Remembering Richard Garnett
We thank God for the life of Richard Garnett, a long term friend of Oak Hill College who died on 6th September.
James Robson, Principal
Why come to Oak Hill?
Imagine if every church was healthy.
A church of love, where each person loves others as Christ has loved us. A church of truth, where the teaching is faithful to God's Word and compelling. Where young and old are becoming more like Jesus. A Spirit-filled church.
Healthy churches depend on those in leadership. Where pastors are like Christ, faithful to God's word and able to lead well. Sadly too many churches are unhealthy. The leaders do not hold to God’s Word. Or they are not Christlike. Or they do not lead well.
Oak Hill exists for healthy churches. To help train and sustain Christlike leaders of all kinds, who are trustworthy with God’s word, love people - both those in their care and the lost - and lead with skill and wisdom. This is our passion, commitment and expertise.
And this really matters. God’s church is at the centre of his plans for the universe.
Who we are
Whatever programme or course or event you come to, you should know who we are and what we care about.
Passionate about the Lord
Being passionate about the Lord means that in all that we are and do, we
- trust his sure and sufficient Word
- are devoted to him in worship
- are dependent on him in prayer
- in short, we want to know the Lord deeply
Passionate about People
Being passionate about people means sharing God’s passion for the people he has made:
- understanding people and their diverse cultures and history
- loving and caring for all God’s people
- sharing God's heart for those lost without Christ
Passionate about Learning
Being passionate about learning means we…
- are a community committed to learning from one another and growing together
- are led by faithful gifted teachers of character and experience
- look to listen carefully and understand deeply so we can communicate compellingly and simply
- foster life-long learning
Passionate about Christ-likeness
To be passionate about Christlikeness means…
- character matters most!
- humility and gentleness, courage and sacrifice
- joyful dependence on the Lord
- keeping in step with the Spirit
Which way of studying is right for me?
There are different ways you can study with us. Each one has particular advantages. We’ve outlined some so that you can see:
Residential (or full-time in College)
Many students study this way. Here are some of the reasons why:
- Breadth and depth - the sustained focus means you will be able to cover more and in greater depth, with fewer distractions.
- Community - get to know people really well and make good friends, doing life and learning together
- An oasis for spouses and families - spouses share in the opportunities to prepare for the future with you; the 60-acre site is a brilliant place for children to grow up
- Space and time - space to pause, think, reflect, including on the context from which you’ve come, so you are better able to adapt to any context you go to
- Integrated programme - the different modules interlock together, so you can make connections across modules
- Benefits of London - easy access to all that a vibrant global city like London provides
- Placements and local churches - there’s the chance to embed learning by serving in all kinds of different local churches and contexts
- Engage with your teachers outside of the classroom - on the same campus as faculty, living together as a learning community
- Biblical languages - for those of you who want to learn Biblical languages, there’s a unique opportunity to do so
Part-time (for someone already in ministry)
Many are already serving in a pastoral ministry context and for personal reasons would find it hard to move. Here are some of the reasons why some study part-time:
- Able to stay where you are, ‘in-context’
- Able to study in parallel with your existing ministry
- Enjoy the benefits of the high-quality teaching and broad, integrated programme
- Enjoy some of the benefits of being part of an existing residential learning community
Part-time bi-vocational (for someone in paid employment)
Some are in paid employment and have church-based ministry roles for which they would really value some training. Here are some reasons why part-time bi-vocational training could work:
- Able to study in parallel with your existing employment, so making the study easier financially
- Able to stay where you are
- Enjoy the benefits of the high-quality teaching and broad, integrated programme
- Enjoy some of the benefits of being part of an existing residential learning community
Short Courses / Continuing Professional Development (CPD)
Some are already in ministry contexts and want to develop in a particular area. Here are some reasons why some access microcredentials / CPD (non-validated qualifications):
- Access to leading experts in a particular field
- The chance to study flexibly and focus on a particular area or discipline
- High quality, but lower cost (because they are not leading to a formal validated qualification)
Go to our CPD page for more information.
Open Mornings
If you're thinking about September 2025 entry or beyond, we’d love to welcome you to one of our Open Mornings during 2024/25. They are designed to help you think about the importance of theological training for ministry and to discover how we prepare people for the broad and deep demands of ministry. So whatever stage you're at, come along so we can share our vision for training, introduce you to some students, and give you a flavour of life at Oak Hill.
News & Blog
The importance of pre-field cross-cultural training
Cross-cultural training in a classroom can indeed seem dry, irrelevant, and even at times counterproductive or confusing, so why do it?
From Enfield to the ends of the Earth
Students from Oak Hill are sent all over the world. As our class of 2024 graduate, we caught up with two students heading in very different directions about their time at college and prayers for the future.
In our lost and broken world, the Church needs men and women who can listen humbly, think deeply, believe faithfully, trust completely, rejoice constantly, proclaim courageously, communicate clearly, lead authentically, love compassionately and serve wholeheartedly. We are delighted at Oak Hill to serve the Church by helping women and men do just that.”
James Robson
Oak Hill College Principal