Individuals sponsored by any Church of England Diocese can come to Emmanuel to be prepared for ordained leadership as a Distinctive Deacon, Ordained Pioneer, or Priest. We offer full-time or part-time pathways depending on the kind of sponsorship your Diocese offers you.
Ordained ministers are called to serve and equip the body of Christ through the ministry of Word and Sacrament, pastoral care, and strategic leadership to help the Church be confident in the gospel and develop its kingdom-impact in contemporary society (c.f. Eph. 4:12). To fulfil this role, clergy must form sustainable rhythms of prayer and spirituality rooted in faithful theological understanding. At Emmanuel we nurture these things in community, through a range of formational pathways designed around a core curriculum involving three distinct but interwoven strands.
The shape of our core curriculum for all ordinands
There are various formational pathways available depending on students prior experience, learning, and sponsorship (more details below) but all our pathways are designed around a core curriculum in three parts:
~ a focused Ministerial Formation Programme delivered over five residential weekends, two formation days, and one residential week each year. This focuses on key themes in leadership and pastoral care, spirituality and prayer, and ministerial practice which are rooted in the Church of England’s Formational Qualities for Distinctive Deacons, Pioneers, or Priests. All ordinands participate in the Ministerial Formation Programme.
~ a Contextual Ministry Placement for the duration of formation and training. This involves working with an experienced priest (placement supervisor) to learn the way of life and the ministry skills that are essential to your vocation. The College is responsible for all placements and works with dioceses to ensure you’re placed in a supportive context where you can grow and develop the qualities the Church is looking for in its ministers. All ordinands undertake a Contextual Ministry Placement for the duration of their formation and training.
Your contextual ministry placement is supplemented with 50 hours of short-term placement(s) in alternative contexts such as chaplaincy or fresh expressions of Church.
~ a robust and faith-filled Theological Studies Programme. We offer a range of approaches to study, including our innovative Action Learning Pathway, undergraduate and postgraduate university validated pathways, and some research-based pathways. All theological studies programmes are taught by Emmanuel’s staff team at one of our five teaching centres. Theological studies programmes are usually delivered mid-week on Mondays, Tuesday evenings or Thursday evenings. There are 3 ten-week terms in each academic year, and our team are careful to make clear and concrete links to ministry and praxis throughout.
If you are are anxious about study, then our Academic and Study Skills Tutor, Dr Stephanie Day is here to support you every step of the way.
Full-time ordinands are based at our Liverpool teaching centre on Mondays, 9.30-4.30pm, during term-time and have two other days in the week for study, tutorials, and other academic work. They are involved with their contextual placement on Sundays and up to two other days in the week, and attend all aspects of the Ministerial Formation Programme.
Part-time ordinands choose one of our four Teaching Centres to be their regular base during term-time: either Blackburn or Penrith on Tuesday evenings, 6.30-9.15pm, or Liverpool or Manchester on Thursday evenings, 6.30-9.15pm. They are involved with their contextual placement on Sundays and up to 12 hours in the week, depending on the time available around other commitments such as work, and attend all aspects of the Ministerial Formation Programme.
Theological Studies option 1: Action Learning Pathway
The Action Learning Pathway is an innovative approach to formation that draws on the insights of action learning sets and problem-solving approaches to learning. It often suits those who might otherwise be put-off coming forward for ministry in the Church of England because of fear of traditional school-style academic work, performance anxiety about essays and assignments, or lack of confidence from a sense of socio-economic and class difference.
Our Action Learning Pathway invests in people while encouraging them to retain their own cultural capital. It is rooted in the ministerial qualities and the questions that arise in the ordinands’ Permanent Contextual Placements. There is a mixture of weekly structured in-put and fortnightly problem-based learning hubs, facilitated by a member of our staff team. Ordinands have opportunity to present their learning in non-traditional formats making the best use of their creativity to develop a portfolio of evidence that they’re meeting the IME 1 Qualities, guided by our staff.
Emmanuel’s Action Learning Pathway is the first pilot pathway of its kind in the Church of England that is funded by the national Church. It can be undertaken on a part-time basis over 3-4 years, or a full-time basis over 2-3 years depending on prior experience and sponsorship.
Year 1 | Year 2 | Year 3 | Year 4 |
Orientation | Foundations | Theology for Ministry | Digging Deeper |
In year 1 (post-Stage 2 recommendation) we focus on building confidence and unlocking skills for further study and formation. Ordinands have a termly focus – ‘New to Theology’ in Term 1; ‘New to Study’ in Term 2; and ‘Foundations for Leadership’ in Term 3 – and begin their portfolio of evidence. | In year 2, some students may choose to transfer to the university accredited programme as undergraduates. Those who remain on the Action Learning Pathway focus on theology and reflective practice, bible, discipleship, and worship/ spirituality. | In year 3, those who remain on the Action Learning Pathway focus on leadership, theology and discrimination, sacramental theology, bible, and missional/pioneer church. | In year 4, those who remain on the Action Learning Pathway focus on biblical themes, church planting and pioneering, the global church, and learning from figures in Church history. |
Theological Studies option 2: Undergraduate programmes
For some ordinands, it is appropriate to undertake a university accredited programme as part of their pathway. All of our undergraduate programmes are accredited by the University of Durham Common Awards.
We offer a range of qualifications in Theology, Ministry, and Mission: Certificate (to FHEQ Level 4), Diploma (to FHEQ Level 5) and BA (to FHEQ Level 6). Deciding which programme is best happens in conversation between applicants and the Admissions Team, and takes into account prior learning, professional experience, qualifications, and sponsorship.
Topics covered at each FHEQ Level of undergraduate study include:
FHEQ Level 4 | FHEQ Level 5 | FHEQ Level 6 |
Certificate HE | Diploma HE | BA degree |
reflective practice, bible, discipleship and ethics, spirituality and worship, church planting, doctrine | leadership, sacramental theology, theology and discrimination, reflective practice in context, inter-faith dialogue, missional church, biblical texts | mission and apologetics, doctrine in contemporary culture, global theology, figures from Christian history, church planting, biblical theology |
Theological Studies option 3: Postgraduate programmes
For those ordinands who have prior qualifications in theology or a related discipline (e.g. philosophy or religious studies), it may be appropriate to undertake a university accredited postgraduate programme as part of their pathway. All of our postgraduate programmes are accredited by the University of Durham Common Awards. Deciding which programme is best happens in conversation between applicants and the Admissions Team, and takes into account prior learning, professional experience, qualifications, and sponsorship.
We offer two distinct Masters programmes:
~ the first is our MA Theology, Ministry, and Mission and incudes Postgraduate Certificate (60 credits at FHEQ Level 7), Postgraduate Diploma (120 credits at FHEQ Level 7) and MA (180 credits at FHEQ Level 7, including a dissertation):
The MA in Theology Ministry and Mission and its constituent parts includes a combination of the following topics: Advanced biblical studies, Christian faith and contemporary culture, Moral theology, Worship and mission, Leadership and the future Church, a 60 credit dissertation |
~ the second is our MA in Contemporary Christian Leadership and incudes Postgraduate Certificate (60 credits at FHEQ Level 7), Postgraduate Diploma (120 credits at FHEQ Level 7) and MA (180 credits at FHEQ Level 7, including a dissertation).
The MA in Contemporary Christian Leadership and its constituent parts includes a combination of the following topics: Reflective practice, Collaborative leadership, Church and conflict, Leadership and the future Church, Leadership for church-planting, a 60 credit dissertation |