WELCOME FROM THE DEAN OF ST MELLITUS COLLEGE I'm delighted to welcome you as you start this new chapter of life, preparing for the next phase of ministry to which God has called you. We have been praying for you as you prepared to come, and we look forward to the next few years with great anticipation. We consider it a privilege to be involved in helping you prepare for the future and explore the riches of Christian faith together. Ordained Christian ministry is an exciting and demanding path today, and we are deeply committed to help you in your understanding of the gospel, and your ability to minister faithfully and effectively in the contemporary world. You may have heard that the North Thames Ministerial Course itself begins a new phase this year, as part of the new St Mellitus College. St Mellitus was the first Bishop of London (although his territory included Essex) and was a truly missionary bishop, a fitting person to have as our model! The new college is very much the initiative of the Bishops of London and Chelmsford, and aims to bring together many of the resources for theological teaching across the region into a learning community that embraces variety within a commitment to a dynamic and generous orthodoxy. In the first instance, it means bringing together the resources and experience of both NTMTC and St Paul's Theological Centre, based in West London. These will be at the heart of the new college, although we hope other institutions will come on board in due course. I think St Mellitus expresses a very exciting vision for theological education and formation, and I hope will in time greatly enhance what we can offer you and others who follow after you on this path of learning and growing deeper into Christ and his calling on our lives. Settling into a new pattern of life, with many new people to meet and new schedules to master can be a difficult process, and you may find it takes longer than you expect. We hope you will find North Thames to be a relaxed and friendly place, where relationships between staff and students are natural, informal and supportive. Do feel free to ask anyone on the staff if you are unsure about anything. With my prayers and best wishes as you start. The Revd Dr Graham Tomlin     Copyright © 2007 North Thames Ministerial Training Course Registered Charity No. 1094157