As a college, we’re conscious of our place within a dynamic and diverse global city, with a history which reflects this reality. It’s a history for which we have much to give thanks, and also a past for us to acknowledge and learn from. The old house and wider estate, for instance, was owned by the Clarke family from 1821 to 1856. Their family wealth was fed by the profits of transatlantic slavery, with all its abhorrent activities, including the stolen labour and lives of countless enslaved Africans. This is part of the history of our neighbourhood.

The house and site passed through two other owners before being bought by the Baring Young family in 1862. Their wealth came initially from their wool business in Exeter, but during the 18th century the Barings expanded into banking activities in London. Since the bank was prominent in international finance, it was implicated with the slave trade and its financing. Our founder’s father was a Director of the bank between 1843 and 1867, and the Young family, while primarily involved in the law, the church, the Royal Navy and the government, also had connections to the Bank of England. One direct ancestor, Admiral Sir George Young, when examined by the House of Commons in 1792 on the African slave trade, strongly condemned it. Others were less vocal, and were more involved in the evils of that time.

Any history is complex, entangled, and needs to be acknowledged and learned from. Alongside injustices, there are beacons of goodness and care. We’re grateful for Charles Baring Young’s outstanding generosity towards the needy in his stewardship of the estates he inherited from his father. In 1928 he expressed his wish to found a college to train those who did not have formal qualifications to enter the theological colleges of his day, or could not afford the fees for the training they needed. This vision was brought into being in 1932. At that time the college included a farm, on which the students worked and grew their own food.

No history stands still. The new wing and Founder’s Court was added in 1950. Residential accommodation for students and staff was developed on the estate as the college grew. In 2000, the Academic Centre was opened, as a commitment to enhancing the college’s teaching facilities. It includes two large lecture rooms, seminar rooms and the library. The library is one of the finest theological libraries in the south-east and provides historical material and a wide range of contemporary resources, from a variety of different traditions, to support the teaching and research of members of the college.

The farming side of the college is now long gone, but the founder’s vision remains alive and vigorous a century on. The site continues to be used to serve the many churches across the country. Increasing numbers of churches in London and beyond reflect the inter-cultural realities of this country and its future. The college remains committed to serving all those who can benefit from its training, from all walks of life.

Now, as in the past, we exist within a global and imperfect world. We are part of a city and a society where neighbours are both next door and further afield. The variety and reach of the local churches we serve is a joyful reminder of this God-given situation as this century unfolds. Conscious of our histories, and of the legacies which we steward and will entrust to others, we seek to love God and our neighbours as we continue to live and work in ways befitting those who have gone before us.

July 2024