Ridley Hall, Cambridge

Latest News

Spirituality and Photography: Saturday June 9th
 

The Simeon Centre for Prayer and the Spiritual Life is holding a day event to explore spirituality and photography on Saturday June 9th, 2012.

Places will be limited to 15 so please book early to avoid disappointment. There is a registration fee of £25 for the day, and you can book your place now by clicking the link below.

The day will be held at Ridley Hall from 10am to 4pm, with speakers Adrian Chatfield and Jane Willis. For more details download the event flyer (see page two of the flyer)

Book now for a place on "Spirituality and Photography"
(£25 per person)

Please bring your own packed lunch. Refreshments will be provided. Download the two-page flyer.

The Great Journey of Life

This year's Simeon Centre day of preparation for Lent will explore how we can live well in the light of eternity. Booking is now open. To book your place (book early to avoid disappointment) visit the Simeon Centre's programme page.

Andrew Norman made honorary canon

The Bishop of Ely has appointed Ridley's Principal Andrew Norman to the position of honorary canon of Ely Cathedral. One of 17 new honorary canons, Andrew Norman will be licensed and installed in a special evensong service at the Cathedral on 28th January beginning at 5.30pm. We are delighted at this recognition of Andrew's contribution to the life and work of the Church.

"What kind of clergy do we need?"
Roundtable discussion for Bishops

A Roundtable discussion for bishops will be jointly hosted on March 28th-29th 2012 by Ridley Hall and Westcott House.

A 24-hour discussion facilitated by theological college staff, the Roundtable will provided focussed time to exchange reflections and explore paradigms for the future ministry of a church in which 40% of stipendiary clergy are retiring in the next 10 years.

It will seek to address important questions of the day for the Church of England:

• What are the working assumptions in individual dioceses?
• What qualities are required for ministry in a 'mixed economy' Church?
• Do we need generalists or specialists?
• How are disciples most effectively nurtured?
• Should our clergy be 'collaborative enablers'?
• How do we work for growth rather than plan for decline?
• What does 'mission-shaped' ministry look like?
• In what ways should ministry be pioneering?
• Where is the greatest opportunity?
• Where is the greatest need?
• What does priestly presence mean?

Invitations have been sent to all bishops currently serving in the Church of England. Those invited may book their place online here using our secure payment processing system by clicking on the link below. The booking fee of £95 per person includes all meals and overnight accommodation. For further information contact Rebecca Herrick on rrc@cam.ac.uk or 01223 741060.

Book your place now at the 2012 Roundtable

Places can also be booked by downloading and printing an order form and returning it with a cheque to the address specified on the form. For more information about the event, download the event flyer.

Westcott House and Ridley Hall work closely together as members of the Cambridge Theological Federation and are co-sponsors, with the Diocese of Ely, of the Centre for Pioneer Learning.

"Bible translation, local context and world mission" - free audio

This year's C.F.D. Moule Memorial Lecture, given by Dr Andrew Walls, is now available to listen to online. His lecture addressed the theme of “Bible Translation, local context and world mission”, marking the 400th anniversary of the King James Bible.

Dr Walls is Professor of the History of Mission at Liverpool Hope University and founder of the Centre for the Study of Christianity in the Non-Western World, at the University of Edinburgh. He is one of the outstanding missionary thinkers of our time, whose seminal works include The Missionary Movement in Christian History (1996), and The Cross-Cultural Process in Christian History (2002).

Visit the Resources page to listen now to the lecture

 

In Memoriam: David B. Barrett

Ridley Hall was saddened to learn of the death of David B. Barrett in Richmond, Virginia, he was 83 years old.

David Barrett was at Ridley during the early 1950s following a career as a researcher into aircraft design at a crucial moment in the aviation industry.

Following his graduation in 1954 he served with the Church Missionary Society in Kenya where he began amassing and analyzing information as a knowledge base to undergird the missionary work of the church.

From this research came the first edition of his World Christian Encyclopedia, which was published by the Oxford University Press in 1981; a second edition followed in 2001. That data is now a core component of the World Christian Database that is managed and continually developed by the Center for the Study of Global Christianity at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, South Hamilton, Massachusetts.

In their tribute to Dr. Barrett the Center writes, "The monumental research efforts undertaken by Barrett have left a deep impression on both the academy and the church over the past half-century, an influence that continues to be felt through the ongoing work that is his legacy."  More on the life and work of Dr. David B. Barrett....

David Barrett, his wife, Pam, and their family moved to Virginia in 1982 so that he could continue his work and ministry, during which time he played a significant role in shaping Anglican Frontier Missions that reaches out to the least evangelized.

