STETS delivers initial ministerial training and some lay training for the Church of England

Church of England

The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England and the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The church considers itself within the tradition of Western Christianity and dates its formal establishment principally to the mission to England by St...

, Methodist Church

Methodism

Methodism is a movement of Protestant Christianity represented by a number of denominations and organizations, claiming a total of approximately seventy million adherents worldwide. The movement traces its roots to John Wesley's evangelistic revival movement within Anglicanism. His younger brother...

 and the Baptist Church in the southern region of the England

England

England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...

. Its students are drawn from an extensive region, stretching from East Somerset to East Sussex

East Sussex

East Sussex is a county in South East England. It is bordered by the counties of Kent, Surrey and West Sussex, and to the south by the English Channel.-History:...

 and from the M4 corridor

M4 corridor

The M4 corridor is the area in the United Kingdom adjacent to the M4 motorway, which runs from London to South Wales. The area is a major hub for high-technology companies...

 to the coast.

Courses

STETS trains students for ministry (lay

Laity

In religious organizations, the laity comprises all people who are not in the clergy. A person who is a member of a religious order who is not ordained legitimate clergy is considered as a member of the laity, even though they are members of a religious order .In the past in Christian cultures, the...

 as well as ordained). Its programmes are validated by the University of Winchester

University of Winchester

The University of Winchester is a British public university primarily based in Winchester, Hampshire, England. Winchester is a historic cathedral city and the ancient capital of Wessex and the Kingdom of England.-History:...

, and delivered on a part-time

Part time

A part-time job is a form of employment that carries fewer hours per week than a full-time job. Workers are considered to be part time if they commonly work fewer than 30 or 35 hours per week...

 or full-time non-residential basis, using online

Distance education

Distance education or distance learning is a field of education that focuses on teaching methods and technology with the aim of delivering teaching, often on an individual basis, to students who are not physically present in a traditional educational setting such as a classroom...

 materials supported by local tutorials and regular residential weekends at Salisbury

Salisbury

Salisbury is a cathedral city in Wiltshire, England and the only city in the county. It is the second largest settlement in the county...

. The STETS Course is flexible and can accommodate people with very busy working lives. The course normally lasts three years, during which students study for an FdA, BA

British degree abbreviations

Degree abbreviations are used as an alternative way to specify an academic degree instead of spelling out the title in full, such as in reference books like Who's Who and on business cards...

 Hons top up degree, or an MA

British degree abbreviations

Degree abbreviations are used as an alternative way to specify an academic degree instead of spelling out the title in full, such as in reference books like Who's Who and on business cards...

, depending on their previous educational background and life experience. STETS is housed at Sarum College

Sarum College

Sarum College is an ecumenical Christian institution in Salisbury, England. The College was established in 1995, and occupies the buildings formerly home to the Salisbury and Wells Theological College...

, Salisbury

Salisbury

Salisbury is a cathedral city in Wiltshire, England and the only city in the county. It is the second largest settlement in the county...

.

Aims

Overall, STETS seeks to further the renewal and mission of the church by equipping people with a deeper understanding of the Christian faith

Christianity

Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...

and greater competence for their varied roles in the ministry of the church.

See Also

• http://www.stets.ac.uk
• http://www.baptist.org.uk
• http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/EducationAndLearning/QualificationsExplained/DG_10039022
• http://www.sarum.ac.uk]