3 Preparing for Ministry: From Oxford to Birmingham
3
Preparing for Ministry: From Oxford to Birmingham
As the year 1948 opened, Packer’s future seemed reasonably settled. He would graduate in June, at the end of the academic year, and then begin his theological studies at Wycliffe Hall in September in preparation for ministry in the Church of England. He was convinced of the need to take an Oxford degree in theology in order to be of maximum service in his future calling as a minister and preacher, and had managed to negotiate that he would be allowed to study theology as a second undergraduate degree through Corpus Christi College, while residing and being tutored at Wycliffe Hall.
Yet as the weeks progressed, Packer became less sure that this was the right way ahead. By the summer of 1948, he would have spent four years in Oxford. His studies at Wycliffe Hall would mean that he would spend a further two years in the same city and university. Might it not be wise to try and expand his horizons, to get away from Oxford for a year and do something different, before returning to take up his theological studies?
Wycliffe Hall was a ‘theological college’ of the Church of England – what North Americans call a ‘seminary’. These colleges were not owned or managed by the Church of England; in effect, they were licensed or accredited by the Church to train people for ministry, and were inspected regularly to ensure that they met its professional and spiritual standards. There were other theological colleges with evangelical roots which were recognised in this way by the Church of England, such as Ridley Hall in Cambridge and Oak Hill College in Enfield, just north of London.
In the spring of 1948, Packer learned about an opening that had arisen at Oak Hill College for someone who could teach Latin and Greek for a period of twelve months. Packer’s academic studies at Oxford had required him to master both these ancient languages. He wrote immediately to Leslie Wilkinson, the Principal of Oak Hill College, expressing interest in the job and, after attending the College for an interview, was duly offered the position for a twelve-month period from September of that year, at a salary of £200, along with free board and lodging during College terms and vacations. Packer would be able to afford to stay at Oak Hill outside term, rather than having to return to his parents’ home, as he had throughout his time at Oxford. He thus arranged to defer his studies at Wycliffe Hall by a year, and prepared himself enthusiastically, if slightly apprehensively, for his time at Oak Hill.
In the summer of 1948, Packer sat his final examinations in classics at Oxford University. He was widely expected to gain what Oxford calls a ‘double first’ (in other words, being awarded first class honours in both the first and second public examinations). In fact, he came very close to achieving this, gaining an outstanding second class degree. It was, however, a good enough academic performance to allow him to take the Final Honour School of Theology at Oxford after his return from teaching at Oak Hill College.
Oak Hill College, 1948−9
It is tempting to regard Packer’s time at Oak Hill as a ‘gap year’ between studying classics and theology at Oxford. Yet this was to prove to be a transformational period for Packer’s thinking about his future ministry in the Church and beyond. In my conversations with Packer during the 1990s, he mentioned several things that he gained from his time in Enfield.
First, and perhaps most importantly, he discovered his potential as a theological educator. ‘I discovered’, Packer told me, ‘that nobody needed to teach me how to teach.’ Although his main responsibility was to teach Latin and Greek to those students who needed them in order to meet the matriculation requirements of the University of London, he also ended up teaching his students how to engage with the Greek text of Ephesians, in preparation for the General Ordination Examination. He found it a deeply satisfying experience. Some of his students from this period wrote to me, recalling his teaching skills with unanimous praise, as ‘meticulous’ and ‘careful’. His slow and precise mode of speaking, which would probably be a disadvantage in social contexts, proved to be ideal when giving lectures.
As well as helping Packer gain a sense of confidence in himself, Oak Hill also opened his eyes to the importance of a specific form of ministry for which he seemed well adapted – theological education. In one sense, the Church of England at that time regarded all its clergy as potential theological educators – for example, in instructing those preparing for confirmation in the leading themes of the Christian faith, or through the communication of core gospel teachings through a regular preaching ministry. While Packer clearly valued these, he increasingly felt that his own calling might be to help equip those studying for ministry by providing them with a firm grasp of its theological foundations, and pointing them to outstanding exponents of its application – such as the Puritan writers he had come to value so highly.
