‘Our primary aim is formation for public ministry, which is seen as engagement with God’s mission. Through formation we seek to foster growth in Christian discipleship, service and witness; and we seek to form women and men so that they may exercise ministry in a competent and confident fashion, whilst seeing their education and training as part of a lifelong process.’
TISEC’s Initial Ministry Education (IME) provision is ecumenically shaped, and is intended to prepare students for accredited lay and ordained ministries within the Scottish Episcopal Church and the Methodist Church. IME students will normally complete the appropriate selection process for the ministry which they wish to offer before they commence their studies.
Our IME Course in Theology for Ministry is validated through the Churches’ Validation Framework, administered by the Church of England’s Ministry Division. Completing this course leads to the award of a Diploma in Theology for Ministry (DipTM), validated through York St John University. The Course is overseen by a Board of Studies, which is convened by Dr Peter Smart.
Course Details
Our Course is divided into nine subject-areas, each with modules taught over a three-year period. The following Module Co-ordinators oversee and develop the learning materials, and mark students’ work:
- Paddy Allen is Rector of Crieff, and co-ordinator of our Spirituality module.
- Andrew Barton is Rector of Auchterarder, and co-ordinates our Contemporary Issues module.
- Michael Benton, formerly a Canon of Winchester Cathedral, co-ordinates our Doctrine module.
- Kenneth Fleming, a former Provincial Officer, co-ordinates our Missiology module.
- Paul Foster teaches New Testament at New College, Edinburgh, and co-ordinates our New Testament module.
- Rosemary Hannah is based in Ayrshire. She has a doctorate in Church History, and co-ordinates our module in that subject.
- Nathan MacDonald teaches Old Testament at the University of St Andrews, and co-ordinates our Hebrew Scriptures module.
- Jim Mein is a recently retired priest in the Edinburgh diocese, and co-ordinates our Ministry module.
- Ian Paton is a Rector of a city centre church in Edinburgh. He is our director of liturgical studies, and co-ordinator of our Liturgy module.
Helen Wareing is IME Liaison Officer for the Methodist Church in Scotland.
International Christian College Library
IME students can register to use the library of the International Christian College (ICC) at St James’s Road in the center of Glasgow. The library has an online catalogue and operates a postal service for TISEC students. Membership forms for the ICC Library can be obtained from the TISEC office, which processes all membership applications.
Initial Ministry Education Handbook
Detailed and current information on the shape and provision of IME are given in our Handbook, available from the Resources section.
