The Queen's Foundation

The Queen's Foundation, Birmingham
	The Hobbiss main block and chapel
Other name	The Queen's Foundation for Ecumenical Theological Education
Former name	Queen's College, Birmingham
Type	Theological college
Established	1828; 196 years ago
Religious affiliation	Church of England; Methodist Church; United Reformed Church;
Principal	Professor Clive Marsh
Dean	Dr David Allen
Address	Somerset Road, Edgbaston, Birmingham, B15 2QH, England; 52°27′26″N 1°55′53″W / 52.4573°N 1.9314°W
Website	www.queens.ac.uk

The Queen's Foundation for Ecumenical Theological Education (also called the Queen's Foundation, Birmingham, and formerly the Queen's College, Birmingham) is an ecumenical theological college which, with the West Midlands Ministerial Training Course, forms the Centre for Ministerial Formation of the Queen's Foundation for Ecumenical Theological Education. It serves the Church of England and the Methodist Church, and its courses thus have a strong ecumenical emphasis.^[1]

Overview

The Queen's Foundation itself consists of the Centre for Ministerial Formation, the Queen's Graduate and Research Centre, the Centre for Black Ministries and Leadership, and the Selly Oak Centre for Mission Studies (the successor to the Selly Oak Colleges).

The Queen's Foundation was associated with the University of Birmingham (then, the Queen's College, Birmingham) to which it is very near and for whose certificates, diplomas and degrees students read. However, in 2009/10 the University of Birmingham completed its review of the School of Philosophy, Theology and Religion, including its collaborative arrangements. The review recommended terminating the arrangements with Queen's for both taught and research degrees. A new validation agreement was made with Newman University for taught degree programmes. Also in 2011 a new validation agreement was made with the University of Gloucestershire for research degrees.^[2] The Queen's Graduate and Research Centre offers post-graduate study for the Master of Arts (MA) in applied theological study, and research facilities for the degrees of Master of Philosophy (Ph.M.), Doctor of Theology (Th.D.) and Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.).

The residential block and lodge (1929–30), and chapel (1938–47) are by a local architect Holland W. Hobbiss. The chapel was the first English ecclesiastical building with an altar built for the celebrant to face the congregation.^[3] The college hosted the UKMT Mathematics Summer School each summer for approximately 40 students.

Origins

The college started in 1828 as the Birmingham School of Medicine, based at Birmingham General Hospital, moving to Snow Hill in 1829 and then Paradise Street in 1834. In 1836 it became the Birmingham Royal School of Medicine and Surgery, under the patronage of William IV. In 1843 the institution moved from being a medical school to a college and obtained a royal charter as Queens' College. A theology department was established in 1849 and opened in 1853.^[4]^[5] Eventually the non-theological departments joined the nearby Mason Science College which became the University of Birmingham in 1900, leaving Queen's College as a theological establishment, which moved to Somerset Road in 1923.

The Selly Oak Centre for Mission Studies was formed in 2006 as the successor to the United College of the Ascension, one the former Selly Oak Colleges, and remains sponsored by the United Society for the Propagation of the Gospel and the Methodist Church.

List of wardens of the Theological Department of the Queen's College

1849-1852: Horace Gray
1853-1865: John Sandford^[6]
1865-1873: Thomas Espinell Espin
1873-1874: Harman Chaloner Ogle
1874-1901: William Herring Poulton^[7]
1902-1907 :J H B Masterman
1907-1913?: W Hobhouse (Honorary Warden, college activities suspended until 1923)^[8]

List of principals since 1923

The principal of the theological foundation has usually been an ordained Anglican priest.

1923–1934 (res.): Herbert Raison
1934–1954 (res.): John Cobham
1954–1967 (res.): Arthur Gribble
1967–1973 (res.): John Habgood
1974–1979 (res.): Anthony Bird
1979–1987 (res.): Gordon Wakefield (Methodist minister)
1987–1993 (res.): Jamie Walker (Church of Scotland (presbyterian) minister)
1994–2002 (res.): Peter Fisher
2003–2020: David Hewlett
2020–Pres: Clive Marsh

Notable alumni

Simon Baker, Archdeacon of Lichfield
Paul Bayes, Bishop of Liverpool
Michael Everitt, Archdeacon of Lancaster
John Hawkins, Archdeacon of Hampstead
Sonia Hicks, President of the Methodist Conference 2021/2022
Kathy Jones, Dean of Bangor 2016–2021
Clinton Langston, British Army Chaplain General and Archdeacon for the Army
Karen Lund, Archdeacon of Manchester
Rachel Mann, Archdeacon of Salford & Bolton, priest, poet and theologian
Michael Parker, British Army Chaplain General
Eve Pitts, vicar and canon in Birmingham
Mary Stallard, Archdeacon of Bangor since 2018 and Assistant Bishop in Bangor since 2022
David Walker, Bishop of Manchester
Lucy Winkett, priest, broadcaster and writer

References

^ Queen's College Programmes of Study "Programmes of Study | MA Theological Studies, Research Degrees, Biblical Studies and more | the Queen's Foundation Birmingham, for Theological Education". Archived from the original on 27 February 2013. Retrieved 17 January 2013.
^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 21 December 2014. Retrieved 21 December 2014.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
^ Pevsner Architectural Guides - Birmingham, Andy Foster, 2005, ISBN 0-300-10731-5, p252
^ "Queen's College and its predecessor institution, Birmingham School of Medicine, Records of". Archives hub. Retrieved 3 August 2024.
^ The Making of Birmingham: Being a History of the Rise and Growth of the Midland Metropolis, Robert K. Dent, Published by J. L. Allday, 1894
^ Park, Trevor (2018). Godly Communities of Sound Learning. [St Bees]: St Bega. pp. 281–282.
^ Bullock, F W B (1955). A History of Training for the Ministry of the Church of England 1800-1874. St Leonards on Sea: Budd & Gillatt. pp. 84, 108.
^ Bullock, F W B (1976). A History of Training for the Ministry of the Church of England 1875-1974. London: Home Words Limited. pp. 36, 67.