01. Why Residential?

Moore College is firmly committed to its residential status because it believes that pastors can only be properly prepared in the context of community.  Fifty years ago, almost all Moore College students lived in the John Chapman House or Mary Andrews College (now Carillon House). This necessitated a requirement that students remain unmarried during their time here. To overcome this limitation, the College bought many of the surrounding houses as they became available and also set up satellite communities at Croydon Park and MooreWest.  The foresight of Broughton Knox and the endorsement of his policy by the present College Governing Board has enabled students to enjoy the many benefits of a residential College today.

These benefits include:

Community – whole families living in close proximity, sharing, supporting, encouraging and growing together and simply enjoying friendship and fellowship.

Financial – benefit from the reduced cost of housing compared with commercial rents.

Sydney Candidates can fulfil the residential requirement of their candidacy and have the opportunity to know well their contemporaries who will be colleagues for many years to come.

Academic stimulation of studying and exploring God’s Word together, and more opportunity to use the resources available. 

Growth in godliness through serving one another and praying together.

Opportunities for spouses to study themselves and be more involved in the College community and for families to have more time with their children while one or both parents are studying.

The ideal is that all students should be resident at College for the full duration of their course.  Since the College cannot accommodate everyone, a list of criteria and priorities has been drawn up to try to allocate housing on an objective basis.