Elizabeth Cooper, a Reader with the Church of England, has been at St. Johns Church Park, Sheffield, for 26 years.
She joined St Hild College as an independent student and completed the Certificate and Diploma in Theology, Ministry and Mission. When it ended, she realised she had ‘gained much and felt strengthened in the faith that I had known since a child’. She decided to continue her studies and gain a degree.
She was accepted onto the MA in Theology, Ministry and Mission as a mature student. ‘I did not feel that this was a barrier or a disadvantage. I found that people were studying with different life experiences and ages, and for different purposes. Also, students came from a variety of church traditions, which added to the wealth of the experience,’ she said.
Elizabeth, who attended St Hild from 2018 to 2020, feels that the St Hild Mission on the Margins track continues to influence how she approaches mission in her church, which is in an inner-city area. As a result of her degree, she believes she is more aware of the way the church can become more closely integrated with its immediate community and to offer a church which can be ‘with them.’
‘I enjoyed the opportunity to think and read [while at St Hild College]. When I preach, I use these skills in my preaching. However, I miss being able to discuss things with others. I was very glad to have the opportunity to study even in my later years of life and am considering studying further due to the enriching experience I had at St Hild.’
