Kingsley College Australia
Kingsley College is the Bible College for the Wesleyan Methodist Church of Australia a school of theology located in Melbourne, Australia. Its student body is a mix of Wesleyan Methodists and students from other Christian denominations.
History
The college was founded by President of the Australian Wesleyan Methodist Conference and editor of the Australian Wesleyan Kingsley Ridgway in 1948, and continues to welcome students from across Australia and the Pacific.
It was originally known as the Wesleyan Methodist Bible College of Australia;[1] but in 1973 its name was changed to honour its founder upon his retirement.[2] It was funded initially from donations made by Wesleyan Methodist church members in North America, reported by Ridgway as being "in the neighbourhood of one dollar (six shillings) per member over the whole connexion".[3] Its first principal was professor Leo G. Cox, an American who was elected Conference President in 1948 after Ridgway.[3]
Kingsley College continues to provide Wesleyan Methodist ministerial and lay person training in Bible and theology through the Vocational Education Training sector. Four awards in Christian Ministry are available. The college continues to thrive with a growing presence across Australia, into New Zealand, and students studying in the Pacific.[4] Kingsley College delivers training under the auspices of Eva Burrows College, RTO 0328.
Principals
| Name | Years of service |
|---|---|
| Dr Leo G. Cox | 1949-1955 |
| The Revd Robert Mattke | 1956-1961 |
| The Revd James Ridgway | 1961-1966 |
| The Revd Arthur Calhoun | 1967-1969 |
| The Revd Aubrey Carnell | 1970-1971 |
| The Revd Dr James Ridgway | 1972-1984 |
| The Revd Dr David Wilson | 1985-2002 |
| The Revd Lionel Rose | 2003 |
| The Revd Peter Dobson | 2004-2010[citation needed] |
| The Revd Dr Kevin Brown | 2010 – present[citation needed] |
References
- ^ Emilsen & O'Brien 2016, p. 272.
- ^ Kostlevy 2010, p. 252.
- ^ a b O'Brien 2018, p. 95.
- ^ Brown 2026, p. 4.
Sources
- Emilsen, William; O'Brien, Glen (2016). "The Continuing Methods Legacy, 1977–2014". In O'Brien, Glen; Carey, Hilary M. (eds.). Methodism in Australia: A History. Routledge Methodist Studies Series. Routledge. ISBN 9781317097099.
- O'Brien, Glen (2018). Wesleyan-Holiness Churches in Australia: Hallelujah under the Southern Cross. Routledge Methodist Studies Series. Routledge. ISBN 9781351189217.
- Kostlevy, William (2010). "Ridggway, Kingsley Mervin". The A to Z of the Holiness Movement. Vol. 164. Rowman & Littlefield. ISBN 9780810875913.
- Dr Wynand J. de Kock, Principal Tabor Victoria; The Revd Peter J. Dobson, Principal Kingsley College. "Kingsley College and Tabor Victoria - United Press Release: Christian Colleges Unite with 100 years' experience" (Press release). Archived from the original on 19 July 2008. Retrieved 18 October 2008.
- Patton, Don (2010). "A brief history of the Pacific College of Graduate Studies". Melbourne, Australia.
- Brown, Kevin (2026). "Kingsley College Handbook 2026".