But what could he do to prepare for this possibility, if it was indeed his true calling? Packer noticed that nobody teaching in British theological colleges seemed to have any significant research experience or even to have gained higher academic degrees, such as a PhD. The only exception he could think of was Geoffrey W. Bromiley, who was then a tutor in doctrine at the Bible Churchmen’s Missionary Society College in Bristol (which would be renamed ‘Tyndale Hall’ in 1952), who subsequently went on to a distinguished teaching career at Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, California. Bromiley had gained a PhD in 1943 from the University of Edinburgh with a dissertation on Johann Gottfried Herder and German Romanticism. He put his knowledge of German to good use later with a series of definitive translations of the works of leading German-speaking theologians, including some passages from Karl Barth’s Church Dogmatics, as well as the whole of Wolfhart Pannenberg’s three-volumed Systematic Theology and Helmut Thielicke’s Theological Ethics.
As he reflected on his sense of calling to be a theological educator, Packer began to set himself some goals. To begin with, he would need to excel at Oxford in theology. It would not be enough to obtain an Oxford degree in theology; he needed to gain first class honours. He had nearly achieved this in classics; he would make it his aim to do so in theology. Yet this would not be an end in itself; it would be the gateway to what Packer now came to see as his most important goal – gaining an Oxford doctorate in theology, which could serve as the foundation for a career in theological education. This strong vocation to serve as a teacher would give Packer a pointed sense of direction and purpose when he returned to Oxford. A serious obstacle remained, however: given his family’s very modest financial circumstances, Packer had no idea how he might be able to fund his research. He trusted that God would find a way for him to do this, if it was indeed his true calling.
Second, Packer established a new network of friends, some of whom (Alan Stibbs, for instance) would prove to be of major importance in encouraging his vocation and shaping his future career. One such friendship – consolidated rather than initiated during this period – was with Raymond Johnston, who had left Oxford in the summer of 1947. Johnson studied for a Diploma in Theology at London Bible College during the academic year 1947−8, and spent the next academic year at the University of London’s Department of Education, in order to gain the qualification he needed to become a teacher of modern languages.
Both Packer and Johnston were working in or near London for the academic year 1948−9, and it was easy for them to meet up to hear Dr Martyn Lloyd-Jones preach at the Sunday evening service at Westminster Chapel, close to Buckingham Palace in central London. By then, Lloyd-Jones had established his reputation as one of England’s finest Reformed preachers. This friendship would lead to the enactment of Packer’s emerging vision of the retrieval of the wisdom of the past, initially through their joint publication in 1957 of an edition of Martin Luther’s classic Bondage of the Will, and more significantly through the establishment of the Puritan Studies Conference – to which we shall return later (see pp. 34−8).
Wycliffe Hall, Oxford, 1949−52
In September 1949, Packer returned to Oxford to begin his theological studies at Wycliffe Hall. I began to write my biography of Packer shortly after I became Principal of Wycliffe Hall in 1995, and was delighted by the many letters I received from former students recalling their memories of Wycliffe and Packer nearly fifty years earlier. There were fifty-four students at Wycliffe during the year 1949−50, with the result that the Hall community was small enough for everyone to get to know each other. Students of the period remembered Packer well. He served as one of the editors of the Hall’s student newspaper, and for a while was captain of the Wycliffe Hall table tennis team. Although he was soon labelled a ‘bookish’ person, Packer had little difficulty in making friends within the College’s student body.
One early friendship was with John Gwyn-Thomas, whom Packer met over their first evening meal together at Wycliffe Hall in September 1949. In the course of their conversation, Packer mentioned that he was a Puritan addict, and that he especially valued their thinking on mortification. ‘Mortification!’, Gwyn-Thomas responded, ‘Let’s have a talk after the meal.’ The two students went on to spend two hours in the nearby University Parks, walking up and down the banks of the River Cherwell, discussing the theme of mortification and the inadequacy of popular notions of Christian perfectionism which failed to take the reality of sin seriously. The conversation confirmed Packer’s estimation of the realism of the Puritan worldview, and his growing determination to develop and apply it further.
