BMS World Mission and Spurgeon’s College announce major new partnership
BMS World Mission and Spurgeon’s College have developed a significant new partnership to enable a joint theological and mission training hub to open in September 2019, located at BMS’ campus in Birmingham.
Warmly welcoming the innovative development, BMS General Director Dr Kang-San Tan comments: “The strategic case for the partnership is strong. Spurgeon’s academic discipline and administration offers potential for course development and reach, as well as quality assurance. The remote learning capabilities that Spurgeon’s will bring to the partnership will enhance the BMS learning and training opportunities for mission workers, both pre-departure and ongoing. Spurgeon’s academic reputation and knowledge will be of great value as we develop BMS for the future.”
Echoing Dr Tan’s comments, Rev Prof Philip McCormack, Principal of Spurgeon’s College, says: “Having opened a successful hub in Cambridge last year, we are delighted to mirror that in Birmingham. This new partnership with BMS is strategically important to the future of the College and our governors have accepted a plan to invest towards growth.”
BMS and Spurgeon’s intend to move quickly towards the College offering a whole range of courses from the Birmingham hub. Those may include, over time, BA, MA/MTh and DMin programmes, as well as the Equipped to Minister (EtM) programme which is delivered on Saturdays. An option within the BA programme would be a new pathway in pioneering or missional leadership currently being developed by Spurgeon’s with support from the Baptist Union of Great Britain.
Spurgeon’s Cambridge hub already successfully offers the EtM course, but a hub of the size envisaged for Birmingham is a significant new venture for both partners.
Philip McCormack adds: “We are both delighted to have support for the venture from the Baptist Union of Great Britain and from the Heart of England Baptist Association. This is a really exciting opportunity for mission and theological formation in the Midlands and far beyond, through online learning opportunities.” There is much to do, with a range of developments to complete prior to courses beginning, including a new library, software to enable online and remote learning and a range of other academic infrastructure.
But, as Kang-San Tan notes: “Hopes for our joint partnership are high, and there is a shared commitment in our primary aims to see leaders, churches and wider communities transformed through the good news of Jesus. There is a growing sense that this partnership could make a significant impact in the area of mission and theological formation in the UK and further afield.”
Further information:
BMS World Mission:
Mark Craig, Director of Communications
mcraig@bmsworldmission.org
Spurgeon’s College:
Simon Jones, Vice Principal (Director of Ministerial Formation and Training)
s.jones@spurgeons.ac.uk
