Information for Baptist students at Spurgeon’s College
This version 11 September 2025

Spurgeon’s College announced on 31 July 2025 that the College has entered the insolvency process, resulting in the immediate closure of the College. We recognise the impact this will have and that this news is deeply concerning and disruptive for all their students.
 
BUGB Ministries Team is working with other partners across Baptists Together to support all Baptists who are part way through or about the start a programme of study and/or ministerial formation for accredited Baptist ministry or Recognised Local Ministry. This includes those who have a NAMs learning contract with Spurgeon’s. The situation is evolving and we anticipate that this page will continue to be updated over the coming days. You may wish to return to it from time to time to see any updates we have posted. The most recently added text is shown in orange below. 

BUGB support

BUGB agreed with the Joint Administrators of Spurgeon's College to fund a Student Support Office. This was staffed by a small number of the Spurgeon's College staff. It operated for four weeks only, in effect until the close of play 29 August. It allowed students to request the data that would ease their transfer to new institutions. Importantly, it also enabled the work of many students whose work was submitted before 18 August to be marked. Finally, it allowed BUGB to request the data that would help BUGB to continue to assess those training for accredited and recognised ministry. The Student Support Office has now closed. 

The BUGB Trustees have committed to offering financial support to some students in the following ways:

BUGB has committed to help Baptist students who had already paid some of the fees for 2025/26. Though students may make applications to BDO, the Administrators managing the insolvency, to seek to recover their money, BUGB Trustees have put funds aside to ensure that this small number of students should not be out of pocket. Ministries Team have now been in touch with these students. If you are a Baptist student and were in credit with the College and you have not received an email from the Ministries Team about this, please let the Ministries Team know. 

BUGB has also committed to help those who are formally part of their ministerial formation programme with the additional costs incurred in moving to a different Baptist college. Money will be made available for the 2025/26 academic year to mitigate the increased costs for students having to travel beyond London or stay in accommodation for block weeks or intensives arranged by their new Baptist college. Again, Ministries Team will be in touch with these students shortly to explain how support may be requested. If the receiving college charges fees that were higher than Spurgeon's, the greater amount can be entered on the BUGB student bursary application form administered by the receiving college so that any students with a shortfall in their funding may receive additional support. 

If you would like to play your part in supporting students financially, you can now do this by making a voluntary donation towards the costs that students are unexpectedly incurring. BUGB will collect and distribute the money. More details on how to give and what the money will be used for may be found here. 

Please read on for more information for each group of Spurgeon's students.

 

1. BU Ministers-in-Training (MiT)

We believe all students who were on a programme leading to accreditation as a Baptist Union minister have now been in contact with our Baptist Colleges and for almost all of them, a route for the continuation of their studies has been identified. As a result, Ministers-in-Training will in all but a few cases be transferring their studies to the London hub that Bristol Baptist Colleges are setting up in conjunction with London Baptists, or to Northern Baptist College, or Regent's Park College. The London hub consists of weekly gatherings in central London in term-time for a ministerial formation programme, together with academic content being taught in block weeks in Bristol for undergraduate MiTs and in a combination of London-based teaching and online days for postgraduate MiTs. Please click here for more information about Bristol Baptist College's plan.  

We trust that any Ministers-in-Training who are not clear about their route to continuing their journey towards accreditation is in touch with their Regional Minister  or one of the colleges to discuss any barriers that may exist. Each college now has an information sheet about what training will look like for you and these can be found by clicking the relevant link:
Bristol Baptist College;
Cardiff Baptist College;
Northern Baptist College (Manchester); 
Regent's Park College (Oxford); 
St Hild Centre for Baptist Ministry (Sheffield).

Any student who received a Baptist Union bursary for training as a MiT will be able to apply to their new Baptist College for a bursary for this year. Bursaries, of course, means tested.

2. Incoming BU Ministers-in-Training 

We also believe that all those who were due to begin at Spurgeon's College on a pathway that leads to accreditation as a Baptist Union minister has an identified route for continuing their ministerial formation. We trust that any prospective MiTs who are not clear about their route to continuing their journey towards accreditation is in touch with their Regional Minister  or one of the colleges to discuss any barriers that may exist. Incoming MiTs may be eligible for a Baptist Union bursary (if or once they have been accepted for ministerial formation by a Ministerial Recognition Committee.) Bursaries are means tested and the college will provide the MiT with the necessary application form. 

3. Ministerial students who are not BU Ministers-in-Training   

We also believe that almost all students in membership or leadership roles within our Baptist churches who were on a ministerial pathway with Spurgeon’s which does not lead to BU accreditation now have an identified route to continue their ministerial formation. Any students for whom this is not the case should look at the information provided by Spurgeon's their Information for Continuing Students document. This includes details of other Baptist Colleges, and links to the Colleges are provided in Section 1 above. The Colleges will respond to enquiries from those undertaking ministerial formation, even if they are not on a pathway towards BU accreditation. 

However, any student who hoped to attend MRC in the future and join the BU pathway to accredited ministry should get in touch with their Regional Minister to make sure the route they are planning will not disadvantage their chances of being accredited later on.  

4. Baptists studying for a theological qualification

Baptist church members and Baptist ministers studying for undergraduate or postgraduate theological qualifications as part of their own learning and development have received details from Spurgeon’s in their Information for Continuing Students document of other providers to approach to ask about the continuation of studies. The list includes both Baptist and non-Baptist colleges. We notice with regret that one or two of the more innovative Spurgeon’s courses are unique to Spurgeon’s and it may prove difficult for other colleges to award APL for these.    

5. BU Newly Accredited Ministers (NAMs)

We are still working through the list of NAMs who had an ongoing learning contract with Spurgeon’s and will be in touch with all of them before the end of September, either directly or through their Regional Minister. In the meantime, queries should be address to their Regional Minister. They will be kept up to date with evolving plans. NAMs should do all they can to collate all work they were set or completed as part of an existing learning contract. 

NAM's who were due to start learning contracts with Spurgeon' from January 2026  should get in touch with one of the other Colleges. However, we recommend they speak to their Regional Minister first to be guided as to the most appropriate choice. 

6. BU Recognised Local Ministers (RLM)

We believe we have identified pathways for all those who were on the Spurgeon’s Equipped to Minister course with a view to becoming an RLM to continue their studies. Any RLM trainee who is not aware of their options should speak to their Regional Minister in the first instance.  RLM trainees should continue to take part in their Association-led spiritual formation group and with mentoring. 

7. Equipped to Minister students who are not seeking RLM status

We anticipate there are a number of Baptist leaders and church members who are taking some of the ETM modules in either London, Birmingham or Histon, but are not on a track towards recognised ministry. For those at the Birmingham hub, Heart of England Baptist Association have committed to organise the teaching of the  ETM modules for the immediate future. It will continue to be hosted by Chester Road Baptist Church and the module cost will be similar to that charged by Spurgeon's. For more details please contact the HEBA team - their email address is shown on their website homepage.

Unfortunately, we do not at this point have a way of enabling either the Histon or London ETM hubs to continue. If you are able to get to Birmingham for the necessary Saturdays and wish to join the Birmingham hub for any further ETM modules, please contact the HEBA team.  


Please note that there is also information on the Office for Students website that those studying for a University-validated qualification will find useful.  Likewise, the Office of the Independent Adjudicator has a page of information. 

If you are training for Baptist accreditation and recognition and your questions cannot be answered by your Regional Minister, please email the Ministries Team.


Tim Fergusson and Lee Johnson
Ministries Team Co-Leaders