Packer’s main aim was to achieve an excellent result in Oxford University’s Final Honour School of Theology. As a graduate of Oxford, he would be entitled to complete the course in one year. Packer had planned this year carefully, making good use of his vacations while teaching at Oak Hill. He had already mastered the material for several of the examination papers before arriving at Wycliffe and threw himself into his studies for the remaining topics, such as patristics (the study of the theology of the early church) and the philosophy of religion. The academic preparation had paid off: Packer was awarded first class honours.
Sadly, Packer’s family had no financial resources to pay for these studies. But to his delight, Packer learned that his performance in the theology examinations was so outstanding that the University awarded him a Liddon Theological Studentship (named after the noted nineteenth-century Oxford theologian H. P. Liddon) for two years. He was also awarded a Local Education Authority grant from his home town of Gloucester. Taken together, these two awards provided Packer with enough funds to enable him to do research for an Oxford doctorate. Moreover, other than meeting a real financial need, these awards also served a deeper purpose for Packer: they confirmed his vocational sense that this research was what he was meant to be doing, just as his time at Oak Hill had solidified his awareness that his future might lie in a ministry focusing on theological education. As Packer often remarked to me in our conversations, it was as if his sense of calling was gradually being confirmed and consolidated.
There was never any doubt in Packer’s mind about the topic he would research for his Oxford doctorate. His growing interest in the Puritan heritage had led him to focus on the theology of salvation of Richard Baxter (1615−91). Packer set himself the task of providing ‘a full, sympathetic exposition of Richard Baxter’s doctrine of man, created and fallen; of his redemption by Jesus Christ; and of the restoration in him of the image of God through the obedience of faith by the power of the Holy Spirit’. The topic was interesting for several reasons, not least because of the significant divergences between Baxter and John Owen in this area (Puritanism, it must be appreciated, was more theologically diverse than is sometimes assumed). The Faculty of Theology confirmed it was willing for him to carry out this research on Baxter for his thesis and appointed Geoffrey Nuttall, the author of the highly acclaimed work The Holy Spirit in Puritan Faith and Experience (1946), as his supervisor.
Everything seemed to be falling into place, confirming Packer’s intuition that his future lay in theological education. That crystallising conviction was reinforced by an invitation to teach biblical theology and philosophy of religion to thirty women students at St Michael’s House, a few minutes’ walk from Wycliffe Hall. In July 1952, Packer’s first published article on ‘The Puritan Treatment of Justification by Faith’ appeared in The Evangelical Quarterly. Furthermore, his research was going well, and by the time he left Wycliffe Hall in December 1952, he felt he had enough material to begin writing up his thesis for examination.
Packer’s admiration of the theological legacy of the Puritans found expression in another way. He had maintained his friendship with Raymond Johnston and Martyn Lloyd-Jones since leaving Oak Hill, and now put this to good use. In addition to undertaking original research on Baxter, one of the most important Puritan writers, Packer teamed up with Johnston to organise a ‘Puritan Studies Conference’, to be held annually at Westminster Chapel in London, with Lloyd-Jones as the keynote speaker. The first such conference in December 1950 attracted twenty people, mostly students. By the middle of the 1950s, numbers had increased to sixty; by the end of the 1950s, to more than a hundred.
It was a remarkable achievement, providing a serious forum for discussion of Puritan theological principles and their application, with constant reference to the needs of the churches today. The ‘Banner of Truth Trust’ was founded by Iain Murray, Sidney Norton and Jack Cullum in July 1957, with the objective of reprinting the classic works of Puritan theology to meet the growing appetite for these works created by the Puritan Studies Conference. Packer’s initiative generated changes in the perception of Puritanism within British evangelicalism. What was once seen as a marginal and slightly arcane interest came to be regarded as having potential to enrich mainstream evangelical reflection.
