Evangelical Theological College of Wales
Encyclopedia
The Wales Evangelical School of Theology (formerly the Evangelical Theological College of Wales) is a Reformed
Christian
educational institution located in Bryntirion in Bridgend
, South Wales
. Its doctrinal position is conservative evangelical
.
Founded in 1936 as the Barry School of Evangelism (1936–1950) (also called Barry Bible College), was called South Wales Bible College (1950–1985), and then the Evangelical Theological College of Wales (1985–2006). The school was situated in Barry from 1950 to 1985. Eryl Davies became Principal in September 1985, moving the college to the seven acre grounds of the historic Bryntirion House in Bridgend. Jonathan Stephen became Principal in 2006 and the college was renamed Wales Evangelical School of Theology.
The school had 170 students in 2009-10 in undergraduate and graduate degree programs up to the Ph.D. It is accredited by the British Accreditation Council
to grant the PhD, MA, MMin, DMin, MPhil, MTh, LTh, and the BA in Theology.
The graduate program was described by Iain Murray
as "well-known British training schools for ministers and missionaries" that attracts evangelical Christians wishing to study for the ministry. WEST has a significant international enrolment, including students from Korea. It has trained generations of men for the Reformed ministry.
Soon after assuming the Presidency, Stephen announced major fundraising and expansion campaigns. As of 2008, the School was looking for suitable real estate to purchase. The proposal met local opposition from groups that did not want the change to come to the proposed site and difficulties over the high price.
Since 2007 WEST's mission of spreading the gospel has been backed though a partnership with the SaRang Community Church
which has added WEST and Wales to its worldwide areas of active mission. According to WEST lecturer Sungho Choi, Welsh and Korean evangelicals have a "unique link" because the first Protestant missionary to Korea, the 19th century Robert Jermain Thomas
, was from Llanover
, Abergavenny
, Wales.
Reformed churches
The Reformed churches are a group of Protestant denominations characterized by Calvinist doctrines. They are descended from the Swiss Reformation inaugurated by Huldrych Zwingli but developed more coherently by Martin Bucer, Heinrich Bullinger and especially John Calvin...
Christian
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
educational institution located in Bryntirion in Bridgend
Bridgend
Bridgend is a town in the Bridgend County Borough in Wales, west of the capital, Cardiff. The river crossed by the original bridge, which gave the town its name, is the River Ogmore but the River Ewenny also passes to the south of the town...
, South Wales
South Wales
South Wales is an area of Wales bordered by England and the Bristol Channel to the east and south, and Mid Wales and West Wales to the north and west. The most densely populated region in the south-west of the United Kingdom, it is home to around 2.1 million people and includes the capital city of...
. Its doctrinal position is conservative evangelical
Conservative Evangelicalism
Conservative Evangelicalism is a term used in Britain to describe a theological movement found within Evangelical Protestant Christianity, and is sometimes simply synonymous with Evangelical within the United Kingdom...
.
Founded in 1936 as the Barry School of Evangelism (1936–1950) (also called Barry Bible College), was called South Wales Bible College (1950–1985), and then the Evangelical Theological College of Wales (1985–2006). The school was situated in Barry from 1950 to 1985. Eryl Davies became Principal in September 1985, moving the college to the seven acre grounds of the historic Bryntirion House in Bridgend. Jonathan Stephen became Principal in 2006 and the college was renamed Wales Evangelical School of Theology.
The school had 170 students in 2009-10 in undergraduate and graduate degree programs up to the Ph.D. It is accredited by the British Accreditation Council
British Accreditation Council
The British Accreditation Council for Independent Further and Higher Education is an educational accreditation agency recognised by the British Government for international students entering the United Kingdom for educational purposes....
to grant the PhD, MA, MMin, DMin, MPhil, MTh, LTh, and the BA in Theology.
The graduate program was described by Iain Murray
Iain Murray
Iain Hamish Murray was educated in the Isle of Man and at the University of Durham. He entered the Christian ministry in 1955. He served as assistant to Martyn Lloyd-Jones at Westminster Chapel and subsequently at Grove Chapel, London and St. Giles Presbyterian Church, Sydney, Australia,...
as "well-known British training schools for ministers and missionaries" that attracts evangelical Christians wishing to study for the ministry. WEST has a significant international enrolment, including students from Korea. It has trained generations of men for the Reformed ministry.
Soon after assuming the Presidency, Stephen announced major fundraising and expansion campaigns. As of 2008, the School was looking for suitable real estate to purchase. The proposal met local opposition from groups that did not want the change to come to the proposed site and difficulties over the high price.
Since 2007 WEST's mission of spreading the gospel has been backed though a partnership with the SaRang Community Church
SaRang Community Church
SaRang Community Church is a Presbyterian Church in Seoul Korea with over 60,000 members.SaRang, one of several megachurches in Korea, was founded in 1978 by Rev. Oak Han-heum...
which has added WEST and Wales to its worldwide areas of active mission. According to WEST lecturer Sungho Choi, Welsh and Korean evangelicals have a "unique link" because the first Protestant missionary to Korea, the 19th century Robert Jermain Thomas
Robert Jermain Thomas
Robert Jermain Thomas was a Protestant Christian missionary who served with the London Missionary Society in late Qing Dynasty China and Korea....
, was from Llanover
Llanover
- Location :Llanover is located four miles south of Abergavenny just off the A4042 road to Pontypool.- History & Amenities :Llanover is associated with Lady Llanover who lived locally all her life and certainly left her mark on the village and the surrounding Llanover estate, still privately owned...
, Abergavenny
Abergavenny
Abergavenny , meaning Mouth of the River Gavenny, is a market town in Monmouthshire, Wales. It is located 15 miles west of Monmouth on the A40 and A465 roads, 6 miles from the English border. Originally the site of a Roman fort, Gobannium, it became a medieval walled town within the Welsh Marches...
, Wales.
Notable alumni
- Ian PaisleyIan PaisleyIan Richard Kyle Paisley, Baron Bannside, PC is a politician and church minister in Northern Ireland. As the leader of the Democratic Unionist Party , he and Sinn Féin's Martin McGuinness were elected First Minister and deputy First Minister respectively on 8 May 2007.In addition to co-founding...
began his theological training at the school when it was known as the Barry School of Evangelism.