Abstract
The mass migrations following the Second World War and the end of colonialism has resulted in many parts of the Western World being described as multi-Faith and multi-cultural. England is no exception, and the Church of England faces the challenge as to how she relates to this pluralist society. The focus of this thesis is on the training and educational needs of clergy who today find themselves ministering in a multi-Faith and multi-cultural context. The Diocese of Chelmsford, which is geographically large and socially and religiously diverse, is taken as a case study. The research is conducted in three areas: a) An examination of the national policy documents on the selection and training of priests since 1987, with particular reference to ACCM (Advisory Council for the Church's Ministry) Paper No. 22 and subsequent Advisory Board for Ministry Papers. The purpose of the analysis is to see if there is a national, agreed policy on clergy training and if so, does it allow for training for ministry in multi-Faith areas. b) Selected material from the theological Colleges and Courses, together with interviews with past students, to find out what the training institutions are currently offering. c) The analysis of data from 208 (83%) respondents to a questionnaire sent to 250 clergy in the Diocese of Chelmsford. The aim of this questionnaire is to discover the perceived training needs of the clergy, The results of this research show great diversity and a consequent lack of clarity in the purpose of clergy training, the role of the priest and the nature of the Church. The question therefore remains; can a Church as diverse as the Church of England have one model of training, for one model of priest for one model of Church?