Releasing Potential in Thoughtful, Committed Community Leaders

Releasing Potential in Thoughtful, Committed Community Leaders

We believe the most inspiring leaders grow in unexpected places. That hope for our world today rises and falls with urban leaders on the front lines of the most challenging urban situations. We work to see unique brilliance and influence released, the potential in communities, causes and ventures fulfilled and the God-given gifts of all urban people and places shared.

Seedbeds School for Urban Leadership exists to grow your capacity to take up your unique leadership opportunities and make a sustainable difference in the lives of those people and places you are called to love. Through our accredited, practical and formative leadership programmes you can access:

Seedbeds Academic Partners

These include: 

• Church Mission Society (Undergraduate immersion courses, validated by Durham University), 
• Birmingham Christian College (Certificate IV in Sustainable Community Leadership NCFE and BA programmes validated by Newman University) 
• Nazarene Theological College (MA and PhD programmes validated by University of Manchester ), 
• Ukrainian Evangelical Theological Seminary (MA in Urban Ministry programmes)
• Bristol Baptist College (PhD research validated by University of Aberdeen).

Upcoming Programmes include:

‘Newbigin Annual Public Lecture’

To stimulate Christians into more thoughtful and deeper engagement in the places they live and serve, we offer a public lecture with a high profile leader who embodies a contemporary spirit of Lesslie Newbigin.  In previous years this has included: Dr Steve Bevans (2018), Dr Krish Kandiah (2019), John Newbigin and Dr Ash Barker (2021), Dr Cathy Ross (2022) and Shane Claiborne (2023).

Next year’s Newbigin Annual Public Lecture will take place in the summer of 2024 on Wednesday 5 June with key note speech by Revd Dr Deirdre Brower Latz, Principal and Senior Lecturer in Pastoral and Social Theology, Nazarene Theological College

Born in Canada, Revd Dr Deirdre Brower Latz is the daughter of passionate Christian parents who joined a love for God with a love of learning. She moved between the UK and Canada several times before finally settling in Manchester. Ordained in the ’90s she led churches in urban Bristol and Manchester and became increasingly interested in issues of justice, transformation, urban realities and practices – all joined with a love of learning and theology. Her PhD is from the University of Manchester in the area of Practical Theology. In 2012 she became the Principal of NTC, a theological college validated by the University of Manchester, both the youngest person and only female to take that role on. Most recently she was a researcher for Church Action on Poverty, around ‘Church on the Margins’ – exploring how people with lived experience of marginality engage, connect and experience ‘church’.

She enjoys youth work, dry stone walling, the outdoors, is married to a High school teacher and has a large chocolate labrador who makes her get outside every day!

Upcoming Programmes include:

MA Programmes with Nazarene Theological College (validated by University of Manchester)

We work with academic partners to help design and deliver leadership programmes. With our partners Nazarene Theological College (University of Manchester) we work to deliver selected classes for the following MA in Theology pathway:

• MA in Theology (Humanitarian Development and Social Justice)

It takes four units plus a dissertation to gain the award – and each pathway has one required ‘core’ unit with at least one other from that pathway.

The next MA units being offered by NTC with Seedbeds School for Urban Leadership, are as follows:

ST7640 Practices of Social Justice 

Tutor: Dr Ash Barker (Seedbeds School for Urban Leadership) and Kate Bowen-Evans (Nazarenes Compassionate Ministries)

When? 13 – 20 January 2024 at Nazarene Theological College, Manchester

This unit explores critically the fulfilment of the Church’s mission of social transformation through programmes of social justice in cross-cultural and urban settings. 

This unit can be taken for a number of MA in Theology pathways through NTC and awarded by University of Manchester. Please apply here.

PT7690 Resilient Discipleship

Tutors: Dr Sally Mann (Red Letter Christians UK and Bonny Downs Community Church) and Dr Ash Barker (Seedbeds School for Urban Leadership)

When? 1 – 8 June 2024 at Nazarene Theological College, Manchester.

This unit explores the nature and call of Christian discipleship as a core motif to sustaining life and ministry in complex urban contexts. What are the biblical, theological and practical frameworks that can be discerned for faithful, resilient and relevant urban engagement as Christ-followers? How can Christian discipleship inform and inspire our spirituality, leadership practices and vision for God’s in-breaking, new urban world?

This unit can be taken for a number of MA in Theology pathways through NTC and awarded by University of Manchester. Please apply here.

“I’m so glad I took the leap of faith to enrol on the Masters in Social Justice! All four of the modules I chose were led by the Seedbeds team and I am grateful that I got to learn from experienced teachers, make friends with international classmates and get re-energised by inspiring guest lectures from across the world. The module on resilience taught me practical tools to reduce my stress level at work. The community engagement residential directly inspired me to launch a new project providing free sports to hundreds of local women. The Practices of Social Justice classes shaped my charity’s new five-year strategic plan. And the Leadership & Change readings gave me valuable advice which I’ve been applying day-to-day. The course has undoubtedly equipped me to do a better job of serving my community.” Jessica Craig, Co-Director, Bonny Downs Community Association

“I would really recommend [the Seedbeds units], they’re a fun way of learning and a really great academic background to community work and faith in action.”  Louise Jones is a recent MA in Theology graduate and talks about her experience studying the Resilient Discipleship and Community Engagement units:

Sherry Owolabi, MA in Theology graduate talks about her experience studying for her Masters at Nazarene Theological College and in particular choosing Resilient Discipleship as one of her modules, “My time of study [at NTC] was extremely influential in shaping and equipping me for Christian Ministry… Resilient Discipleship… was a truly transformational course for me and I would encourage you to enrol.”

PhD Research Degrees with Bristol Baptist College (validated by University of Aberdeen)

Rev Dr Ash Barker (Seedbeds School for Urban Leadership) is able to supervise Bristol Baptist College research degrees (MTh and PhD) validated by the University of Aberdeen. Research students read on their own research topic and work closely with their two supervisors, who have expertise in their subject area, to define research and write a thesis. Students also attend an annual conference at the end of the academic year (June) and if resident in Bristol attend regular research seminars. Bristol Baptist College works closely with Trinity College, Bristol, and supervision is shared across the Joint Faculty.

Entry Requirements:
Normally, the minimum entrance requirement for admission is a degree with Second Class Honours (Upper Division) in an appropriate field, or its equivalent. It is preferable that you hold a Masters in the chosen area of study as well.

The RAC (Research Application Committee) committee meets three times a year; mid Oct, Feb, and May to consider applications from potential research students. All applications are considered in detail at our RAC.

PhD (100 000 words incl. footnotes): 3 years FT, 6 years PT
MTh (40 000 words), 1 year FT, 2 years PT

For more information see here

For more information please contact Dr Ash Barker at ash.barker@seedbeds.org