COMMUNICATION FROM THE HOUSE OF
BISHOPS ON THE THEOLOGICAL COLLEGE
The House of Bishops wishes to continue its
procedure, initiated at last year's General Synod, of reporting on
the work of the Theological College Council. The Council is
representative of the Standing Committee, The Representative Church
Body, the Theological College staff and the student body, in
addition to the Bishops.
Since last year two new members have joined the
Council, the Reverend Dr. David Hewlett and Mr. Robert
Sherwood. Dr. Hewlett is Principal of the South Ministry
Training Course which prepares ordinands for the Church of England
and the Methodist Church. He is no stranger to the Church of
Ireland Theological College in that he was lecturer in Systematic
Theology from 1986 to 1991 and has acted as external examiner for
pastoral theology since 1996. Mr. Robert Sherwood is well
known to members of the General Synod as Chief Officer and Secretary
of the Representative Church Body. He has been a member of the
Management Committee of the College for the past twelve years.
Ms. Susan Parkes, Fellow of Trinity College, Dublin
and formerly of the School of Education and the Reverend Canon
Kenneth Kearon, Director of the Irish School of Ecumenics, have
joined the Academic Committee in addition to Dr. Hewlett.
The Theological College Council is chaired by the
Bishop of Meath and Kildare, the Academic Committee by the Bishop of
Down and Dromore and the Management Committee by the Bishop of Derry
and Raphoe. The House of Bishops wishes to thank all those who
serve on the Council and the Committees for the thorough and
efficient way in which they have carried out their work.
An important part of the programme during the past
year has been the ongoing attempt to clarify and establish the
precise responsibilities of the Council and the Committees.
The aim is to ensure the maximum co-ordination of the overall work
of the College and to establish effective lines of
communication. The Council is developing procedures and codes
of practice in various areas including appointments, health and
safety, behaviour and discipline of students.
Since last year two new appointments have been made
to the staff of the College. The Reverend Kevin Moroney as
Chaplain-Tutor and the Reverend Bernadette Daly as Director of
Pastoral Studies. The Reverend Norman McCausland and Dr.
Andrew Pierce have resigned from the College staff and appreciation
and thanks are expressed for their work.
The Reverend Canon Professor John Bartlett will
retire as Principal of the Theological College at the end of August
this year. Since his appointment as Principal in 1989 he has given
wholehearted service to the College and has been personally involved
in every aspect of College life. Not only a succession of ordinands
but the whole Church of Ireland owes him a debt of gratitude. The
House of Bishops wishes to place on record its warm appreciation of
his work and offers good wishes on his retirement as Principal.
The House of Bishops supports and encourages the
review now taking place regarding the current curriculum and the
development of new models of training for ministry both stipendiary
and auxiliary.
The prayers and enthusiastic support of the whole
Church are essential as a new Principal is appointed and as
developments take place in the vital area of the training and
formation of ordinands for the ministry of the Church of Ireland.
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