Bible colleges across the UK are facing mergers and closures as the sector struggles to attract a dwindling number of students, principals have warned.
A significant challenge facing colleges is securing universities to validate their degree programs, especially as universities themselves grapple with financial difficulties.
Currently, around 30 Bible colleges operate in the UK, alongside the Church of England’s Theological Education Institutions (TEIs), The Church Times reports.
Mergers within the sector are not new. All Nations Christian College, which specialises in “biblical and intercultural mission and ministry training", merged with Redcliffe College in 2020. All Nations was formed by merging three missionary training colleges in the 1970s.
However, a principal warned this week that the sector could be reaching a “crisis point", with concerns around oversupply of programs and under-demand from students causing many colleges to question their short-term viability.
Where a student body of 50 to 100 was once sustainable, institutions now find a “critical mass” of 150 to 200 students necessary for survival, Church Times reports.
Dr Anthony Royle, the principal of King's Evangelical Divinity School which focuses on biblical interpretation, told the outlet that universities are not only cutting their departments but also reducing support for partner organisations whose degree programs they validate and that these cuts have hit smaller colleges particularly hard.
In an interview with Premier Christian News, Dr Royle said he believes Bible colleges are "critiical in equipping christians and engaging with society".
He went on to say that "we are living in a perfect storm, having gone through covid, Brexit, the Russian and Ukraine war, cost of living crisis".
He added: "But I think there's some cultural issues within the Church that need to be highlighted. There's certainly an apathy towards theological education.
"I imagine many would consider their research skills through YouTube and a quick Google search to be akin to theological training but it's certainly not the case.
"We need to value theoloigical training more."
Earlier this year, trustees of the Institute for Children, Youth and Mission (CYM) announced the suspension of all recruitment to its higher-education courses, citing a “persistent fall in applications” across the sector.
The institute emphasised the need for a “critical threshold of students” to maintain a meaningful learning community and ensure a high-quality educational experience.
Nexus, which offers degree programs in music and worship, also announced its closure.