by Madeleine Collins

After four years of study, Moore College graduates Tabatha Aylen and Naomi Russell are taking vastly different paths, but both are looking forward to being better equipped to share the gospel.
Ms Aylen plans to become a CMS missionary after a stint in high school chaplaincy, while Ms Russell has been appointed women’s worker at St Paul’s, Carlingford.
Ms Russell says she was encouraged by the way Moore students taught the Bible and related to each other.
“I was pushed to think harder than I ever have before about what I believe and why,” she said. “It’s easy to get tied down in the books, but the practice is what you want to keep driving you into the theory. It taught me a lot about myself and about God. I had a fantastic four years.”
A record number of men and women will both enter and leave Moore College in 2004, with swelling numbers of international students, ordination candidates and local students embarking on overseas mission.
The college has accepted the largest number of ordination candidates for Sydney Diocese in Moore’s 148-year history.
The record number of graduates exceeds the previous year by eight per cent, while the number of ordination candidates has increased by 30 per cent. The college decided in March 2003 not to cap student numbers, despite over-stretched facilities.
“The number of people coming to College is an expression of something signifi-cant that God is doing amongst us,” said Principal, Dr John Woodhouse. “God is answering the prayers of many people.”
Dr Woodhouse cites recent growth, when the college went from 93 ordinands in 2002, to 130 in 2003. “Never in the history of the Diocese has there been anything like that.”
The college is planning to meet the Mission goal of ten per cent through training and recruiting, helped by the appointment of the new Director of Training and Recruiting, Archie Poulos. The college needs 250 graduates per year for ten years to meet the Mission aim of 2750 full-time pastoral workers. It also hopes to increase the number of faculty, review the development needs of the campus and residences, and expand the External Studies Department to meet the aim of equipping 25,000 part-time pastoral workers.
Mr Poulos points to the influence that local churches using the Ministry Training Strategy (MTS) are having upon the number of people enrolling at Moore, and those now working to train others. “The reason Moore College is bursting is because lots of churches around Sydney are actively training and recruiting,” Mr Poulos says. “In some ways [MTS] makes the transition from secular employ-ment to theological training easier. We will never reach the Mission by individually going about doing things – we all have to work together.”
Dr Woodhouse agrees. “It’s the early stage of the Mission. [And] growth follows the sending of ministers. In 20-30 years, I won’t be at all surprised if Sydney is a different place.”
The Dean of Sydney, Phillip Jensen, will speak at a special graduation evening for the 2003 graduates at Sydney Town Hall on March 8th at 7.30pm. Entitled ‘Into all the world’, the evening will focus on gospel work in Sydney and beyond and is billed as an event for everyone interested in training and praying for mission.

All are welcome at the Town Hall graduation. Details: (02) 9577 9999