John Wraw to be Suffragan Bishop of Bradwell

We are delighted to learn that John Wraw, at present the Archdeacon of Wiltshire has been appointed Suffragan Bishop of Bradwell in the Diocese of Chelmsford, he will begin his ministry in Essex in early 2012. John Wraw was a student at Ridley Hall in the 1980s. The bishop-elect and his wife, Gillian, have four children, and he has been archdeacon in the Diocese of Salisbury since 2004. One interesting fact about John Wraw is that in 2009 he sailed on the first leg of the 2009-2010 Clipper Round-the-World Yacht Race from Hull to Rio de Janero with a crew from Cape Breton, Canada. Ridley offers the Wraws our congratulations, and prayers for their future ministry. Read the Wiltshire Times article.

The Revd John R. W. Stott, CBE (1921-2011)

“John Stott died in his retirement home at St. Barnabas College at 3.15pm on Wednesday 27th July. He was surrounded by Frances Whitehead, and a number of good friends. They were reading the Scriptures and listening to Handel's Messiah when he peacefully went to be with his Lord and Saviour.”
(All Souls’ Church, Langham Place, London)

There is little doubt that John Stott was one of the most significant Christians of the 20th Century. He prepared for ordained ministry at Ridley Hall during the dark days of World War Two, was ordained to the diaconate in the Diocese of London in 1945, and was priested the following year. His lived his whole life pouring himself out in the service of the Lord Jesus Christ, and his influence reached far beyond the Church of England and the worldwide Anglican Communion. The list of his many achievements both as Rector of All Souls’, Langham Place, London, and far beyond will be catalogued in tributes that will be paid in coming days, but what impressed those who knew him was his genuine humility.

John Stott on a visit to Ridley Hall, pictured with
former Principal Christopher Cocksworth and Vice Principal Mike Thompson in 2006.

In many ways, John Stott modeled his life and ministry on that of Charles Simeon, Fellow of Kings College, Cambridge, and Vicar of Holy Trinity, Cambridge, for more than half a century, whose work was the inspiration behind the founding of Ridley Hall. Like Simeon, Stott poured himself into his parish, the national and the global mission of the church, and he was passionate about raising up new generations of leaders. He was a visionary, evangelist, preacher, and expositor of Scripture, whose writing and teaching will serve the church for many years to come.

John Stott last visited Ridley Hall in 2006 as part of the college’s 125th anniversary celebrations, and not long before he ended his public ministry. On that occasion he lectured on The Paradoxes of Preaching, and then preached at the College Communion Service. His text that evening is a fitting epitaph to his life’s work: “We proclaim Jesus, admonishing and teaching everyone with wisdom, so that we may present everyone perfect in Christ” (Colossians 1:28).

Links: Christianity Today, the BBC, the New York Times and the John Stott Memorial site at www.johnstottmemorial.org

J. I. Packer's sermon at Stott's Memorial Service

Robert Freeman appointed Bishop of Penrith

Ridley Hall is delighted that Robert Freeman, at present Archdeacon of Halifax in the Diocese of Wakefield, has been appointed Bishop of Penrith in the Diocese of Carlisle. We congratulate him and his wife, Chris, on this new opportunity for service and Christian ministry. There are close links between the Diocese of Carlisle and Ridley Hall: the present Bishop of Carlisle, James Newcome, is a Ridley graduate and a former Tutor at Ridley, and his predecessor was until last year the Chair of the Ridley Hall Council. Read more...

PayPal now accepted for online bookings and purchases

We are pleased to announce that as well as accepting a wide range of credit cards, we are now also able to accept payments via PayPal for our conferences, events and for purchases at our online shop.

PayPal saves time - once you have an account with PayPal (which is free to set up) you only require a username and password to purchase items from a website, avoiding the hassle of typing out your address and card details in full each time.

You can set up your account to use your credit card, or alternatively money can be transferred directly from your bank account - ideal for those without access to a credit card or who prefer not to use one online.

We are currently taking bookings for the following conferences and events:

• The Simeon Centre for Prayer and the Spiritual Life: Dying Well (15-17 September 2011)
• The Centre for Pioneer Learning: International Conference (6-11 September 2011)
• The Centre for Pioneer Learning: Pioneer School (October 2011 - May 2012

As well as PayPal, we accept the following credit cards:

 

New book on pioneer ministry

A new book arising from last year's Pioneer Conference at Ridley is due out next month, available now for pre-order on Amazon.

Edited by Ridley's Tutor in Pioneer Mission Training, and Director of the Centre for Pioneer Learning, the book explores pioneer leadership through a wide range of essays.

