Whose conversation
is the aside; whose mind
is its own fountain, who
overflows …
From The God by RS Thomas (Mass for Hard Times, 1992)
Some news from Sarum College for when you get a chance to put your feet up...
Farewells and welcomes featured highly in 2019, especially with the academic staff as people retired and relocated. Dr Jayme Reaves was appointed a year ago as Coordinator for both short courses programme and the Centre for Encountering the Bible. Dr Karen O’Donnell became coordinator of the Centre for Contemporary Spirituality in January and Dr Jon Morgan joined in August as Coordinator for the Centre for Theology, Imagination and Culture. Lucky you: they are brimming with ideas for Sarum’s learning programme.
One is example is the new Exploring Theology (successor to the long-running Theology, Quest and Questions) led by Jayme Reaves which started with the Hebrew Bible. Read here why so many are completely devoted to the course already.
In May we had a week of death and of life.
Dom Kenneth OSB (left) of the Benedictine Priory, died a few days after the birth of Dr Beth Dodd's son Nathaniel George Roberts (pictured right with his parents).
The Revd Julia Mourant and Canon Dr Jill Hopkinson joined the Centre for Formation in Ministry which has gone from strength to strength. Jill is tutor on Sarum’s Rural Training Pathway, the only course in the Church of England which specifically trains people for the challenges of ordained ministry in the countryside. Julia also continues to lead the Sarum Course in Spiritual Direction which has been fully booked each year since it began in 2015.
Sarum’s Centre for Formation in Ministry (FIM) had enthusiastic endorsements in its Ministry Division review report. Ministry staff say the report shows that the reviewers clearly ‘saw’ Sarum College’s work and those who lead it.
Here's a sample from the draft report:
From an incumbent: 'The Course sits light to different church traditions so the students are better prepared to engage in generous disagreement with each other -- or event change themselves.'
From a placement supervisor: '(Students) have found Sarum a gentle place, with people of deep kindness which enable students to be more confident in their own tradition.'
Alongside our courses we run a busy B&B and conference centre, welcoming diverse groups from all over the world such as The Muslim Institute which held its 11thWinter Gathering in November and will be back in 2020. Another regular coming our way next summer is US-based Discipleship Ministries with a 40-strong group coming for an 11-day Wesley Pilgrimage.
Alongside his academic writing, Sarum College Principal The Revd Canon Professor James Woodward (pictured right) writes occasionally for the Salisbury Journal. Read his most recent Footnotes column.
Onwards to 2020 and time to make some sensible plans. Resolutions are notoriously unsuccessful for good and well-known reasons so let Sarum College help you make truly achievable and transformational ones. We have an excellent line-up of January courses for personal development, leadership skills, fun and inspiration:
We also have a January intake for the Christian Spirituality degree programme - details here.
Finally a huge thank you to all those who show their appreciation for our work through their donations, volunteer time and prayers. We are so grateful for this generosity.
With best wishes for a very happy 2020.
Christine
PS we are closed from 5pm 23 December 2019 to 9am Thursday 2 January 2020.
y we had a week of death and of life.
