The St Matthias Foundation’s Impact

Rachel

Rachel was a recipient of a grant from the Foundation of St Matthias in 2023 to help fund a term study abroad at Yale Divinity School. This was part of her Postgraduate Diploma in Theology, Ministry and Mission which she completed at Westcott House, while training for ordained ministry in the Church of England.

Yale Divinity School is ecumenical, inter-faith and international and provided the opportunity to learn alongside people from different backgrounds and traditions, as well as being a place of world class scholarship. While at Yale Divinity School, Rachel took the following classes: History of Early Modern Christianity: áReformation to Enlightenment; Short Modern Fiction; Preaching for Introverts and Books of Common Prayer: Anglican Liturgy in History, Theology and Practice.

Rachel was thankful to the Foundation of St Matthias for enabling her to undertake this term study abroad. Rachel said that education happened both in the classroom and outside the classroom, in adapting to a new environment, having her horizons expanded and in encounters with those who are from different backgrounds, cultures and traditions – something she experienced in abundance during her time at Yale.

Jacob

Jacob is pursuing a Masters in Social Work at the University of Gloucester, with an aim to uplift individuals and communities by advocating for social justice, providing much-needed support, championing policy changes and empowering people to realise their full potential.

The Foundation of St Matthias’ funding support for his university fees has enabled him to focus on his studies and his commitment to making a tangible difference in society to help create a world where well-being is a right that is accessible to all.

Jacob’s commitment extends beyond his academic pursuits, as he is an active volunteer with his church and church community, specifically through his participation in youth groups. He wishes to embody the spirit of service and community that the Church of England upholds and is grateful for the Foundation’s financial support, as it has not only eased his financial burden but, “reaffirmed his commitment to his social mission and his faith”.

Madi

Madi was born and raised in Communist Romania and as one of 14 siblings’ opportunities to study weren’t open to her in the formative years. Also, as a female, at that time, theological study was not an option.

Since moving to the UK and becoming a member of a local church, Madi has developed a passion for ministry to the under 18s, enabling them to flourish in their Christian faith and understanding of the bible.

Through her studies Madi has been able to develop her own understanding and is in awe of the impact the Bible is having on every area of her life.

Due to the support of the Foundation of St Matthias, Madi will be able to complete a Certificate of Higher Education in Theology. Madi is already benefitting from her studies in her personal life, and this is also impacting those around her, especially the youth group she is leading.

Ted

Ted is undertaking a Masters degree in Vocal Performance at the Royal College of Music. As a Douglas and Hilda Simmons Scholar he aspires to extend beyond his pursuit as an opera soloist and leading worship in various church choirs.

His musical journey has seen him involved with several renowned church choirs, including Coventry Cathedral Choir and St John’s College Choir. Aided by his financial support from the St Matthias Foundation, Ted also holds a choral scholarship at St John’s Church, Hyde Park.

The generous support he has received in his studies has allowed him to immerse himself his pursuit of musical excellence, for which he is extremely grateful. Ted values the immense versatility of music and its ability to resonate with diverse audiences, specifically as “a liturgical tool that is capable of crossing boundaries and touching people from all walks of life.

Sarah

Sarah has recently completed a Pioneer Masters in Theology, Ministry and Mission with the Church Mission Society. Her goal is to reach out to young adults and guide them on their spiritual journey, using innovative methods to communicate the gospel in a rapidly changing world.

The Foundation’s financial aid has allowed her to focus on her studies and her mission to bring about positive spiritual change among young adults. She feels “bolstered in her commitment to her mission and her faith” and appreciates the privilege of working with young adults.

Serenna

Serenna is a Scottish flautist, pursuing a Master of Music in Performance at Royal College of Music, London. Having performed as a soloist across Scotland and participated in a range of ensembles, at both national and community levels, her musical interests include solo, orchestral, chamber, and baroque performance, with a deep commitment to making music accessible and meaningful within the community.

She is passionate about the role of music as a witness to the Gospel, as it creates space for encounter with God, brings peace, light and beauty by participating in God present work, and points forward to the perfection and harmony of the new creation to come. Her solo and group performance, as well as instrumental teaching, community outreach and participation in leading worship, is rooted in her calling to use music in the service of others.

