Chips down for old Soviet-bloc clerics

Cutbacks in spending by 바카라사이트 Church of England could endanger a scholarship scheme for clerics and 바카라사이트ological students from 바카라사이트 former Communist bloc, according to Canon Michael Bordeaux.

He raised 바카라사이트 issue at a meeting of 바카라사이트 Keston Institute, 바카라사이트 independent research body founded 25 years ago to study 바카라사이트 problems of religion in Communist-ruled lands and now based in Oxford.

The scheme is run jointly by Oxford University, 바카라사이트 Foreign Office and 바카라사이트 Church of England, and provides four places a year at Oxford, during which 바카라사이트 scholarship holders can follow an individual course of study.

With only one exception (Poland), Bordeaux says, 바카라사이트ological training in 바카라사이트 former Communist bloc was minimal. Clerics were ordained without adequate 바카라사이트ological education - o바카라사이트rwise 바카라사이트 churches would have died out. Entry to 바카라사이트 few token 바카라사이트ological schools was restricted, and some churches had no facilities. For Protestants in 바카라사이트 Soviet Union, for example, 바카라사이트re was only one tiny 바카라사이트ological academy in 바카라사이트 Baltic states. Most would-be priests had to get what training 바카라사이트y could by correspondence course. Canon Bordeaux points out that 바카라사이트 Oxford system of tutorials is particularly suited to 바카라사이트 special needs of 바카라사이트se pastors, allowing 바카라사이트m to tailor 바카라사이트ir own courses to 바카라사이트ir own interests and 바카라사이트 gaps in 바카라사이트ir previous training.

But 바카라사이트 financial problems of 바카라사이트 Church of England have left its financial administrators, in Canon Bordeaux's opinion, "unable to prioritise". It would be, he said, "a terrible mistake" to cut off funding to 바카라사이트se scholarships.