Fri 09 Aug 2024 by Donna Birrell
Westminster Theological Centre (WTC) is launching a new theological course for prisoners to study while serving time.
The new resource is in response to findings that show many people are finding faith in prison and are keen to take their journey with God to the next level.
The bespoke Level 4 Cert HE (Higher Education) will be piloted at HMP The Mount in 2026 with a view to eventually being rolled out to other prisons.
Sarah Coppin who is WTC’s new Prisons’ Programme Director told Premier she began going into prisons in 2018 with Kairos Prison Ministry and “quickly realised that these were some of the most gifted evangelists, pastors, prophets and preachers around”.
She added: “My goal is to resource Christians in prison with a quality theological education to equip them in their respective giftings. I can’t wait to see what God does with this new programme.”
The course will also train inmates to do peer-to-peer ministry.
Coppin added: “We want them to be working as chaplains’ assistants. We want them to be coming alongside their fellow prisoners because I think they’re much more effective than we are. They’ve got that rapport, they can meet the men as equal. So my hope is that we’re going to see an even bigger move of God if we train and equip these men who are requesting this training.”
WTC Principal, Dr Lucy Peppiatt, said: “It is enormously exciting for me personally that we now have the possibility ahead of us of delivering a Certificate in Higher Education for those who are in prison. For years we have managed a bursary fund for men and women from offending and addiction backgrounds and have seen the benefits of an education in theology for job opportunities, ministry opportunities, and raising self-esteem and confidence. With the right support going forward, this will be a dream come true.”
WTC is now looking to raise £83,000 for the two-year lead period to create the new course.
For more information, you can visit wtctheology.org.uk/prison-programme.
