What past pupils have said...

“Thanks for a marvellous course!”

“I have learnt so much.”

“A very enlightening and enjoyable course.”

“Your teaching has been greatly appreciated by us for its liveliness and depth of devotion…artistic and very imaginative.”

"I learnt a huge amount of interesting information and came away with much to think about. Many thanks."

"A clearly structured course presented with an articulate enthusiasm."

"Such an interesting course and so easy to listen to and understand. So good to have a course led by someone so enthusiastic about their subject!"

"I think most of us, at some time in our lives, reach a point where we start to question the things we’ve believed and accepted for many years.  Although my maternal grandparents were Methodists, and I used to go to chapel with my grandmother when I visited in the school holidays, I was brought up as a Baptist. In my twenties and thirties I attended a whole variety of churches – charismatic Anglican, traditional Anglican, a charismatic house church, and evangelical Baptist.  As a result, I found my head swimming with all the different teachings and interpretations of the Bible and my faith.  About three years ago, I realised how confused I was feeling, and talked to Dave Dickinson about it.  Dave suggested I do the St Albans Certificate in Theology course... We had lectures given by knowledgeable and enthusiastic tutors, lively small-group discussions – especially during the ethics course – and were encouraged to do private study too.

Some of the people on the course were doing ‘reader’ training, or were about to go into the ministry.  Some were doing it out of interest or, like me, wanting to have the opportunity to think things through and gain a greater understanding of our faith and what it means to be a Christian today.  I found myself wondering if there was any way I could use what I had learnt to give something back to the church.  Back in 1984 I had a call from God to some sort of ministry, but at the time I didn’t know what, and I certainly wasn’t ready to do anything then.  But after doing the course I began to wonder if I could respond to that call, and I’m now a local preacher “on trial”, which is something that I often find awe-inspiring and overwhelming, but is also the most fulfilling thing I have ever done.  I would wholeheartedly recommend the certificate course – it certainly changed my life!"