The Foundation of St Matthias’ contribution towards her course fees was invaluable, allowing Serenna to complete and immerse herself in her studies, where she will have the opportunity to develop and refine the skills needed to serve with greater excellence in a musical vocation in the future.

Helen

Helen is Nigerian and is currently pursuing her PhD at Abertay University. A qualified lawyer, she also holds a Master’s degree in Global Security from Coventry University. Her academic work reflects both her professional background and her passion for addressing complex humanitarian issues.

Her PhD research focuses on the Disarmament, Demobilization, Rehabilitation, and Reintegration (DDRR) of kidnapped women and children in the Sahel. Through her study, she seeks to give victims a platform to be heard and to shape reintegration policies that can help restore dignity, security, and hope to affected communities.

The Foundation of St Matthias has supported Helen throughout her journey, providing sponsorship from her first year of study right through to the final year of her PhD. The Foundation’s support has been instrumental in enabling her to pursue research that bridges academic insight with real-world impact, and Helen’s work now stands to benefit some of the most vulnerable groups in society.

Abraham

Abraham is beginning the third year of his research programme Within and Without: Christianity in Late Imperial Northwest India and Postcolonial Pakistan, 1930-1971 at Oxford University.

In the last two years of his PhD, Abraham has organised two impressive and unprecedented international conferences titled ‘Christianity and Christians in Pakistan’ and ‘Minoritisation in South Asia: Religion, Caste, Gender’ while at the same time preparing articles and a journal special issue for publication.

Abraham’s work has no serious precedent and promises to be an important contribution to the study of religion, society and politics in Pakistan and South Asia more generally. It will also represent a rare scholarly contribution making visible the religious diversity of Pakistan and the role that Christianity plays within and in defence of it.

More than a study of the persecution of a religious minority, in other words, Abraham’s project is about Christianity’s representation and mobilisation of a fundamental if concealed social cleavage, and its potential to mobilise all Pakistanis in its name. It is arguably this potential that makes Christians such uncomfortable neighbours for many Muslims, and so the targets of their violence. Abraham has managed to surmount the pervasive discrimination he has faced in his native Pakistan to emerge as one of the very few Christians in that country to achieve the scholarly distinctions he already possesses.

Abraham has been remarkably active both in fostering the arts and intellectual life in Pakistan. He has also been an activist against religious and gender discrimination there. Abraham’s work in addition promises to open up new vistas in the study of Pakistan’s religious history.

Esni

Esni lives and works in Indonesia, her scholarship will see her complete a research program on Church Mission at Oxford Centre for Mission Studies.

Ezni has dedicated the last nine years living out her vision to elevate the church’s role in society through active engagement in poverty alleviation.

Esni has been actively involved in conducting urban-community development programs where she experienced living and serving amongst the poor, mobilising and facilitating local churches to participate in sustaining their social responsibility.

Esni is able to use her educational background in her work, and conducts health promotion programs such as TB prevention and Stunting alleviation. Her Christian education enables her to design curriculums used for church mobilisation programs.

Esni through her scholarship wants to concentrate on strengthening the collaboration between the church and government as both share a common vision for poverty reduction.

Esni says that receiving a scholarship from the Foundation of St Matthias is a significant step in realising her dream to achieve her educational goals but also to give back to her community and church in Indonesia.

Pip

Pip is going to be undertaking her Environmental Theology PhD at Trinity Theological College Bristol, where she will be exploring how the church can learn to eat and farm in ways that reflect the values of the Kingdom of God more fully. As part of her research, she will be looking at how the biblical Sabbath and Jubilee could help the church to reimagine more resilient food systems in the face of our changing climate.

Since her passion for creation care was sparked at Edinburgh University back in 2002, she has been working, alongside her husband, to live in ways that protect rather than degrade creation, and encouraging others to do the same. Given that food issues are often at the heart of many of the major ecological and social challenges we face, over the past two decades she has been focusing increasingly on food and farming, as a key way in which we can actively care for God’s creation. As part of this journey, Pip and her husband Will have worked with A Rocha UK, farmed organically in Somerset, started an urban Food Hub and founded a Christian creation care charity called CACTUS (www.cactusfoodandfaith.com), which educates and equips the church in eating and farming in more Christ-centred ways.