The Move to Birmingham: Ministry and Marriage
Packer had not, however, given up on the idea of ordination in the Church of England. His vision of becoming a theological educator was firmly linked to his ministry in that same church, which would allow him to make connections between the riches of Christian theology (especially those he found in the writings of the Puritans) and the life and practice of faith. But where would he minister? Packer was naturally attracted to London, and had a particular regard for All Souls, Langham Place, which was then emerging as a leading centre of evangelical thought under the ministry of John Stott. In the end, however, nothing came of this. A possibility also opened up in Cheltenham, one of the major towns in Packer’s home county of Gloucestershire. Again, this came to nothing.
Packer’s breakthrough arrived through a chance conversation with Alan Stibbs, one of the friends he had made during his time at Oak Hill College. Stibbs mentioned that he had heard that William Leathem was looking for a curate to join him in his ministry in Harborne, a suburb of England’s second city, Birmingham. Leathem was an active evangelical, with particular links with the Bible Churchmen’s Missionary Society, and a strong sense of the importance of the local church in preaching and spiritual growth. Packer went to visit Leathem in Birmingham in the autumn of 1952, and decided immediately that this was an environment in which he could minister. Leathem concurred and offered Packer the position of curate of the parish of St John’s, Harborne, on an annual salary of £325 for a period of three years. After a formal interview with the Bishop of Birmingham, it was agreed that Packer would be ordained on 21 December 1952. He would live with William and Enid Leathem and their family in the vicarage, which had a spare room.
This arrangement suited Packer well. His pastoral and administrative duties were not arduous, and he found that he had time to get on with writing up his doctoral thesis, which was due for submission to the examiners by the second week of July 1954. Developments in Packer’s personal life, however, meant that some changes would have to be made to his accommodation. He had met Kit Mullett, a Welsh trainee nurse, in the late spring of 1952 when he was speaking at a house party for Christian medical staff from St Bartholomew’s Hospital, London. Kit was an admirer of Martyn Lloyd-Jones and regularly attended Westminster Chapel. Packer proposed to her during the Puritan Studies Conference at Westminster Chapel in December 1952. In the summer of 1953, Kit completed her qualifications as a nurse and obtained a position as a staff nurse at St Chad’s Hospital, Hagley Road, only two miles away from Harborne.
Packer found himself stretched throughout the month of June 1954. Not only did he have to make arrangements for his wedding; he also had to complete his Oxford doctoral thesis. William Leathem generously gave him some time off in June to allow him to complete his thesis on time. Happily, Packer managed to travel to Oxford and hand in three typewritten copies of the thesis in July only three days before the University deadline, in the same week as his marriage to Kit on 17 July 1954 in the local Memorial Hall, which was then still acting as a temporary church for St John’s, Harborne. William Leathem conducted the service and Packer’s friend Alan Stibbs preached.
Oxford’s Faculty of Theology appointed two examiners for the thesis: Dr John Marsh (Principal of Mansfield College, Oxford) and R. L. Child (Principal of Regent’s Park College, Oxford). The viva voce examination was set for 1 December 1954 at 2.00 p.m. at Regent’s Park College. The outcome of the examination was not entirely surprising: in 1995 Geoffrey Nuttall, Packer’s supervisor, told me that Packer’s thesis was one of the best he had ever supervised or examined. The two Oxford examiners clearly took a similar view, and reported that the thesis was of such merit that Packer should unconditionally be awarded an Oxford DPhil (Oxford University has always used this abbreviation, where most other universities use PhD). Packer’s goal of becoming a theological educationalist was now within reach; but what theological institution might offer him a teaching position?
Packer’s vision was not to become an academic theologian, lecturing to university students who had no interest in Christian ministry. Rather, he saw himself as called to serve and resource those who would be preachers and pastors, giving them a solid theological foundation on which they could build their ministries. This meant that his most appropriate base would be one of the evangelical theological colleges of the Church of England, such as Wycliffe Hall or Oak Hill College. Yet neither had any teaching positions vacant in 1954.
