The Queen’s Foundation for
Ecumenical Theological
Education
The Post of Tutor (Evangelism and Growing the Church)
Mission Studies occupies a central place in the curriculum and in the life of Queen’s for all students.
The presence of the Selly Oak Centre for Mission Studies and the skills/perspectives of their tutors
and students put the mission of God in the world at the forefront of our thinking. Queen’s is
committed to holistic practices and theologies of mission in which the inter-connectedness of
mission, social justice, evangelism and pastoral care is foundational. The tutor appointed to this
post will work primarily with ministerial candidates and will bring their particular skills and
perspectives to a curriculum that introduces students to the study and practice of mission, including
thorough engagement with Mission Shaped Church and Fresh Expressions of Church. Within this
broad approach to mission we want to focus more explicitly on the theology and practice of
evangelism and of growing the church. We therefore look for a half-time tutor who is:
 A teacher and learner who has engaged deeply with the theology(ies) of evangelism, church
growth, Fresh Expressions, Venture FX, and who has the skills to enable others to do so.
 A practitioner who is committed to and has strong experience of growing the church in
innovative and creative ways.
 A reflective practitioner who helps others to develop reflective practitioner skills and habits in the
‘conversation’ between theory and practice, faith and action.
 Skilled in formational work with ministerial candidates, including writing end of year reports.
The contact time for the tutor would be focused on two days a week during the weekday during
term-time plus up to 6 weekend commitments a year for those learning in part-time and dispersed
modes and involvement in one of the Easter residential weeks.
Tutors’ responsibilities and duties
All Academic Tutors belong to the Foundation Staff Group (FSG) which brings together staff from all
the Centres and areas of activity of the Foundation. The FSG is committed to ways of working that
are collaborative, supportive and self-critical. Each tutor works across the Foundation, teaching
across the different student groups as required.
The Tutor (Evangelism and Growing the Church) works primarily within the Centre for Ministerial
Formation, and belongs to this academic and administrative team, with tutorial responsibilities for
ministerial candidates concerning their formational development and preparation for ordained
ministry. Currently there are 90 ministerial candidates in training, primarily from the Church of
England and the Methodist Church. The tutor will have an office/study on the campus of the
Queen's Foundation in Birmingham and s/he will be expected to play a full part in the life of the
Foundation to the extent that is possible for a half-time member of staff.
Half-time academic tutors have the following responsibilities:
 To take part in the regular meetings of the FSG and designated Academic/Programme Boards,
working collaboratively with colleagues in helping to formulate and execute the policies and
programmes of the Foundation, contributing to the development of the curriculum and other
aspects of the life of the Foundation.
 To participate in and contribute to the corporate worship and community life of the Foundation
on the days when on campus.
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To teach, both in areas of their academic specialisms and in the formational (including
denominational) programmes relevant to the Centre.
To supervise MA students in their dissertation.
Where qualified and by agreement with the Director of the Graduate and Research Centre to
supervise MPhil and Doctoral students;
To represent the Foundation in the councils and committees of partner and associated bodies
as appropriate and required.
Responsibilities particular to this tutor’s post
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To be a half-time tutor within the Centre for Ministerial Formation, working with the Centre team
to deliver the learning and formation that the sponsoring churches require.
To develop and implement a programme of teaching and learning in the areas of evangelism,
growing the church, working with other mission and practical theology tutors to provide
coherent, holistic and integrated approaches within the overall field of mission studies;
To share in ministerial formation programmes – in particular the second year residential
weekend programme (MM2) which focuses on mission. This programme involves not only
teaching input but skills of accompaniment, formational guidance, and group development.
To act as a personal tutor to ministerial candidates. Half-time tutors normally act as personal
tutor to around 6 fte (8 part-time) students, meeting regularly with each student to help in their
formation, learning and development, and to take a lead in writing reports on them for
sponsoring churches. It is essential that the tutor appointed is able to engage in this
formational process in one of the sponsoring churches and is willing to learn about and engage
in similar ways with the other sponsoring church.
The tutor will work under the direction of the co-directors for the Centre for Ministerial Formation.
The tutor is ultimately accountable to the Principal, the Revd Canon Dr David Hewlett.
Person Specification
It is essential that the successful candidate:
 Has experience of and a vision for the teaching of evangelism and growing the church.
 Is a practitioner who will enable others to be confident and reflective practitioners as those who
evangelise, grow the church and enable others to do so.
 Is committed to the formation of the Churches’ ministers and is themselves a person of maturity
and integrity, faith and prayer.
 Has the skills and experience to develop modules and learning activities that are innovative,
collaborative, and rigorous.
 Can demonstrate an ability to teach a wide range of learners in ways that are engaging and
effective and whose inter-personal skills enable them to relate well to a variety of people;
 Is in good standing with the Church of England and/or the Methodist Church and can
demonstrate such experience and understanding of the life, discipline and ministry of at least
one of these churches that would enable the formation of others into its public and
representative ministries; and is willing to engage deeply with the life, discipline and ministry of
the other church to enable the formation of its ministers.
 Shares the commitment of Queen’s to holistic practices of mission and the inter-connectedness
of mission, social justice, evangelism and pastoral care.
 Is in sympathy with the Christian ethos and the ecumenical commitments of the Foundation
and is committed to working within the diverse ecumenical, multi-cultural and multi-national
community of staff and students who work and worship together in the Foundation in
relationships of respect and trust;
 Is willing and able to participate in the corporate life and worship of the Foundation.
It is highly desirable that the successful candidate will have:
 The ability to offer an additional area of subject and teaching expertise
 Post-graduate qualifications in a relevant discipline.
