Significant intake of Presbyterian student ministers at annual graduation ceremonies
The Presbyterian Church in Ireland had a significant intake of student ministers at the church's annual graduation ceremonies organised by its Union theological college in South Belfast.
Students celebrated their achievements with family and friends at various summer graduation ceremonies this month from Queen’s University and Ulster University. Prebyterian Union theological college, in partnership, also acknowledged the achievements of its students. For the first time, there were students graduating with the new BA (Hons) degree in theology.
The graduation service took place at Fitzroy Presbyterian church a short distance from Union College, at the heart of Belfast’s Queen’s University quarter. Along with the 11 students graduating with their BA degree in theology, a further 17 post-graduates received their Master of Arts in theology, Master of Divinity and a Master of Theology. A postgraduate diploma in Protestant Reformed church theology was also awarded.
For more than 170 years, Union College has provided theological education and equipped ministers for the Christian church. As an educational institution at the heart of the work and witness of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland (PCI) it is also PCI’s principal body for post-ordination training of its ministers. While many students come to Union College to train for a specific form of ministry or mission, others come with no vocational aspirations, wanting to study theology out of academic interest, or to deepen their Christian faith. The student body itself is made up of men and women from across the UK, Irish Republic, Europe, and United States.
Speaking after the Union graduation ceremony, Rev Professor Michael McClenahan, Union College principal,, said that it was a special day. “The graduation service is the highlight of the academic year for theological students, faculty and staff at our college. It is also a wonderful opportunity to celebrate commitment and academic achievements of our under-graduate and post-graduate students, and an important opportunity to give thanks to God for his faithfulness to our college community.”
Professor McClenahan added: “This year’s graduation service marked a number of significant milestones for our college and demonstrated the growing breadth and range of coursesoffered at undergraduate and postgraduate level. This is why we offered specific thanks to God for ongoing development of our undergraduate BA (Hons) pathway, as we mark the first graduating cohort from our collaboration with St Mary’s university at Twickenham, England. We were pleased to have their vice-chancellor Professor Anthony McClaran with us to present the awards.”
With initial plans set back by the recent Covid pandemic, the first graduating cohort for the BA in theology did not begin their studies until the autumn of 2022. The course is designed and taught by Union College, while validated and awarded by St Mary’s.
Professor McClenahan reminded those graduating that the college had been in undergraduate theological education since the 1920s, but he thanked St Mary’s college for the thoroughly professional way that staff had worked with Union College to develop a programme appropriate for a Reformed theological institution seeking to engage faithfully and critically with the Christian intellectual tradition and culture.
Also speaking at the graduation service, St Mary’s college vice-chancellor, Professor Anthony McClaran said the graduation was a significant milestone and how they were “a pioneering cohort, the first fruits of a much-valued collaboration between St Mary’s and Union colleges.”
“The launch of our partnership in 2022 reflected a shared commitment to Christian values in higher education and the recognition of the place of faith in scholarship," he said.