Information for Baptist students at Spurgeon’s College
This version 08 August 2025 (09:00)
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 rapidly and we anticipate that this page will 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 has agreed with the Joint Administrators of Spurgeon's College to fund a Student Support Centre. This is being staffed by a small number of the Spurgeon's College staff. It will operate for four weeks only, until the end of August. Please contact them here: Student Support. The email address is also on the letter sent to you by Spurgeon's College. If you have questions for Spurgeon's College about your academic record, or the transfer process to another provider of theological education, or finances, etc, it is very important that you contact the Support Centre within this time period. Support will not be available after this time. However, please read the relevant section below first.
1. BU Ministers-in-Training (MiT)
If you are on a programme leading to accreditation as a Baptist Union minister, please speak in the first instance to your Regional Minister to talk about your options. They will be kept up to date with evolving plans.
If you are studying for an undergraduate or postgraduate qualification as part of your ministerial training, you will have received a letter from Spurgeon’s with details of the other Baptist colleges. In the days leading up to the announcement, Spurgeon’s has worked especially closely with Bristol Baptist College to identify pathways for both undergraduate and postgraduate MiTs to continue their studies. Specifically, Bristol Baptist College in partnership with London Baptists are now offering Spurgeon's students the opportunity to join a London-based hub. It is likely to consist of weekly gatherings in central London in term-time for a ministerial formation programme, together with academic content being taught in block weeks, hopefully also in London, though this is to be confirmed. Please click here for more information about Bristol Baptist College's plan.
However, all of our Baptist Colleges have committed to consider enquiries from you about transferring your training programme. Whether that college can award Accredited Prior Learning (APL) for your completed work to date depends on the University that validates that college's degrees, and the type of course you are studying. 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).
If you have already paid fees to Spurgeon’s for the 2025/26 year, please let the Ministries Team know, providing the name of the course you were on. We will then ask you to send the receipts you have for the payments made. This will help us to assess whether support can be provided.
If you received a Baptist Union bursary for training as a Minister-in-Training, there is no reason why this cannot be repeated in the next year also. They are, of course, means tested. You will be asked by whatever Baptist College you go to to complete a bursary application form, much as you have previously done for Spurgeon's.
2. Incoming BU Ministers-in-Training
If you are due to start this autumn on a pathway that leads to accreditation as a Baptist Union minister, please in the first instance speak to your Regional Minister to talk about your options. They will be kept up to date with evolving plans. Please see Section 1 above about the opportunity of training at a London-based hub run by Bristol Baptist College, as well as information about what training would look like at one of the other Baptist colleges. Each college would welcome an approach from you.
If you have already paid fees to Spurgeon’s for the 2025/26 year, please let the Ministries Team know, providing the name of the course you were on. We will then ask you to send the receipts for the payments made. This will help us to assess whether support can be provided.
Just as if you attended Spurgeon's, you may be eligible for a Baptist Union bursary (if or once you have been accepted for ministerial formation by a Ministerial Recognition Committee.) Bursaries are means tested and the college you attend will give you the necessary application form.
3. Ministerial students who are not BU Ministers-in-Training
We are aware that there are a number of students in membership or leadership roles within our Baptist churches who are on a ministerial pathway with Spurgeon’s which does not lead to BU accreditation. Spurgeon’s will have given you some information of other providers of ministerial training that you may contact in their Information for Continuing Students document. This includes details of other Baptist Colleges, and you can read about each of these in the links provided in Section 1 above. They will respond to enquiries from you if you are undertaking ministerial formation, even if you are not on a pathway towards BU accreditation.
However, we know that some of you hope to attend MRC in the future and join the BU pathway to accredited ministry. If this describes you, please contact your Regional Minister to discuss your options. Your focus should be on one of the Baptist colleges as only they can commend you to BUGB at the completion of your ministerial formation programme.
4. Baptists studying for a theological qualification
We are aware that a number of Baptist church members and Baptist ministers are studying for undergraduate or postgraduate theological qualifications as part of their own learning and development. You will have received details from Spurgeon’s in their Information for Continuing Students document of other providers you may approach to ask about the continuation of your 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. Nevertheless, we encourage you to contact those colleges listed to find out what the possibilities are.
5. BU Newly Accredited Ministers (NAMs)
If you are a NAM with a learning contract with Spurgeon’s, please speak in the first instance to your Regional Minister to talk about your options. They will be kept up to date with evolving plans. The BU Ministries Team will work with the other Baptist Colleges and the Associations to identify ways that you can continue to study as part of your probationary period. We will communicate plans to you through your Regional Minister. We ask you to appreciate that these plans may take some time to develop, as our initial work is concentrated on supporting our Ministers-in-Training. Please in the meantime do all you can to collate all work that you were set or that you have completed as part of your current learning contract.
If you are due to start a NAM's learning contract from January 2026 and were intending to go to Spurgeon's for this, the Ministries Team will be in touch with you in September. You will be asked to choose from one of the other Baptist colleges and your Regional Minister can guide you as to the best choice.
6. BU Recognised Local Ministers (RLM)
If you are on the Spurgeon’s Equipped to Minister course with a view to becoming an RLM, please speak in the first instance to your Regional Minister to talk about your options. They are working on plans to enable you to complete your programme of learning. If you were learning at the Birmingham ETM hub, please see Section 6 below. In the meantime, please make sure you collate all certificates from Spurgeon’s that demonstrate the work you have completed, and please continue to take part in your Association-led spiritual formation group and with the mentoring you receive.
If you have already paid fees to Spurgeon’s for the 2025/26 year, please let the Ministries Team know, providing the name of the course you were on. We will then ask you to send the receipts for the payments made. This will help us to assess whether support can be provided.
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.
We are not yet sure whether the Histon or London ETM hubs will be able 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