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Ridley Hall, Cambridge
A theological college...and more

Welcome to Ridley Hall
from the Principal
However you have become aware of Ridley Hall, I hope this
prospectus will give you a glimpse into who we are and what
we offer. You may be heading for ministry in the Church of
England or amongst young people in the community. Perhaps
you are seeking a world-class setting for postgraduate study or
sabbatical renewal, to prepare you for the next phase of your
Christian calling. Whatever your interest, I warmly invite you to
read on and contact us if you would like to find out more.
Those who study at Ridley join a dynamic community which is centred on biblicallynourished
faith, prayer that sustains and worship that transforms. Our catchphrase
is ‘roots down, walls down, bridges out’. This invites an orthodoxy which is deeplyrooted
yet generous, constructively engages with differing traditions and impels us to
build bridges for evangelism and mission.
We are dedicated to equipping leaders of the future for our ever-changing world.
To achieve this, we are committed to theology that ignites the heart, a worldwide
Church of which Jesus is Lord and a kingdom vision that longs to make known the
‘unsearchable riches of Christ’ in every corner of global society. In all this, we are
conscious of our humanity and our need of God’s grace. The riches of Christ are best
seen ‘in jars of clay’ (2 Corinthians 4:7).
Our website has a wealth of information to give further insight into life at Ridley, and
we would love to hear from you directly. I hope to meet you in person one day soon
to welcome you to a community being transformed by the power of the Holy Spirit
through Christ-centred fellowship, teaching, worship and prayer.
The Revd Canon Andrew Norman

A Community of Grace
As members of the Body of Christ we share in the life,
generosity and self-giving love of the trinitarian God
revealed in Jesus.
Anyone who visits Ridley Hall quickly
discovers that people here care about each
other. Community life is an essential part of
our discipleship and ministerial formation.
It provides a context for growth towards
Christian maturity and holiness.
The College’s founding vision is evangelical and
Anglican, and continues shaping our common
identity. But this is no closed community.
Ridley is part of the wider Cambridge
Federation of theological colleges and
institutions, where Christians from different
traditions encounter one another.
And our commitment to mission
continually draws us outwards to our
changing world. ‘Roots down, walls
down, bridges out’: God’s grace is at work
in our community in all these ways.
Ridley brings together male and female,
single and married, local and international
students. At any one time the community
includes ordinands, pioneer ministers,
youth workers, postgraduate clergy, lay
ministers and sabbatical guests.
Through worship, study, sport, meals and
social events, students and staff grow
together in an atmosphere of friendship,
grace, honesty and humour.
“Ridley Hall provides ministerial training for the world as it is and will be; not
the world as it was ten, twenty or thirty years ago. For top-quality collaborative,
mission-minded, biblical ministerial training, I can’t recommend it highly enough.”
Revd Rhiannon Jones, Transforming Church Co-ordinator,
Diocese of Birmingham (Ridley 1997-2000)

Formation for Ministry
The College’s core business is to form Christian
leaders, thinkers, pastors, and pioneers.
But this is not just our business, it is our passion.
Since we first opened our doors in the late nineteenth century, we have trained generations of teachers, pastors,
evangelists and prophetic leaders. Today, as the twenty-first century opens out before us, we want to equip the
Church’s leaders and ministers for the great missionary challenges and opportunities of the future. Ridley prepares
men and women for ministry in a wide variety of settings, which fall into five training streams:
Ordained Ministry in the Church of England
The majority of our residential student body is preparing for ordained ministry in the Church of
England, serving across the country in rural, suburban and inner city parishes.
Ordained Pioneer Ministry
Ridley has a cohort of pioneers whose training is overseen by the Centre for Pioneer Learning and has
particular emphasis on mission and practical experience with local fresh expressions of church.
Ministry among children, young people and their families
Our Centre for Youth Ministry offers training which promotes excellence, professionalism and integrity
in Christian work with children, youth and families, in church, school and community contexts.
Lay ministry
Each year at Ridley we welcome enquiries from independent students who are seeking to equip
themselves for service within the Church.
Ministry in the worldwide Church
Ridley welcomes members of the global Anglican Communion and other churches for sabbaticals,
postgraduate study, exchanges and conferences, as well as representatives from other churches
wishing to experience an evangelical Anglican theological college.
The formational training we offer is founded on the belief that these leaders
of the future need biblical theology that ignites the heart, worship that
transforms, prayer that sustains, and a Kingdom vision that seeks to make
known the ‘unsearchable riches of Christ’ in communities across the world.
“My daily prayer for Ridley Hall is that it will continue to flourish as it plays
a vital role in the training of leaders for the Church. Ridley is in the business
of fetching life-giving water.”
The Archbishop of York, Dr John Sentamu (Ridley 1974-77)

