Union Theological College
Encyclopedia
Union Theological College is the theological college for the Presbyterian Church in Ireland
and is situated in Belfast
, Northern Ireland
. It was established in 1853 as Assembly's College. The building served as the location for the early Northern Ireland Parliaments.
The college offers a full range of courses in Theology. The college is associated with the Presbyterian Theological Faculty Ireland which was granted a Royal Charter
in 1881 to confer academic degrees in theology similar to universities of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland
at the time. These degrees are the Bachelor of Divinity
, Master of Ministry and Doctor of Ministry
. A full range of Degrees are also conferred by the Queen's University of Belfast
, BTh, B.D., M.Div, M.Th., M.Phil and Ph.D. for certain programmes and the college is the largest in the Institute of Theology at the university.
, the architect of the main building at Queen's.
From 1921 until 1932 the newly formed Parliament of Northern Ireland
met in Assembly's College while Stormont
was being built. The Commons
met in the Gamble Library and the Senate
in the Chapel.
Between 1941 to 1948 the city police used the college as its own headquarters were bombed in the Belfast blitz
.
In 1976 theological teaching at Magee College
in Derry
, County Londonderry
ceased and the two colleges amalgamated in 1978. The new college was named Union Theological College, often referred to as Union College.
On the 14th of November 2009, a fire was started, two firefighters were injured whilst fighting the blaze. The inferno was later extinguished, police are currently treating the incident as suspicious.
Presbyterian Church in Ireland
The Presbyterian Church in Ireland , is the largest Presbyterian denomination in Ireland, and the largest Protestant denomination in Northern Ireland...
and is situated in Belfast
Belfast
Belfast is the capital of and largest city in Northern Ireland. By population, it is the 14th biggest city in the United Kingdom and second biggest on the island of Ireland . It is the seat of the devolved government and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly...
, Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
. It was established in 1853 as Assembly's College. The building served as the location for the early Northern Ireland Parliaments.
The college offers a full range of courses in Theology. The college is associated with the Presbyterian Theological Faculty Ireland which was granted a Royal Charter
Royal Charter
A royal charter is a formal document issued by a monarch as letters patent, granting a right or power to an individual or a body corporate. They were, and are still, used to establish significant organizations such as cities or universities. Charters should be distinguished from warrants and...
in 1881 to confer academic degrees in theology similar to universities of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland was the formal name of the United Kingdom during the period when what is now the Republic of Ireland formed a part of it....
at the time. These degrees are the Bachelor of Divinity
Bachelor of Divinity
In Western universities, a Bachelor of Divinity is usually an undergraduate academic degree awarded for a course taken in the study of divinity or related disciplines, such as theology or, rarely, religious studies....
, Master of Ministry and Doctor of Ministry
Doctor of Ministry
The Doctor of Ministry degree is, according to The Association of Theological Schools in the United States and Canada , a doctoral level degree oriented toward ministerial leadership often in an area of applied theology, such as missions, evangelism, church leadership, pastoral psychology or the...
. A full range of Degrees are also conferred by the Queen's University of Belfast
Queen's University of Belfast
Queen's University Belfast is a public research university in Belfast, Northern Ireland. The university's official title, per its charter, is the Queen's University of Belfast. It is often referred to simply as Queen's, or by the abbreviation QUB...
, BTh, B.D., M.Div, M.Th., M.Phil and Ph.D. for certain programmes and the college is the largest in the Institute of Theology at the university.
History
The college was founded in 1853 as Assembly's College. The college was designed by Charles LanyonCharles Lanyon
Sir Charles Lanyon DL, JP was an English architect of the 19th century. His work is most closely associated with Belfast, Northern Ireland.-Biography:Lanyon was born in Eastbourne, Sussex in 1813...
, the architect of the main building at Queen's.
From 1921 until 1932 the newly formed Parliament of Northern Ireland
Parliament of Northern Ireland
The Parliament of Northern Ireland was the home rule legislature of Northern Ireland, created under the Government of Ireland Act 1920, which sat from 7 June 1921 to 30 March 1972, when it was suspended...
met in Assembly's College while Stormont
Parliament Buildings (Northern Ireland)
The Parliament Buildings, known as Stormont because of its location in the Stormont area of Belfast is the seat of the Northern Ireland Assembly and the Northern Ireland Executive...
was being built. The Commons
House of Commons of Northern Ireland
The House of Commons of Northern Ireland was the lower house of the Parliament of Northern Ireland created under the Government of Ireland Act 1920. The upper house in the bicameral parliament was called the Senate. It was abolished with the passing of the Northern Ireland Constitution Act...
met in the Gamble Library and the Senate
Senate of Northern Ireland
The Senate of Northern Ireland was the upper house of the Parliament of Northern Ireland created by the Government of Ireland Act 1920. It was abolished with the passing of the Northern Ireland Constitution Act 1973.-Powers:...
in the Chapel.
Between 1941 to 1948 the city police used the college as its own headquarters were bombed in the Belfast blitz
Belfast Blitz
The Belfast Blitz was an event that occurred on the night of Easter Tuesday, 15 April 1941 during World War II. Two hundred bombers of the German Air Force attacked the city of Belfast in Northern Ireland. Nearly one thousand people died as a result of the bombing and 1,500 were injured. In terms...
.
In 1976 theological teaching at Magee College
Magee College
Magee College is a campus of the University of Ulster located in Derry, Northern Ireland. It opened in 1865 as a Presbyterian Christian arts and theological college...
in Derry
Derry
Derry or Londonderry is the second-biggest city in Northern Ireland and the fourth-biggest city on the island of Ireland. The name Derry is an anglicisation of the Irish name Doire or Doire Cholmcille meaning "oak-wood of Colmcille"...
, County Londonderry
County Londonderry
The place name Derry is an anglicisation of the old Irish Daire meaning oak-grove or oak-wood. As with the city, its name is subject to the Derry/Londonderry name dispute, with the form Derry preferred by nationalists and Londonderry preferred by unionists...
ceased and the two colleges amalgamated in 1978. The new college was named Union Theological College, often referred to as Union College.
On the 14th of November 2009, a fire was started, two firefighters were injured whilst fighting the blaze. The inferno was later extinguished, police are currently treating the incident as suspicious.
Further reading
- Presbyterian College Celebrates 150 Years, 2003 press release describing the college and its history.