Cranmer Hall, Durham facts for kids
Cranmer Hall is a special college in Durham, England. It helps train people to become leaders in churches. Cranmer Hall is part of St John's College, Durham, which is connected to Durham University.
Cranmer Hall mainly trains people to be ministers for the Church of England. It also trains leaders for other Christian churches, including a program called the "Free Church Track." There's even a special course for those who want to work with children or young people in church. The college follows a Christian approach known as "Open Evangelical."
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History of Cranmer Hall
The college is named after Thomas Cranmer. He was a very important leader in the Church of England a long time ago, during the time of King Henry VIII.
St John's College, which includes Cranmer Hall, started in 1909. It became part of Durham University in 1919. Later, in 1958, the college was divided into two main parts. One part became Cranmer Hall, focusing on training church leaders. The other part, John's Hall, was for other types of studies.
Different Training Programs
Cranmer Hall offers various training programs for church leaders. The Wesley Study Centre, named after John Wesley, used to train ministers for the Methodist Church of Great Britain. Now, it mainly focuses on advanced research.
In October 2015, Cranmer Hall started a new program called the "Free Church Track." This program trains leaders for churches that are not part of the Church of England. A year later, in October 2016, the college also began training Baptist ministers. They do this through a partnership with Northern Baptist College in Manchester.
Important People at Cranmer Hall
Many dedicated people have worked and studied at Cranmer Hall.
Leaders of Cranmer Hall
The person in charge of Cranmer Hall is called the Warden. Here are some of the wardens over the years:
- 1968-1970: John C. P. Cockerton
- 1971-1979: Timothy Yeats
- 1979-1983: Christopher Byworth
- 1983–1992: Ian Cundy
- 1993–1996: John Pritchard
- 1996–2004: Steven Croft
- 2005–2011: Anne Dyer
- 2011–2016: Mark Tanner
- 2017–2023: Philip Plyming
- 2023–present: Nicholas Moore
Famous Former Students
Many people who studied at Cranmer Hall have gone on to do important things in the church and beyond. Here are a few examples:
- Angela Berners-Wilson: She was the very first woman to become a priest in the Church of England.
- Steven Croft: He is currently a bishop, leading the Diocese of Oxford.
- Libby Lane: She made history as the first woman to become a bishop in the Church of England.
- Joanna Penberthy: She was the first woman to become a bishop in the Church in Wales.
- Justin Welby: He is the current Archbishop of Canterbury, a very important leader in the worldwide Anglican Church.