 Experience and understanding of both the Methodist Church and the Church of England
 Experience in supervision of research students.
 Experience in teaching and learning in inter-cultural and cross-cultural contexts.
 Experience of curriculum and course design and development.
 Competence with IT and communication skills.
Terms and Conditions (further details are available upon request or at the interview):
This is a three year contract with opportunity for renewal dependent on decisions made by
sponsoring churches about funding and student allocations. The terms of the contract are
according to the Lichfield Scale. Stipend for 2011-12 is £11,505. Housing may be available on the
campus or a housing allowance (currently up to £7,400) may be provided. Other benefits include
free meals in the dining room when the kitchens are open. The pension for ordained tutors is
provided through the respective church pension plan; for lay tutors contributions are made to an
appropriate plan as agreed with the Director of Finance. Holidays: 30 days plus statutory holidays.
Tutors’ working practices
The Foundation is committed to equal opportunities and to ensuring working practices conducive to
personal and corporate health and vitality. This is especially important in part-time and dual
responsibility posts.
 The Foundation wishes to work in partnership with the other employing body to agree working
practices and to monitor this through a reference group.
 The rhythm of life in a theological institution is different from that in a local church and work
patterns must reflect this but deal realistically with the potential clashes that will arise and the
dangers of overload when the ‘peaks’ are successive rather than coincide. The Foundation
recognises that there are periods of intense activity and others of relative calm, so require
tutors to work flexibly so that these periods balance out. Dividing a day into three sessions –
morning, afternoon, evening – half time tutors should expect to work on average between 5 and
6 sessions a week. The Foundation expects tutors to manage their own time within this
general guidance, to average out their working time over both the medium and the long term,
and to review their working practices as part of annual appraisal.
 Tutors are encouraged to develop their expertise, gifts and teaching through research,
publishing and other forms of professional and personal development. One session a week is
allocated for such development. Again, flexibility is needed as to how and when these sessions
are taken in line with the general comments in the preceding paragraph, recognising that some
may prefer to take this time in larger blocks, and others in more regular and smaller units.
Tutors can allocate time within the week for these sessions, but need to be prepared to be
flexible in order for the Foundation to conduct its business, and recognise that during intensive
periods of term that this time may not be available.
 Tutors are entitled to a period of sabbatical study, normally after every 4 years of consecutive
service, but within each five year period of employment within the Foundation.
Background information
The Queen’s Foundation has a long history. The Queen’s College was founded in 1830 as one of
the first Anglican Theological Colleges in England, pioneering training physicians (doctors)
alongside clergy. In 1970 Queen’s took another radical step as it became an ecumenical college,
bringing Methodists and Anglicans into a single institution. Both churches remain firmly committed
to Queen’s with the Methodist Church naming this in 2008 as one of three institutions recognised to
receive full-time ministerial candidates, as well as candidates who train part-time. Since 2000 the
Queen’s College became the Queen’s Foundation to reflect its rapidly growing diverse range of
activities. These primarily consist of four core areas of work:
Ministerial formation, education and training through the Centre for Ministerial Formation: the
Church of England and the Methodist Church are the primary sponsors of candidates for this
Centre. Education and Formation happens in full-time and part-time modes, with residential
and non-residential candidates. There are currently 85 ministerial candidates in training.
Research and post-graduate study through the Graduate and Research Centre: this centre
supports a vibrant research culture, which includes around 30 students studying MPhil, PhD or
ThD degrees. The MA in Applied Theological Studies has developed into a major programme
within the Foundation with a current cohort of 55 students.
Mission studies through the Selly Oak Centre for Mission Studies: this centre is the successor to
the United College of the Ascension and is sponsored by the Methodist Church and USPG:
Anglicans in World Mission. At the heart of SOCMS is the MA Pathway in Mission and
Leadership Formation which is designed experienced ministers – lay and ordained - from the
wider world church. SOCMS also prepares mission partners for short and long term mission
work.
Black Theology and the development of ministries and leadership in black majority churches
and for minority ethnic Anglicans, through the Centre for Black Ministries and Leadership. This
centre is the most recent addition and works with students, ministers and pastors from
Pentecostal Black Majority Churches as well as minority ethnic Anglicans.
The range of partnerships and areas of activity mean that the Foundation welcomes a wide range of
learners. Currently there are over 250 registered students and the student body is diverse in terms
of denomination, nationality, ethnicity and theological conviction. The Foundation places a high
premium on this diversity, believing that we learn in and through our encounter with those who are
different, and that our diversity is a glimpse of the beauty and dignity of all people in the Body of
Christ.
The Foundation has an excellent academic staff team which is one of the largest in any theological
institution. There are currently 18 academic tutors, 14 of whom are full-time. The academic staff
reflects and embody the diversity of the Foundation as a whole, including a wide range of
theological ‘schools’. In addition to these core staff the Foundation also hosts a range of other
visiting scholars and research scholars who contribute to the life of the community in a variety of
ways.
Queen’s values the quality of its academic programmes which are validated or held in collaborative
partnership with the University of Birmingham and with Newman University College.
The Queen’s Foundation is dedicated to excellence in theological education and personal formation
by:
o Nurturing and equipping Christians in their discipleship
o Preparing people for mission and ministry in lay and ordained roles
o Resourcing research that serves the mission of God in the world
We celebrate unity in diversity, in a community that is international, multi-cultural, and ecumenical.
We aim to enable Christians to deepen their spiritual life, to grow in a faith that is generous,
enquiring, deeply rooted and creative in thought and practice, and to be passionate for God’s work
in God’s world.