What is a ‘pioneer’?
Pioneers are those who work
primarily in ‘fresh expression’
churches – new churches
which take a variety of shapes
and forms.
In 2004 the Church of England
published the report Mission-
Shaped Church, which
recognised the changing
culture by encouraging
these new forms of church,
established mainly for people
who might not normally
venture into a traditional
church building.
Pioneers take the Church to
existing groups and networks
of people, to serve and shape
Christian community in new
ways appropriate to the
specific context.
Centre for Pioneer Learning
The Centre for Pioneer Learning aims to resource and equip
those who are training for pioneering leadership in the
Church of England, and to provide a focal point of training,
research and collaboration for church pioneers across
denominations and worldwide.
Directed by the Revd David Male, Ridley’s Tutor in Pioneer Ministry,
the Centre is a collaborative project developed by Ridley Hall in
partnership with Westcott House (a fellow Anglican member of the
Cambridge Theological Federation) and the Diocese of Ely.
The main areas of the Centre’s life are:
— to oversee the Ordained Pioneer Ministry Track at Ridley Hall and
Westcott House
— to bring together pioneers from across the world to learn together
— to provide research, study and sabbatical facilities for pioneers
The Centre aims to serve all pioneers who are establishing new forms
of Christian community and taking the Church to new and unreached
places. It offers an environment where pioneers can meet together,
and be resourced, challenged and supported to take pioneering
forward in its scope and effectiveness.
READ MORE AT www.ridley.cam.ac.uk/cpl
Centre for Youth Ministry
Many young people have never even seen a Bible; few
know the real Christian story. Ridley Hall is facing the
challenge of this primary mission field head-on.
The College is one of the founding partners of the Centre
for Youth Ministry (CYM). This radical initiative has grown
beyond all predictions and is now the largest full-time youth
work training course in the UK.
The Centre brings together theological study and face-to-face
encounter with young people, children and families. Our
students are based in placements across the country and
come into college two days a fortnight for ongoing training
and reflection on practice.
READ MORE AT www.ridley.cam.ac.uk/cym
What makes a good
youth minister?
“Youth work is applied theology.
We ask our trainee youth ministers
to be self-reflective, to articulate
their beliefs and to own their faith.
We encourage moral reasoning.
It’s a challenge to get it right
with youth, to walk that fine line
between confronting younger
people and telling it how it is, yet
not judging them and making sure
that they come back tomorrow.
It’s very hard work – but it works.”
Robin Barden, Assistant Director,
Centre for Youth Ministry