Contributors include Graham Cray, Richard Bauckham and Michael Moynagh. Sue Butler and Tony Hodder, two pioneers who trained at Ridley and are ordained this Petertide, also tell their stories.

The book, which explores key themes and probes important issues such as the relatively low numbers of women pioneers, the psychology of pioneering leaders, and the danger of domestication, is an exploration in theology and wisdom for pioneers and comes out of the first Breakout Conference for pioneers.

To find out more about the Centre for Pioneer Learning and its work, see page 6 of the latest issue of News from Ridley.

To pre-order your copy of the book now click on the link below:

Pioneers 4 Life:
Explorations in Theology and Wisdom for Pioneering Leaders

Petertide ordinations

Thirty-four ordinands graduated from Ridley in June 2011, and a majority of them were made deacons during Petertide, the season of the church’s year around St. Peter’s Day. While Facebook and the Church Times are alive with pictures of Ridleians in their freshly minted clerical collars this particular picture from the Diocese of Sheffield seemed appropriate.

Third from the left is Jude Davis, with Phil Goodacre, former Senior Student at Ridley, next to her on the right. To find out more about this year's leavers, see the Ember List centre spread of our latest News from Ridley (pdf, 5mb)

Summer News from Ridley

The Summer 2011 edition of Ridley's news magazine is now available for download:

Download News from Ridley - Summer 2011 (pdf, 5MB)

 

Ridley alumnus made Bishop of Helena

Richard Fenwick, former Dean of St. Woolos Cathedral, Newport, in the Diocese of Monmouth in the Church in Wales, was consecrated Bishop of St. Helena in George, South Africa, in early May, and has just taken up his new ministry on that Atlantic island. Bishop Fenwick was trained at Ridley Hall in the late sixties and has served in both the Church of England and the Church in Wales.

Ridleian awarded MBE in Queen's Birthday Honours List

We congratulate the Revd Prebendary Philippa Boardman, a graduate of Ridley Hall and a General Synod member of the Ridley Hall Council, on being awarded an MBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List. Philippa is Vicar of Old Ford Parish in the East End of London, and led the total renovation of St. Paul’s Church, St. Stephen’s Road, Bow. A near derelict Victorian building, it has been wonderfully restored, the exterior of the building being retained while excess space within the building now includes a multi storey community building boasting a cafe, a gym and an educational support centre around its central space of worship. For a video of the transformation of the building go to www.stpauloldford.com, and more information can be found in a recent press article.

Centre for Pioneer Learning launches Pioneer School

The Centre for Pioneer Learning has launched Pioneer School - a unique course of six Saturdays, each one resourcing and supporting you in your pioneer ministry. The School runs from October 2011 to May 2012, and each day combines morning input from key speakers in the field with afternoon hub discussion, reflection, prayer and worship.

More information, including speakers, topics and online booking...

Go-ahead given for Ridley's major development plan

We are delighted that planning permission has now been awarded for the college's plan for a major new building.

Press release:

Ridley Hall, Cambridge CB3 9HG; Wednesday, June 1, 2011

“We are delighted by this decision,” said the Rt Revd David Urquhart, Bishop of Birmingham and Chair of Ridley Hall’s Council, after the Cambridge City Planning Committee approved Ridley’s first major building project in several generations. “Ridley has an exciting vision and its facilities have long been struggling to keep up. This new building  will at last address the College’s chronic shortage of space, enabling the College to contribute even more effectively to the wider church.

Launched in 1881 to train forty young men for Anglican ministry, today Ridley Hall has 140 students of all ages, both male and female, preparing for a variety of ministries. Located adjacent to Newnham College, Ridley works closely with the Cambridge University Divinity Faculty and Anglia Ruskin University. It is an active member of Cambridge’s partnership for theological education, the Cambridge Theological Federation.

Ridley Hall serves the Cambridge area through student involvement in local churches, colleges, hospitals, prisons and other areas of community life.  Ridley’s Centre for Youth Ministry trains leaders working with young people, who often are disadvantaged or marginalized.

The building will provide state of the art teaching space, a multi-purpose auditorium, further residential accommodation, an audio-visual studio and additional social space. The whole development is expected to cost £9 million. “Fundraising can now be accelerated,” said the Revd Richard Kew, Development Director, “And we hope to break ground in twelve to twenty-four months.”

Ridley’s Principal, the Revd Canon Andrew Norman, was enthusiastic about the Planning Committee’s decision. “This is a real step forward. We have worked hard to refine our plans so they significantly advance our vision while accentuating the charm of our site.”

