Why WEST?

The Right Direction

From its formation in 1985, the Evangelical Theological College of Wales soon established a reputation for providing sound theological training for Christian ministry. Today, numerous former students of many nationalities are engaged in frontline gospel work around the world.
The change of name to Wales Evangelical School of Theology in 2007 in no way signalled a break with our past but, rather, a renewed vision for our future. We are acutely aware of the potentially disastrous effects of ‘equipment failure’ in the spiritual field of battle. These few points indicate what WEST has to offer serious Christian warriors – those God is calling and gifting to become true leaders in tomorrow’s Church.

The right doctrine

WEST is Reformed in its doctrinal stance – and so are all its lecturers. We believe in the glorious, sovereign grace of God – and wholeheartedly agree with the great Puritan confessions in their high assessment of the Word of God.
 Being utterly Bible-centred ensures a safe and secure environment in which to develop the sophisticated theological discernment church leaders now require. Also, our distinctively Welsh heritage of Calvinistic Methodism ensures that we are alert to the common tendency to divide Word and Spirit. This means that we are equally suspicious of both charismatic excess and arid intellectualism. We look to establish an integrated framework of biblical, systematic and historical theology from which we can move on to consider the issues of the day – be they theories of the atonement, open theism, the ‘new perspective’, emerging church, covenant and law or whatever. Above all, we teach people to think biblically.  

The right aims

Because WEST exists primarily to provide vocational training that is truly biblical, we know that we must encourage our students to love God with all their heart, soul, mind and strength.
Therefore we deliberately aim to integrate the academic, the practical and the spiritual. Churches need pastors who are competent theologians, who have learned what leading a church of real people is all about and who have a heart for mission! Above all, churches want godly, prayerful men who have been taught how to handle the Word of God accurately, how to preach it with passion and how to apply it closely to their hearers. Preparing gifted men to be able to preach effectively in a wide variety of contexts lies at the very heart of our agenda at WEST.
Our primary purpose is to serve Bible-centred churches. We do this not only by supplying the ‘end product’ of trained leaders but also by trying to cultivate the closest possible links with our students’ home churches. We are also grateful for every opportunity to visit churches and discuss how prospective leaders in their midst might best be recognised, nurtured and supported.

The right people

There is no typical WEST student, although there are certain characteristics we are always looking for in our careful admissions procedure.
Essentially, we want men and women with a clear testimony to the saving grace of God in their lives, who are keen to develop their gifts and are strongly committed to following the Lord’s leading. Because such an ethos pervades the student body, the spiritual value of our campus-based fellowship is immense and lasting. That is why well over 90% of our students find employment in full-time Christian ministries – a fact that registers strongly with churches looking for future leaders.
WEST has been blessed with a faculty of the highest calibre, some with international reputations in their area of expertise. Visiting lecturers bring a wealth of pastoral experience to the subjects they teach. We also benefit at regular intervals from the contributions of eminent theologians from far afield.

The right options

It is only possible to give an impression of the sheer variety of courses available at WEST.
Beyond our basic Correspondence Course, we offer degree schemes at every level, as a Partner of the universities of Wales Trinity Saint David and Chester. Students undertaking initial training generally follow the comprehensive three year BA (Hons) in Theology. Those who already possess a good non-theological degree may opt for our unique, and highly attractive, two year Binary Course. All courses, apart from the Graduate Diploma in Theology , are delivered both on campus and by distance learning, and on a full or part-time basis. At Masters level, we offer an entirely new MA in Contemporary Church Leadership, while our highly regarded Master of Theology (MTh) continues to draw students not only from the UK but from the United States and other parts of the world.
WEST’s stature in the field of theological research speaks for itself, with approximately forty PhDs currently underway. Evangelical students are attracted by the knowledge that they can pursue their chosen topic with the constant support of a supervisor who shares their doctrinal perspective. All academic research conducted at WEST has to demonstrate its usefulness to the Church at large.  

The right location

As our name suggests, WEST is not situated in the south-east of England, even though one of our local bays describes itself as ‘the nearest surfing beach to London’!
In fact, we are set in a beautiful part of South Wales, within easy reach of dramatic hills and valleys, ruined castles and a stunning coastline. Despite this, we enjoy excellent road, rail and air links with the rest of the country.
The School itself is located on a seven acre site in the delightful grounds of Bryntirion House. Library and IT facilities are everything you would expect of a front rank theological seminary. Every study bedroom has full internet access. All in all, we believe we provide an ideal lifestyle setting for serious theological training.  

The right cost

Higher education is inevitably expensive, and those seeking to prepare for Christian ministry have little prospect of future financial compensation!
This is yet another extremely practical reason why studying at WEST makes such good sense. All our fees are easily accessible on the website, and there are no hidden extras. We invite you to compare our prices with those of similar institutions. Please also bear in mind that the general cost of living in this part of South Wales is significantly lower than in many other parts of the UK.  

The right plans

At WEST, we are constantly striving to improve the quality, relevance and delivery of our training.
One recently established feature of the BA programme is the women’s studies track. Holding to complementarian principles, which recognise the biblical distinctions between the roles of men and women in the Church, this track offers a rare resource for women who wish to prepare for ministries which are governed by Scripture – though definitely not bound by tradition!
As the profile of WEST has grown higher and more distinct on the evangelical scene in the UK over recent years, we have been delighted to see that this has been reflected in student recruitment, both in terms of quantity and quality. We are deeply humbled and very grateful – but far from satisfied. Our longing is that God will give us an ever-growing number of men and women whose godliness, zeal and hunger to equip themselves for Word-centred ministry will soon lead to spiritual transformation in our land.
We have many plans to develop our faculty and facilities – which we must surely do, if the Lord continues to encourage and use us. Please pray along with us that these plans may be fulfilled, as faithful churches increasingly come to recognise the strategic nature of our work, endorse the vision and invest in WEST!

I rejoice in the increasing partnership between Reformed Anglican and Free churches. But if biblical non-conformity should shortsightedly refuse to support and invest in its own training institutions, then it will soon discover that it has colluded in its own demise. I believe that WEST is superbly placed in every respect to help meet the dire need for fully-trained preachers and pastors within our constituency. That is why I am here. If you share this passion, then I would love to hear from you. If you are sensing that WEST may be ‘the right direction’ for you, then come and spend a day with us and find out more.

Jonathan Stephen
Principal
Wales Evangelical School of Theology