How did we end up here? Theological education as ministerial formation in the British Baptist colleges

This paper explores developments in the Baptist colleges in England and Wales principally over the last fifty years, suggesting that paradigms which have focussed on education and training have developed and are developing into a paradigm which stresses formation. It offers eight key areas, including formation, where there have been important changes which together inform the shared contemporary practice of these colleges. Alongside engaging with the published literature on this subject, the paper also draws on the private papers of key participants in these developments and some personal interviews. The paper concludes with a summary of these eight areas in the form of commitments by these Baptist colleges.