The Revd Richard Kew, Development Director, Ridley Hall – 01223 741069, 07833 204235, rk383@cam.ac.uk

International Consultation brings together Principals and Deans of theological colleges from across the Anglican Communion

The first ever international consultation for Anglican Communion theological college Principals and Deans, gathering together representatives from 27 countries, has been held in Canterbury. The Principal of Ridley Hall was one of two Church of England Principals taking part. For the week following the Consultation, Ridley Hall hosted Tanzanian Principal, Revd John Madinda.

The Consultation was held in the International Study Centre, Canterbury, England  12-18 May 2011. As the consultation drew to a close collective thoughts and hopes were gathered together in a number of practical proposals to be taken forward.  These included establishing a network or association of Anglican Theological Colleges and Seminaries, and seeking to establish a mechanism - through a social networking site or similar - for the exchange of students and staff across the Communion.

Christ our Teacher,
you alone are the way, the truth and the life:
so lead the Theological Education group in its work,
building trust and understanding,
that, in sharing our stories, vision and resources,
all your people may grow in faith
and your whole Church built up in love,
in the power of the Holy Spirit
and to the glory of the Father.
Amen.

To read a fuller list of proposals, download the Consultation communique.

Andrew S. Dalton, 1949-2011

On Easter Day at his Scottish home, Andrew S. Dalton, Treasurer of both Ridley Hall and Wycliffe Hall, Oxford, died suddenly and entered the presence of the Risen Christ. The Managing Partner of Dalton Strategic Partnership LLP, a global investment management company in the City of London, and a former Mayor of Kensington and Chelsea, Andrew was a tireless servant of Jesus Christ as well as the common good. Among many other things Andrew was a past Master of the Grocers’ Company, he chaired the Oundle School Foundation, and served Magdalen, his old college in Oxford, as senior member of their investment committee.

As a college we offer our deepest condolences to his wife, Jennie, and Abigail, Frederick, Benjamin, and Eliza, his children. He is to be buried in Scotland and there will be a London memorial service later. Andrew Dalton will be greatly missed in many quarters.

Round the Bible in 40 Days

Bishop David Thompson’s Bible Challenge to read right Round the Bible in the 40 days of Lent reaches its climax on Holy Saturday, the day before Easter. At 10am a team led by Ridley Hall students Charlotte and Lesley Ann will start on the last day’s challenge with a public reading of the last books of the Bible in the Lady Chapel of Ely Cathedral.

Then at 12.30 there will be a celebratory half-hour service which will include a reading of the last two chapters of Revelation in which everyone can take part. After the service there will be a chance to meet and chart informally, and share stories of how the Challenge has gone for you.

About 1000 people are thought to have been taking part in “RTB40”, right across the country, even using Facebook, Twitter and Skype to keep in touch. Bishop David himself has been marking the 400th anniversary of the King James Bible by reading from that – from both his old christening Bible but on a Kindle too!

Everyone is very welcome to join in these finale events on 23rd April, and you can come and take part for as much time or as little as you can spare.

Moule Day - Wednesday 15th June

We are delighted to welcome world renowned missiologist Professor Andrew Walls for the 2011 Moule Memorial Lecture on Wednesday 15th June. The lecture itself, which begins at 5pm, is open to the public, and all alumni and their spouses are warmly invited for the full afternoon, which begins at 2.00pm and will conclude by 6.30pm.

The C.F.D. Moule Memorial Lecture was established in 2008 in honour of Charlie Moule, who championed Ridley throughout his distinguished life. This year’s lecture will address the theme of “Bible Translation, local context and world mission”, marking the 400th anniversary of the King James Bible.

Dr Walls is Professor of the History of Mission at Liverpool Hope University and founder of the Centre for the Study of Christianity in the Non-Western World, at the University of Edinburgh. He is one of the outstanding missionary thinkers of our time, whose seminal works include The Missionary Movement in Christian History (1996), and The Cross-Cultural Process in Christian History (2002).

Church historian, Mark Noll, says of him that ‘no one has written with greater wisdom about what it means for the Western Christian religion to become the global Christian religion’. For in-depth discussion of the work of Andrew Walls with particular reference to his contribution towards world Christianity, read "Re-imagining World Christianity for the Church Universal: Andrew Walls and his Legacy", a lecture by Michael Nai Chiu Poon delivered at Princeton Theological Seminary in March 2011.

"Walls’ main contribution lies in his attempts to re-imagine Christianity as ‘world Christianity.’" Read the full lecture

 

Invitations have been sent to all alumni resident in the UK. If you are based abroad but are planning on being in the UK and are able to attend, you are very welcome to book your place directly by contacting Elaine Thornton on eat29@cam.ac.uk (we would be grateful if you could do so by Thursday 21st April).

