Anglican theological training is flourishing in 2010, with more than 500 students involved in study at Moore Theological College in Newtown or the Youthworks College in Loftus.

Undergraduate numbers at Moore have topped 350, with almost half that number signing up this year for the first time. The college registrar, Rhonda Barry, said that 95 of the new students will be studying full-time " while the biggest area of growth was in the part-time or half-time study options, which was "very, very pleasing".

Youthworks College will have a total of 154 students this year. More than 125 of these will be studying full-time or part-time at the Loftus campus, while another 20 will link up with the college under the new Timothy Partnership initiative, which has been created in collaboration with Presbyterian Youth to provide Youthworks' theological education via distance education.

"We've never offered that before " it's up and running this year for the first time," said the registrar at Youthworks College, Murray Whale. The need for the online diploma is underscored by the fact that this year's students hail from as far away as Murwillumbah on the NSW far north coast.