Cliff College

Cliff College is a Christian theological college in Calver, Derbyshire, that teaches Biblical Theology at undergraduate level and a number of mission courses to postgraduates. There are currently about 60 full-time undergraduates, 40 part-time undergraduates and 100 part-time postgraduates. There are also a number of research (MPhil and PhD) students and full-time postgraduates enrolled at the College. College courses up to and including MA level are validated by University of Manchester, and students at higher levels are jointly enrolled at both institutions.

History

Cliff College was established in 1883. The founder, Henry Grattan Guinness, was motivated by the prior success of Harley College, which had then outgrown its site in Bromley-by-Bow. For a time, the new institution was known as "Hulme Cliff College" after Elizabeth Hulme, who had donated "Cliff House" in Curbar, Derbyshire, England to further Guinness's work. Today, called 'Cliff College', the school trains and teaches undergraduate and post-graduate students at their campus in Calver, Derbyshire.

In the later 19th Century, many of the college's graduates worked with Hudson Taylor and his China Inland Mission as missionaries. Many Cliff College graduates still choose to do Christian missionary and evangelistic work both in the United Kingdom and abroad.

The well-known Wesleyan Minister and theologian Samuel Chadwick was principal of the college from 1913 to 1932.

Faculty

Since the summer of 2008, the Principal of Cliff College has been Chris Blake. Stephen Skuce serves the college as Academic Dean. Phil Meadows, former head of the postgraduate department, supervises most research degree students, and he and Stephen Skuce were joined in June 2009 by Steve Emery-Wright to form the postgraduate department.

Piers Lane, Peter Ensor, and Sharon Prior are head of year for first (certificate), second (diploma) and final (Hons degree) year full-time undergraduates respectively, while Ian White runs the part-time undergraduate youth and children's ministry as well as the part time BA degree courses.

Most of the undergraduate degrees and all of the MA degrees are validated by the University of Manchester.The current Student President of Cliff College is Matthew Barrick, Vice President is Laura Goldsborough. The prayer representative of the current academic year is Joel Glyn-Davies.

Festival

Each year, over the May Whitsun Bank Holiday, Cliff College holds an annual festival at which the community and its visitors participate in such activities as Interactive Bible Studies and seminars conducted by tutors of the college. This festival is held on the college's campus in the Hope Valley of the Peak District National Park, near Sheffield and Chesterfield.

Festival 2012 will be held on the first weekend of June (1-4.6.2012). The theme is THEREFORE GO! (Mt 28:19)Exploring Evangelism in the life of the local church and of the world

External links

• Cliff College website

Coordinates: 53°15′44″N 1°37′36″W / 53.26222°N 1.62667°W / 53.26222; -1.62667