Training for Ordained ministry in the Church of England is delivered by approved Theological Training Institutions (TEIs). These range from colleges linked to universities to regional and local courses.
All of them offer Common Awards, which are accredited by Durham University, so wherever you study you are covering the same ground and can gain the same academic awards, the difference is in the way (mode) each TEI offers the courses.
In Winchester Diocese you will be given a steer by your A/DDO and by the Bishop after Diocesan Panel as to what mode of training would best suit. Your choice of course will need to be approved by the Bishop after your recommendation to train.
You are encouraged to explore different TEIs and attend open days and interviews during Phase 2. It is quite common to obtain a conditional offer from a TEI that will be confirmed when you have been recommended at Stage 2.
Full Time Residential
In this mode of training ordinands live in or near to their TEI and study full time as part of a close-knit community. If they have a spouse and children, they are welcomed into the community too and often join in meals and worship.
Residential training gives ordinands a worshipping community to be a part of on a daily basis, as Morning and Evening Prayer are part of the daily timetable. Practical church experience is obtained through placement churches that are organised by the TEI. Examples of residential TEIs are Trinity Bristol, Ridley Hall, Cranmer Hall, Wycliffe Hall
Full Time Non-Residential (Contextual)
This mode of training involves part of the week being given over to study and part to the “context”, a church where the ordinand is based for training, and where they join the staff team, learning “on the job” about ministry and gaining practical experience of pastoral ministry, preaching and leading.
Some FT contextual courses have 1 day a week “in college” for lectures etc. Others have block weeks or weekends where ordinands attend residentially every few weeks. FT Contextual training accessible from our diocese is available at Trinity Bristol, St Mellitus College and Sarum College.
Part Time (Regional or Local)
Many Ordinands need to continue with their day jobs or caring responsibilities. For these ordinands, part time training is ideal. Part-time courses such as those run by our own TEI Winchester Licensed Ministry Training have a mixture of online tutorials and classes, weekend study days and short (weekend) residentials. Study and practical experience fit round work and home.
This means that the pace of study is slower, a 3-year course will award a Diploma in Higher Education (which would be 2 years full time). Ordinands are rooted in a context church placement during their training where their theological and practical learning is lived out.