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| New programme for pastoral ministry in free churches |
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In recent years, Oak Hill has enjoyed training a growing number of students for gospel ministry in free churches. To build further on this, we have just launched a free church ministry scheme alongside the Theological and Pastoral Studies Programme, for training in practical and pastoral theology. A key aspect of this is the expansion of the existing placement scheme. Our conviction is that proper training is a partnership between the local church and a theological college such as Oak Hill.
The core is the focus on preaching. Alongside this, there will be teaching on the particular distinctives of free churchmanship, including free church polities, credo-baptism, pastoral counselling, youth and children’s work, evangelism training, worship, leadership, and church growth.
The college is drawing upon the expertise and experience of a number of leading free church ministers, to earth the teaching in the reality of congregational life and ministry. You can read more in the new edition of the college prospectus.
Oak Hill faculty member Dr Paul Woodbridge will oversee the programme as Director of Free Church Training.
The Revd Robin Dowling (pictured above) will be joining the Oak Hill staff team as a "guest tutor" with responsibilities for supporting independent students. He will assist in running the new programme. He will also interview independent students on a systematic basis to discuss their ministerial development, as well as liaising in greater detail with both their sending and their placement churches. Finally, he will aim to develop a "block placement" scheme, and think about more constructive ways of helping independents find jobs.
Robin will combine this role with that of Pastor of High Road Baptist Church, Finchley. Robin is moving from the pastorate of a Baptist church in Bristol and has many years experience of pastoral leadership. Between 1993 and 1997, he was head of the department of Pastoral Studies at Seminario Biblico de Colombia in Medellin, Colombia. |
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