Archive content
This is a text-only version of an article first published on Wednesday, 15 July 2015. Information shown on this page may no longer be current.
In a joint venture, Ripon College Cuddesdon and the Diocese of Portsmouth will be offering training for clergy and lay ministers based locally within the Portsmouth Diocese for the first time from September 2015.
This new Portsmouth Pathway course will be based at St Luke's Church in the heart of the city giving the opportunity for contextual learning in parishes in inner-city Portsmouth and across the Diocese which serves south-east Hampshire and the Isle of Wight. The Revd Dr James Grenfell has been appointed as the first Director of the Portsmouth Pathway.
The Rt Revd Humphrey Southern, Principal of Ripon College Cuddesdon said "We are particularly blessed to have recruited James to lead this venture.
Moving from Us (formerly USPG), where he has served as Director of Mission Engagement, he brings rich experience as a teacher, trainer and parish priest". The Bishop of Portsmouth, the Rt Revd Christopher Foster, said: "I'm excited about the fact that we'll be offering this training within Portsmouth, which allows us to root the training in the culture and context of our Diocese.
It will be high quality theological training and will allow people to train on parish placements throughout their course.
It will be both academically rigorous and very practical.
I'm delighted that we've been able to appoint a director of James's calibre and experience. "The Pathway has been designed by Ripon College Cuddesdon responding to the invitation of the Diocese of Portsmouth to offer training and formation for both lay and ordained ministries.
Ripon College Cuddesdon is one of the largest theological colleges in the Church of England, with over 150 ministers in training on its various pathways across south central and the west of England.