Theology that Ignites the Heart
Our prayer at Ridley is that we will ‘be filled with the knowledge
of God’s will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding’ (Col. 1:9).
Knowing God requires using our minds to
understand him in the Scriptures, and learning
from our brothers and sisters in Christ, past and
present.
To this end, we are committed to rigorous
study of Scripture, the Christian tradition, and
contemporary insights that help us to live and
communicate God’s grace.
We rejoice in all that Cambridge offers for
theological study. The Cambridge Theological
Federation and our partnerships with the
University of Cambridge, Anglia Ruskin University,
the University of Gloucestershire and Staffordshire
University allow us to offer programmes from
certificate to doctorate level within a rich and
vibrant theological environment.
People come to study at Ridley with many gifts and
with much experience. We aim to build on these
gifts, share them in relationship with others and
enrich people with new situations, challenges and
opportunities. We seek to rely upon the Holy Spirit,
who motivates us, leads us into God’s truth and
gives us the courage to put that truth into practice.
“Our vision and passion is to be a Christ-centred community where people
are formed by the Holy Spirit – formed to know the love of God, to live
in grace and service, and to be able to articulate the Gospel with clarity,
power and hope to a rapidly changing world.”
Revd Dr Michael Thompson, Vice Principal

Each ordinand is linked to a local church or
Cambridge college chapel throughout their
training, providing an environment that
encourages ongoing theological reflection
and opportunity to exercise and hone
preaching and pastoral skills.
Further in-depth experience of theology in
context is gained from extended periods on
full-time placement in a parish elsewhere in
the UK or other parts of the world.
At Ridley, our students spend time learning
through active ministry. This might involve
sharing a meal with a Muslim family in
Birmingham, helping to rehabilitate a
young prostitute, planning services at
a church in North America, or getting
involved in running a children’s holiday
club here in Cambridge.
We believe it is vital for the future leaders
of the Church to be ready and able to
share the good news of Jesus with others.
Social Context Placements and Parish
Missions offer valuable opportunites to
integrate faith and practice in a mature
and creative way.
The Cambridge Theological Federation
One of the world’s most visionary partnerships in theological education today, the
Cambridge Theological Federation is a living witness to the richness of the experience of
the people of God.
The Federation brings together Anglicans of different traditions with Methodists, Roman Catholics,
United Reformed and Orthodox, enabling students to prepare for ministry in an ecumenical context,
while remaining rooted in the tradition of their own particular institution.
This collaboration also allows each college to build up specialised library collections and teaching
expertise and to make them available to the whole Federation.
Each partner in the Federation is unashamedly committed to a particular tradition, and is responsible
for training, developing and caring pastorally for its students. At the same time, we learn together,
plan together, socialise together, confront difficult issues together and regularly worship together.
READ MORE AT www.ridley.cam.ac.uk/ctf

Worship that Transforms
Prayer that Sustains
At Ridley we believe that the power and credibility of ministry
depends on the Spirit of God, shaping and reflecting the character
of Christ in us.
Worship is a key part of our formation, as individuals and as a community. Every Thursday, we gather to
hear God’s Word and celebrate around his Table. Each weekday morning we meet in chapel or in small
groups, and in the evenings enjoy a variety of worship styles.
Staff, students and spouses work together to plan and
prepare, enabling different gifts to be discovered and
nurtured. Our desire is to encounter God in worship
together so that we may be transformed into the
likeness of Christ, each of us more fully ourselves as
we learn to live and worship in community.
Our commitment to mission is founded
on the bedrock of worship and prayer.
“Send us out in the power of your Spirit
to live and work to your praise and glory.”
Without prayer, we wither and fade. A host of resources is available to the Ridley
community to nurture a rich and transforming prayer life:
• a chaplaincy team, for support
• a prayer weekend early in the first year, for encouragement
• local spiritual directors, for guidance
• a month of guided prayer, a programme of Ignatian-style prayer, for growth
• a weekly Quiet Hour and Quiet Days, for refreshment
• lectures drawing on the depth and breadth of the Christian spiritual tradition, for enrichment

