Background and History
The School community today consists of nine full and part-time staff, and typically about 40 students who take part in the Ministry Formation Program, many of whom are preparing for ordination. More than 60 students participate in the online program, reaching all over Australia and overseas. In addition, there are over 30 parish groups dotted all over regional and metropolitan Australia using the Certificate in Theology and Ministry to develop lay ministries.
In 1969, the Theological School was a foundation member of the ecumenical United Faculty of Theology (UFT). This partnership with the Jesuit Theological College and the Uniting Church Theological Hall offers Trinity students an outstanding ecumenical context for learning. The UFT has a combined strength of some 25 staff and 380 students. Its three colleges (located in Parkville, adjacent to the University of Melbourne) are served by the Dalton McCaughey Library, with one of the finest theological collections in the southern hemisphere. UFT classes prepare students for the Bachelor of Theology or Master of Divinity degrees awarded by the Melbourne College of Divinity (MCD). Combined degrees in Arts/Theology can be undertaken through the MCD and Melbourne or Monash Universities. In addition, Trinity offers the Ministry Formation Program (MCD Diploma in Ministry), and staff play active roles in the MCD's post-graduate programs.