Wycliffe Hall celebrates an encouragingly large intake of ordinands

Wycliffe Hall has welcomed 30 new ordinands this academic year – a sizeable cohort that includes a particularly high proportion of female ordinands.

Jo Wakefield, who leads student recruitment for the Hall, says:

“This is significant because nationally the picture has been a bit more challenging in recent years. At Wycliffe Hall we feel fortunate to have been able to buck that trend.”

“Our intake of ordinands this year comprises 43% women and 57% men, and is numerically our largest cohort to date of female ordinands. We have set ourselves the target of achieving a 50:50 ration of female/male ordinands, and we’re very happy with how we’re moving towards that.”

Hannah Fox, who is in her first term as an ordinand, reflects:

“Wycliffe drew me in with its strong sense of community. I remember visiting and feeling so at home, especially with great conversation over yummy food! The support for graduate students was also a big draw for me. It has been such a gift already to live in this supportive community, and I know I will be much richer for it.”

Rosie Hart, another new ordinand, who has embarked on her Wycliffe journey with her family, enthuses:

“What drew me to Wycliffe was the opportunity to combine excellent theological teaching and reflection with a supportive, Christian community. It's only a few weeks into the first term and I've already learnt and grown so much. The call to ordination is definitely something that I am entering into with my family, rather than something I'm doing on my own - so to be in Oxford with my husband and kids, and for us all to get to join in with events and Wycliffe life, feels like an important part of that journey. There is a great support network at college, whatever life changes or challenges you might be going through. So far, I have met the most incredible group of people from all over the world, each with their own story of how God brought them here, and I'm learning so much from each of them. It's also a place of great joy - we laugh a lot together!”