A Gift to the Community
The Simeon Centre for Prayer and the Spiritual Life
The Centre’s vision is to nourish and strengthen the spiritual life of the
College, and to resource the wider Church in faithful and prayerful
discipleship.
The Centre provides guidance, encouragement and training in prayer and spiritual formation
for all the community. We offer a variety of prayer resources and opportunities for our own
students, and are developing formal curricula through the Cambridge Theological Federation.
A Resource for the Wider Church
Our passion and aim is to help Christian leaders, churches – and indeed anyone who longs to be
closer to God – to grow in the desire and capacity to pray, and to be better equipped to guide
and enable others.
To this end we work alongside church leaders and congregations around the country, teaching
and nurturing the disciplines of prayer, mentoring and spiritual direction. Details of forthcoming
conferences and quiet days can be found on our website.
The Simeon Community
The Simeon Community has come into being as part of the Centre’s core vision. We are a group of
people around the country who believe that God has called us into fellowship with one another
through prayer and mutual support, even though we are widely scattered.
Our rule of life is very simple:
• We pray regularly for the other members of the community.
• We undertake to pray for The Simeon Centre’s ministry, and for those who request prayer.
• We meet periodically, usually at Ridley Hall, to get to know one another better, and to
build a deeper sense of Christian family.
• We give financially to the work of the Centre, according to our means.
• We offer our talents to the Centre’s ministry generously.
• We promote the Centre among our family, friends, colleagues and in the wider Church.
READ MORE AT www.ridley.cam.ac.uk/simeon
“I’ve been involved with Ridley for forty years, and the diversity of what happens here never
ceases to amaze me. This is a truly entrepreneurial, innovative college with so many strands,
from youth work and revolutionary urban ministries to religious leaders and dignitaries
who come here to debate the most pressing religious issues of our day – and the spirituality
embodied in the Simeon Centre is a driving force behind it all.”
Revd Canon Fred Kilner, Member of Ridley Council (Ridley 1967-70)

Kingdom Vision
As we are transformed by the power of the Holy Spirit through
Christ-centred fellowship, teaching, worship and prayer, so
change finds its expression in the way we live and work.
Mission, Evangelism and World Concern
Christians face huge challenges in our fast-changing world. Helping the Church become God’s missionary
people takes courage, sensitivity and wisdom. Here at Ridley Hall we want to inspire vision to lead, to
nurture gifts in teaching and caring, and to kindle passion and skills to empower all God’s people.
Our courses include modules dedicated to Mission
Studies, and the Centre for Pioneer Learning seeks to
identify and train individuals who have a clear vocation
to serve and guide the whole Church in developing fresh
expressions of church life.
At Ridley our prayer is to see the Good News known
across the earth, and God’s grace, justice and love
transforming every sphere of his creation.
We believe passionately in a God who calls us to
engage in his mission in the world. College missions
offer all students a way to build into their lives a
commitment to mission. Recent mission teams
have been involved in a diverse range of outreach
initiatives, from engaging in Muslim-Christian dialogue
in Toxteth, to sharing the joy of the faith through
gospel singing in Farnborough, to working with punks,
the homeless and drug addicts in Denver, Colorado.
Social Context Placements give valuable opportunities
to explore the way the Christian faith relates to
issues of contemporary life — whether working with
healthcare or armed forces chaplains, or spending
time with an organisation that reaches out to
marginalised young people.
Overseas mission and a deep awareness of the
worldwide Church are part of our heritage, and are
integral to our life as a community today. It is our
privilege to support our College Mission Partners and
former Ridleians across the globe.