Once she has completed her PhD, Pip hopes to teach at Theological Colleges and host Theology students and church groups on various farms in the South West, to reflect theologically on food and farming systems. Pip is delighted to be one of the recipients of the Foundation’s scholarships, which will be instrumental in enabling her to pursue this research.

Nina

Nina is undertaking a Masters degree in Psychodynamic Psychotherapy at the University of Oxford, blending academic and practical training to obtain UKCP (UK Council for Psychotherapy) accreditation.

This new step in a long mental health career is rooted in an aspiration to make deep psychotherapeutic care accessible for all those who need it. Nina is putting training into practice as she learns, volunteering at a low-cost community counselling service and with young people admitted into A & E in mental health crises.

Nina advocates for improved wellbeing provision in churches and especially for clergy; focusing her research, time and passion into this area. A scholarship from the Foundation of St Matthias is enabling and encouraging Nina to focus on her vision for brilliant clergy wellbeing support, rolled out across all parts of the Church of England.

Michaela

Michaela is a passionate doctoral candidate undertaking her PhD in Theology at Edinburgh University. Her research is a historical study of Evangelical Anglican women’s theological convictions, influences, and missional theology in colonial Uganda and the Church Missionary Society between 1920 and 1950. Focusing on British and Ugandan women, she investigates how women conceptualised and embodied their ministerial roles within a cross-cultural context. By examining the ways women engaged in theological discourse collectively and in their private reflections, Michaela’s thesis highlights women’s often-overlooked experiences of ministry and gives an account for women’s theology of mission in East Africa. Themes of divine calling, women’s vocation, and eschatological hope are woven throughout

Michaela is the recipient of one of the Foundation’s scholarships, which has been instrumental in allowing her to delve into her research, but has also “reinforced her commitment to enhancing theological education for a global church.

Adam

Adam is an ambitious scholar currently pursuing a PhD in Theology and Religion at the University of Exeter. His research focuses on the New Testament and he aims to establish a career as an academic, delving into the intricacies of the New Testament and being able to contribute to the inspiring future generations of scholars.

Adam is the recipient of one of the Foundation’s scholarships and this financial support has allowed him to broaden his academic experiences by attending key conferences and networking with other academics in his field. Adam is grateful for the scholarship support and the Foundation’s “belief in his academic potential”, which has been instrumental in boosting his prospects for academic posts after the completion of his studies.

Christie

Christie recently completed a PhD in the Hebrew Bible at the University of Cambridge. Her thesis was entitled ‘The Figure of the Widow in the Hebrew Bible’ which tackled a topic that had not previously been the focus of in depth discussion in the field. This project adopted an interdisciplinary method, utilizing tools from social anthropology to shed new light on the biblical text. As a Church of England minister, Christie is passionate about equipping the whole church to read and interpret the Old Testament.

The support of the St Matthias trust enabled Christie to undertake this research and benefit from the academic and personal formation opportunities that it provided. Thanks to the Trust, Christie is now perusing her dual vocation as a parish priest and theological educator.

John

John is a pioneer and youth and community worker in Bournville, Weston-super-Mare. John & his wife, Cathy, have lived in Bournville, a low-income community with a village-like feel, for 14 over years as part of an incarnational ministry project. This work includes journeying with young people in the community through weekly clubs, mentoring emerging leaders, enabling youth-led local projects, and developing local partnerships.

With the support of the Foundation of St Matthias, John is researching, developing and highlighting thinking and practice into faith-based pioneer and pastoral youth work in low-income communities, and the environments required to grow emerging leaders. John will be undertaking a Professional Doctorate in Education at the University of the West of England to cultivate this distinctive approach in a non-theological, multi-disciplinary arena. John’s ambition is to foster a hub of youth and community work excellence in Bournville that, through practice and research, will influence local and national approaches to journeying with young people, inside and outside the church.