Commitments
We joyfully adhere to the Westminster Standards, and believe them to be a faithful subordinate standard to God’s Word.
Experiential Calvinism
Following God is a matter of the heart as well as the head; those who know most about God should also be the most loving and joyful.
Presbyterian Ecclesiology
We welcome evangelical students of any denomination, whilst committing that our faculty will be Presbyterians.
The Ordinary
Means of Grace
The church fulfils the Great Commission through the faithful use of Word, sacraments and prayer, blessed by the Spirit.
The Regulative Principle
God tells us how he is to be honoured; we are not at liberty to invent new approaches to worship.
The Westminster Confession
We embrace the Biblical concept of confessing our faith publicly, and we joyfully adhere to the Westminster Standards: the Westminster Confession of Faith, the Larger Catechism and the Shorter Catechism.
All our lecturers annually reaffirm their commitment to these Standards and our statement on Creation. Our students come from a range of theological backgrounds; some are not under care of a Presbyterian denomination and do not personally subscribe the Standards, but all benefit from the careful and consistent approach to the scripture that our faculty adopt.
Experiential Calvinism
Following God is a matter of the heart as well as the head.
As Jonathan Edwards put it, true religion consists in genuine affections alongside true doctrine.This has been called experimental – or experiential – Calvinism.
All Christians, including academics, are called to the fruit of the Spirit, including love, joy, peace and gentleness. Real knowledge of God is never solely intellectual. Those who know most about God should also be the most loving and joyful.
Presbyterian Ecclesiology
We are Presbyterian in our theology of church government. In fact, we are the only Presbyterian seminary in England and Wales.
Although we welcome students of other denominational affiliations, our faculty are Presbyterian and teach from this perspective. In addition, our leadership and governing board on both sides of the Atlantic are ordained elders in confessional Presbyterian denominations and are accountable to them in teaching and conduct.
The Ordinary Means of Grace
God has given the church an unambiguous mission – to make disciples – and the means to do so: the Word of God, the sacraments and prayer.
These ‘ordinary means of grace’ appear foolish and weak so that God receives all the glory when He works through them. The church does not need new means of achieving its mission but renewed confidence in God’s promise to act by His Holy Spirit in this ministry.
This is why we want to train faithful men who labour with compassion, perseverance and full dependence upon God.
The Regulative Principle
Scripture teaches us how to worship God. Passages like Deuteronomy 12 tell us not to imitate the world around us, nor to invent new ways of worshipping him. Rather, we should worship the living God as He has instructed us in His Word.