READ MORE AT www.ridley.cam.ac.uk/fib
Faith in Business
Directed by Ridley’s Lecturer in Christian Ethics, the Revd Dr Richard Higginson, Faith in Business
is founded on a twin motivation...
Supporting Christians in demanding working contexts
All too often in the Church the concept of lay ministry is restricted to what lay people can do
for the Church. Through a range of activities Faith in Business seeks to recognise and support
the role of their faith in the work that occupies the large part of their time, and to explore
topical business issues from a Christian perspective:
— Regular public conferences, workshops and worldwide speaking engagements
— Publications including books and a quarterly journal
— A rolling programme of research via consultation, interview and study
Transforming the Church’s engagement with the world of work and business
At Ridley we seek to raise awareness among our students – the future leaders of our churches
– of the critical issues of contemporary culture and business. Insights gained through the
events, publications and research activities of Faith in Business are integrated into the regular
teaching programme at the College through modules on Ethics and Gospel & Western Culture.
In addition, a short intensive course dedicated to exploring the relation between faith and
business is designed to equip our students for ministry to and alongside business people.
A Global Outlook
At Ridley we aim to develop and foster a keen awareness of the worldwide Church, and especially of
the gifts and insights brought by the two-thirds world to the Church in the West.
Every ordinand spends a minimum of four weeks’ block
placement in full-time ministry in an Anglican parish, and a
growing number who already have considerable experience
in the UK take this opportunity to travel abroad to learn more
of what it means to be Anglican in a very different context.
Since Ridley opened its doors in 1881 many of its graduates
have served God overseas, and the College has been a magnet
for students from other parts of the world seeking either
formation for ministry or further training. Today Ridley is reenergising
its commitment to serve the global Church through
its international programme, which seeks to enrol students
from a broad range of countries and ethnic backgrounds.
“Ridley Hall totally laid the foundation for
everything I now do in the Middle East. It has
always been one of the foremost colleges for
training people for ministry.”
Revd Canon Andrew White, Vicar of St George’s,
Baghdad (Ridley 1986-90)

Rooted in Our Past
Bearing Fruit for the Future
As culture changes and Ridley seeks to respond to new realities,
the college is preparing itself to make its next substantial
contribution to the Church’s ongoing mission.
Since its establishment in 1877, every
chapter of Ridley’s life has been marked
by an intense commitment to its founding
vision: that the Good News of Jesus Christ
be proclaimed to the ends of the earth
so that individual lives, communities, and
cultures may be transformed by God’s grace.
Unfamiliar challenges face the Christian
churches in today’s bracing social and
cultural climate. At Ridley we are finding
ways to meet these challenges in a spirit of
grace that seeks both to honour our heritage
and to respond with faithful creativity to the
changing landscape.
Ridley owes much to its
past, but we recognise
that a significant turning
point has been reached requiring bold and farsighted
initiatives that will continue to fan the flame.
While the College will maintain its tradition of
excellence as it shapes tomorrow’s leaders, the 21 st
Century demands that Ridley continues to develop.
The chapel as it was in the 1920s
“Before coming here I hadn’t anticipated the strength of the community. You
share your life as well as studies and preparation for ordination. I forged real
friendships with people who understood my calling.”
Revd Kylie Hodgins, Vicar of All Saints, Cottenham (Ridley 2000-02)

History has bequeathed us a remarkable collection of buildings in
the heart of Cambridge that still work well today. But with well over
100 men and women now studying, praying and living together
at Ridley at any one time, our facilities are stretched beyond
their intended limits. We have plans for a new building that will
complete the court using the area that used to be the Principal’s
Garden as a fitting complement to Ridley’s existing Victorian
facilities.
If you would like to be involved in our future, whether through
prayer or financial support, you can find out more about The Ridley
Campaign on our website at www.ridley.cam.ac.uk
Architect’s impression of the planned new building at Ridley Hall
For further information or a confidential
discussion about supporting Ridley’s future
contribution to the Church, please contact our
Development Director:
Revd Richard Kew
Ridley Hall, Ridley Hall Road,
Cambridge CB3 9HG
Tel: 01223 741069
Email: rk383@cam.ac.uk

To find out more about what Ridley Hall has to offer
visit www.ridley.cam.ac.uk or call us on 01223 746580
“Ridley Hall is one of the great institutions of the Church of England. In recent
years it has broken fresh ground in training pioneer and youth ministers... while
remaining true to its central biblical vision for the Church.”
The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams

Ridley Hall, Cambridge
www.ridley.cam.ac.uk
Ridley Hall Road,
Cambridge CB3 9HG UK
T: +44 (0)1223 746580
F: +44 (0)1223 746581
E: ridley-pa@lists.cam.ac.uk
Company Reg No: 9011968
Charity Reg No: 1157004