Then news reached William Leathem that Tyndale Hall, Bristol, needed a new Tutor in Doctrine to replace Geoffrey Bromiley, who had accepted the position of Rector of St Thomas’ Church, Corstorphine, just west of Edinburgh city centre. Leathem had no doubts about whom Tyndale’s next Tutor in Doctrine should be.
Theological Education: The Move to Bristol
In November 1925, the Bible Churchmen’s Missionary Society (BCMS) established a training college in Clifton, Bristol, to prepare ordinands for ministry in England or overseas. Initially known as the Bible Missionary Training College, it was renamed Tyndale Hall in 1952. The Church of England recognised the Bible Missionary Training College as one of its theological colleges in 1927.
We noted earlier how Packer saw Geoffrey W. Bromiley as something of a role model for his own academic ministry on account of his obvious commitment to theological education and pastoral work, and the fact that he was a serious scholar with a PhD. At this time, it was most exceptional for those teaching in theological colleges to have such advanced qualifications; tutors were generally enthusiastic amateurs, tending to have educational interests rather than expertise, who would serve between three and five years in theological colleges before returning to parish ministry, which was where they felt they really belonged. Bromiley had served as Tutor in Doctrine at Tyndale since 1946, and his departure left a significant gap in the College’s teaching capacity.
In those days, it was very unusual for theological colleges to advertise vacancies publicly. News of openings was generally shared through personal or institutional networks, in the hope that suitable candidates could be identified and then approached about the possibility of taking up the vacant position. Tyndale Hall’s close links with the BCMS ensured that news of the vacancy arising from Bromiley’s departure was circulated to its supporters – among whom was William Leathem, one of the most active networkers of the Society.
Leathem had little doubt that Packer was the ideal successor to Bromiley. Others within the BCMS clearly shared his view. There was, however, a difficulty, in that there existed a firm understanding within the Diocese of Birmingham that curates would serve two full years in their first post before being allowed to move on to something new. In effect, this meant that the earliest that Packer could take up the position of tutor at Tyndale Hall would be January 1955. Tyndale, however, wanted their new tutor in place by September 1954, to be able to teach from the beginning of the academic year 1954−5. It seemed a regrettable impasse had been reached.
But Leathem excelled in his ability to improvise. He could see an obvious way of getting round what he clearly regarded as nothing more than an irritating technicality. Leathem’s workaround was simple: Packer would remain employed as his curate until the end of December 1954, while at the same time serving as a part-time visiting lecturer at Tyndale Hall from September of that year. After that, Packer and Kit would be able to move to Bristol permanently. Packer thus continued his ministry in Birmingham until the end of 1954, while spending the best part of two days a week teaching at Tyndale. He would take the first train from Birmingham to Bristol in the morning, and stay overnight at Tyndale, returning late the following day. It was not ideal, but enabled Packer to immerse himself partially in the teaching programme and College culture at Tyndale Hall.
Kit and Packer finally left Birmingham and moved to Bristol on a cold winter day in the first week of January 1955. Not owning a car, they travelled down to Bristol through sleet and snow in the van which was transporting their personal effects and furniture to their new home in the grounds of Tyndale Hall. They would live in a first-floor apartment in the main College building, located above the chapel and lecture rooms, and underneath student accommodation for half a dozen students.
As 1955 began, Packer found himself beginning to live out the vision that he had nurtured over the previous eight years. He had gained a first class degree and a doctorate in theology from Oxford University and was poised to begin his career as a theological educator. He now had more time to focus on one of his core concerns – how Puritanism might inform and enrich the ministry and preaching of the Church in the present day.
Given its immense importance for Packer, it is worth pausing here to explore in rather more detail the key role that came to be occupied in his thought by the Puritan theological and literary heritage.