If you trained at Ridley between 1961 and 1970 you are also invited to join us for a special morning programme, which will include a visit to the University Library’s exhibition on the making of the King James Bible. For further details on the morning programme call Elaine on 01223 741079 or email her at eat29@cam.ac.uk For more information about the afternoon Moule Day event, download an invitation letter or contact Elaine.

Ridley on iTunes

Ridley has recently uploaded some seminars, lectures and sermons onto Apple's iTunes Store.

The audio files are all free and can be found by searching for "Ridley Hall" or by going to the University of Cambridge site on iTunes. The files include Moule Memorial Lectures from Richard Bauckham and Jurgen Moltmann, along with the address delivered by Eugene Peterson at the Simeon Centre restoring prayer conference.

Further audio files will be added to both the iTunes Store and the University of Cambridge Streaming Media Service as they become available.

Canon John Holbrook announced as next Bishop of Brixworth

Ridley is delighted at the announcement that the next Suffragan Bishop of Brixworth is to be Canon John Holbrook, who trained at Ridley from 1982 to 1986. Currently the Rector of Wimborne Minster, Dorset, in Salisbury Diocese, Canon Holbrook is expected to be consecrated as a bishop in Westminster Abbey on June 2nd and installed in Peterborough Cathedral on June 29th.

In welcoming Canon Holbrook to the diocese, the Bishop of Peterborough, the Rt Revd Donald Allister, said “John brings to us key skills and a rich experience as a parish priest. His warm manner, pastoral sensitivity and inclusive concerns will contribute greatly to the care of our clergy and lay leaders across all traditions of the church as they too face the challenges of Christian mission in today’s world...He also brings to us a proven track record of strategic thinking and planning, and will be a huge asset as we seek to identify priorities and develop and implement strategies to achieve them.”

We would like to take this opportunity to offer our warm congratulations and prayers for John and his family as he moves into this new stage of his ministry.

Gordon MacDonald visits Ridley

Gordon MacDonald, influential American church leader and prolific writer, visited Ridley in January to speak to all our current students as part of their Life and Service lectures. He spoke on 'What I wish I had been taught at theological college' as he reflected on 40 years in Christian ministry.

Gordon has been a pastor and author for over forty years. He has also provided leadership to influential ministries such as Intervarsity Christian Fellowship, which he served as President for three years, and World Relief.

Gordon’s best-selling books include Ordering Your Private World, and, most recently, Who Stole My Church? Drawing on the topic of another of his books, A Resilient Life (Thomas Nelson, 2006) he also addressed an issue very real for all in a fast-moving contemporary culture - and particularly pressing among those serving in today's Church: how to build a resilient life. He helped students take the time to think about the foundations required to have a fruitful lifelong ministry.

In conversation at the end of his visit, Gordon said he really enjoyed his time with the students and commented that they were some of the best and most lively students that he had met for a long time.

We are deeply grateful to Gordon for the time he spent with us, and for sharing not only his experience but also his infectious passion for God, love of people and joy in life.

Latest News from Ridley online

The Winter/Spring edition of Ridley's news magazine is now available for download:

Download News from Ridley - Winter 2010/11 (pdf, 4MB)

Moving Images, Changing Lives

Co-authored by Ridley ordinand Phil Greig, this brand new introductory course on the Christian faith and confirmation explores key issues through popular film, and promises to be a valued resource in the Church.

Film is one area of popular culture that isn’t afraid of exploring life’s big ideas and big questions. Even comedy or animated films often have powerful and thought provoking undercurrents.

This resource offers an entirely fresh approach to an introductory course on the Christian faith based on popular films available on DVD.

Ideal for those exploring faith for the first time and as a confirmation course, its eleven sessions focus on God, Jesus, the Holy Spirit, the Bible, prayer, the Church, communion, living the life of faith – and more.

Everything is provided for the busy youth leader, from equipment lists, ice-breaking activities, questions for reflection, prayers, film clips and You Tube links.

Buy from Amazon

Ridley Hall Development Plans

Ridley Hall’s planning application for a major new development failed to receive approval in October last year. Since then, the College has been working to develop a modified scheme that still meets its needs and which responds to the concerns expressed regarding scale and mass on the Newnham Walk frontage.

To that end, discussions have taken place with English Heritage and the Design and Conservation Panel which have been positive. The outcome of these discussions and changes were presented to the local community on 28 February 2011.

A copy of that presentation is available below for download in pdf format.

View the Development Plans (pdf)
Use of proposed new building (pdf)