The Centre for Baptist Ministry at St Hild College officially launches

St Hild College has celebrated the launch of the Centre for Baptist Ministry during an event at St Thomas Crookes in Sheffield

This new Centre, accepted into membership of the Baptist Union of Great Britain in March 2024, aims to renew the church and strengthen the Kingdom of God throughout the region and beyond.

The launch celebration on 30 September featured keynote speaker Lynn Green, General Secretary of the Baptist Union of Great Britain. 

'Thank you so much for your invitation to be present here today and celebrate with you the launch of the St Hild Centre for Baptist Ministry,' she said. 

'Today is a significant moment in lots of ways, not least because the St Hild Centre for Baptist Ministry is the first college to join the Baptist Union of Great Britain since its formation. So, you are pioneers in more ways than one!'

The Revd Dr Nick Allan, the director of the St Hild Centre for Baptist Ministry, shared his enthusiasm, stating, 'The launch is the culmination of a vision that began more than a decade ago to see missional training accessible for the north and midlands, in partnership with our friends in the Church of England. 

'Our goal is to create growth and change, acting as a catalyst that supports the reshaping of the spiritual landscape in our regions.'

He added, 'What an opportunity we have to develop really effective missional pathways for new leaders in the local church—training those who will pioneer presenting the gospel afresh to each generation.'

Lynn’s keynote address focused on “the foolish things of the kingdom” and the transformative potential of the church in the face of global challenges. She shared insights into the current state of the Baptist church worldwide, stating, 'We are living in times of huge and rapid change', emphasising that it is not just a local phenomenon but a global movement.

Lynn continued, 'And here we are as Baptist and Anglican churches in the middle of all this massive upheaval and change! 

'Yes, being impacted by all that is going on around and within us, yet also holding out the gifts and richness of our Christian faith and distinctive Baptist DNA as a prophetic embodiment of God’s Kingdom right here and now in the homes and streets around us.'

The Revd Dr Daniel McGinnis, principal of St Hild College, celebrated the Centre’s launch as a significant step in the college's ecumenical heritage. 

'Our prayer is that many Baptists are equipped and empowered through formation and study at the Centre for Baptist Ministry, supporting churches in their work to build God’s Kingdom,' he said.



Led by Graham Ensor, Chair of the Centre for Baptist Ministry and Regional Team Leader of the YBA, and Mark Clay, Regional Team Leader of the EMBA, the service culminated in a commissioning prayer for Nick Allan and the Revd Dr Nike Adebajo, who leads St Hild’s Baptist Formation program this year. 

Lynn concluded her talk by reminding those training for ministry and in Christian leadership of the vital role of personal relationship with Jesus in ministry. 'One of the quotes that I often use is don't let ‘God's work’ destroy the work of God in you,' she said. 

'So, if you don't stay close to Jesus, if your own personal relationship is not growing in Christ in what are we offering, we've got nothing left. So, we have to really nurture that in our own relationship for I am first and foremost a disciple. End of.'



Images
Top | From left to right - Mark Clay, Alex Harris, Daniel McGinnis, Nick Allan, Graham Ensor, Nike Adebajo and Lynn Green

Above | Students at the first Baptist Formation Day with Nike and Nick
 

St Hild College is a theological education provider with teaching centres in Sheffield, Mirfield, Lincoln, and online, serving approximately 200 students from various denominations, including Anglican ordinands, Baptists, and curates.