research degrees

The School's

Master of Theology Master of Theology ( la, Theologiae Magister, abbreviated MTh, ThM, or MTheol) is a post-graduate degree offered by universities, divinity schools, and seminaries. It can serve as a transition degree for entrance into a PhD program or as a sta ...

(MTh) is a taught postgraduate master's degree, accessible both on the campus and in Learning Communities, and either full or part-time. Research degrees, up to

PhD PHD or PhD may refer to: * Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), an academic qualification Entertainment * '' PhD: Phantasy Degree'', a Korean comic series * '' Piled Higher and Deeper'', a web comic * Ph.D. (band), a 1980s British group ** Ph.D. (Ph.D. al ...

level are offered through 'a collaborative partnership with

VU University Amsterdam The Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (abbreviated as ''VU Amsterdam'' or simply ''VU'' when in context) is a public research university in Amsterdam, Netherlands, being founded in 1880. The VU Amsterdam is one of two large, publicly funded resea ...

History

The college was founded in 1936 as the Barry School of Evangelism (1936–1950) (also called Barry Bible College). It was successively known as South Wales Bible College (1950–1985), Evangelical Theological College of Wales (1985–2006), and Wales Evangelical School of Theology (2006-2016). The school was situated in

Barry Barry may refer to: People and fictional characters * Barry (name), including lists of people with the given name, nickname or surname, as well as fictional characters with the given name * Dancing Barry, stage name of Barry Richards (born c. 195 ...

from 1950 to 1985.Kerry Orchar

West's annual meeting", July 2007, Evangelical Times."Preaching--Pure and Simple," Stuart Olyott, Evangelical Movement of Wales, 2005, p. 181. Eryl Davies became Principal in September 1985, moving the college to the seven acre grounds of the historic Bryntirion House in Bridgend. Since 2007 the school has maintained a partnership with

SaRang Community Church SaRang Community Church is a Presbyterian Church in Seoul, Korea with over 60,000 members. Jonathan Stephenbr>East meets WEST; On how Koreans are backing Wales Evangelical School of Theology, May, 2011, Evangelical Now. SaRang, one of several m ...

, a Korean church which has added Wales and the United Kingdom to its worldwide areas of active mission.Jonathan Stephe
East meets WEST; On how Koreans are backing Wales Evangelical School of Theology
May 2011, '' Evangelicals Now''.Kerry Orchar

WEST" July 2010, Evangelical Times. In 2016, with the arrival as Michael Reeves as President, the college was rebranded Union School of Theology. The school had 215 students in 2019-20 in undergraduate and graduate degree programs up to the Ph.D. The graduate programme was described by Iain Murray (author), Iain Murray as "well-known British training schools for ministers and missionaries" that attracts evangelical Christians wishing to study for the ministry.

Criticism

The School has been the subject of criticism by the Bible League Quarterly and The Sword and the Trowel for its affiliation with the Korean churches, the involvement of the international director of the

Lausanne movement The Lausanne Committee for World Evangelization, more commonly known as the Lausanne Movement, is a global movement that mobilizes evangelical leaders to collaborate for world evangelization. The stated vision is "the whole church taking the whole ...

on WEST's board till 2014, and claims of 'ecumenical connections' through the European Leadership Forum.

Notable alumni

Ian Paisley Ian Richard Kyle Paisley, Baron Bannside, (6 April 1926 – 12 September 2014) was a Northern Irish loyalist politician and Protestant religious leader who served as leader of the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) from 1971 to 2008 and First ...

began his theological training at the school when it was known as the

Barry School of Evangelism Union School of Theology is a Reformed educational institution in Bryntirion in Bridgend, South Wales. The School is part of the wider Christian ministry of Union which also involves church planting and the production of theological resources. ...

.Dr. Ian Paisley's Stand for the Old Bible
Free Presbyterian Church

References

External links

* {{authority control Bible colleges, seminaries and theological colleges in Wales Bible colleges, seminaries and theological colleges in England Educational institutions established in 1985 Reformed church seminaries and theological colleges Educational institutions established in 1936 1985 establishments in Wales