“Training for the ordination of ministers” That’s the principal purpose of Westminster College in Cambridge. But Westminster College is also used for wider training. This magnificent Grade II listed building stands as a testament to theological education. It is a resource center for learning.
Westminster College wasn’t always here. It began its life in London in 1844. The college then belonged to the Presbyterian Church in England. Lectures first took place in Exeter Hall. In 1859, it moved to a more settled site in Queen’s Square, London.
Westminster College finally moved to Cambridge in 1899. This move happened after some hesitation. A strategic site was gifted by Agnes Smith Lewis and Margaret Dunlop Gibson. These two Scottish sisters were biblical scholars and linguists. They were also explorers of great distinction. They became founding benefactors of Westminster College.
Henry Hare designed a new building. It was built between 1897 and 1899. An appeal for funds came from the wider Presbyterian congregation.
In 1967, Westminster College began to amalgamate with Cheshunt College. This presaged the union of the Congregational and Presbyterian churches. This union formed the United Reformed Church in 1972.
The new college chapel was dedicated in 1921. Sir William Noble, 1st Baronet, and his wife Margaret gifted it. The gift commemorated their son William Black Noble’s death in World War I. Douglas Strachan created the 11 stained glass windows. W. Jowsey completed the apse decoration in 1929.
Agnes Smith Lewis and Margaret Dunlop Gibson studied an early version of the Old Gospels. This was in the Syriac Sinaiticus manuscript. It was discovered in Saint Catherine’s Monastery on the Sinai Peninsula. They made important contributions to Aramaic and Theology. Their publications include the Codex Climaci Rescriptus. It is a 6th-century palimpsest written in Christian Palestinian Aramaic. It contains parts of the Old and New Testaments.
The sisters also found a palimpsest manuscript. It told the story of the Forty Martyrs of the Sinai desert and Eulogios. The sisters acquired these manuscripts in Cairo. They were meant for the library in Westminster College. In 2010, the manuscripts were sold to the Green Collection. They are now displayed in the Museum of the Bible in Washington, D.C.
Lewis and Gibson also found fragments of parchment from the Cairo Genizah. They located the majority of the Genizah at the Ben Ezra Synagogue in Cairo. Solomon Schechter identified the fragments. They formed part of the Hebrew Wisdom of Sirach.
Westminster College put the Cairo Genizah collection up for sale in 2013. The Bodleian Library and Cambridge University Library combined funds to buy it. This was the first collaboration between the two libraries for fundraising. The money was used for a refurbishment of Westminster College in 2013–2014. It cost £7 million.
Westminster College is not part of the University of Cambridge. However, it has joined the Cambridge Theological Federation. This federation is affiliated with the university.
Currently, about 50 students are connected with Westminster. Some train for ministry in the United Reformed Church. Others study for work or pleasure. Five academic staff serve Westminster College. They cover traditional theological disciplines.
Since 2017, the Westminster College site has been home to other institutes. They are the Woolf Institute of Abrahamic Faiths and the Faraday Institute for Science and Religion.
Westminster College is affiliated with Frederick Buechner. He was an American writer and Presbyterian theologian. The College awards an annual prize. It is for Excellence in Writing and is named after Buechner.
Outside of term time, Westminster College is available as a venue. Its Arts and Crafts architecture is stunning. The college has four acres of secluded grounds. Its chapel is enchanting. Westminster College is a place of hospitality. People of all traditions are welcome.