Moore College has been serving the Christians of Sydney, Australia and the World for the last 150 years. It is one of the oldest tertiary education institutions in Australia.
Moore College exists to serve the gospel of Jesus Christ by equipping ordination candidates, and other men and women to:
1 deepen their knowledge of God as revealed in the Bible;
2 proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ in all the world;
3 facilitate the building of the church and care for their fellow Christians; and
4 develop in Christian faith, maturity and service.
Nowhere has the impact of this College been felt more than in the Diocese of Sydney. The overwhelming majority of the clergy of this diocese have been trained at Moore.
Bishop Barker founded Moore College at Liverpool in 1856. It moved to Newtown in 1891. It is now the largest theological college in Australia. It has a growing international reputation for scholarship. Yet at its heart it remains a place where people are trained in the ministry of the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.
This year 475 students are enrolled at Moore. The faculty, lead by Canon John Woodhouse, has 19 full-time staff and many part-timers. 320 of the students are studying one of the undergraduate courses of the college. Over 90% of these students have a degree in some other field of study before entering college. The courses involve full-time study. Half the students are in residence at Newtown.
The students include both men and women of a variety of church and ethnic backgrounds. Quite a number come from overseas. They plan to return home to minister.
Almost all students are over twenty-one years of age on entry. The average age at entry to undergraduate courses is 28 years. Most students have had considerable experience in the workforce before entering College.
Moore College’s main course is a four year Bachelor of Divinity degree. The college also offers a one year diploma and three year degree course. There is also a growing postgraduate department offering Masters and Doctoral studies.
Since the 1940s Moore College has also offered correspondence courses and evening lectures.
These equip all Christians with a good theological education.
Today and for the next week, including Mother’s day next Sunday, the students and staff will be on their annual College Missions.
One mission team of about 20 students will be evangelising in the city. They will be working in association with the Cathedral and a city ministry called ECom (Evangelising Commerce).
Today we welcome this team led by Rev. Dr Mark Thompson. He will be preaching for us today and next Sunday. He is a graduate of the College and of Macquarie and Oxford universities. At present he is the Academic Dean of the college. More importantly, as with all the staff at the college, Mark loves the Lord Jesus as his Lord and Saviour.
