| Founded | May 1986 |
|---|---|
| Founder | Dick Lucas |
| Type | Charitable organisation |
| Registration no. | Registered charity no. 1094952 |
| Focus | Training in expository preaching and Bible teaching |
| Headquarters | London, England |
Key people | Robin Sydserff (Director) |
| Website | www |
The Proclamation Trust is a British evangelical Christian training charity based in London. It provides training and conferences aimed at equipping Christian ministers and lay teachers in expository preaching and Bible handling.
It is best known for running the Cornhill Training Course and the Evangelical Ministry Assembly (EMA).
History
The Proclamation Trust was founded in May 1986 by the Anglican minister Dick Lucas, then rector of St Helen’s Bishopsgate in London.1
It developed from a series of preaching conferences held in the early 1980s that sought to promote expository Bible teaching among ministers and students. These conferences led to the establishment of the Evangelical Ministry Assembly, an annual gathering for evangelical church leaders in London.
The Trust was formed to continue and develop this work of training and encouraging Bible teaching in churches.
In 1991, the Cornhill Training Course was established, originally meeting at St Peter-upon-Cornhill in the City of London.
Activities
Cornhill Training Course
The Cornhill Training Course is a structured training programme for Christian ministry, designed to equip participants in Bible teaching, preaching, and pastoral ministry.
It typically runs over two years and combines classroom teaching, supervised practice talks, and mentoring alongside local church involvement. Students are trained through repeated oral Bible exposition rather than written academic assessment.
The course is designed for those preparing for full-time or part-time Christian ministry, as well as those seeking to develop Bible teaching skills in local church contexts.
Evangelical Ministry Assembly
The Evangelical Ministry Assembly (EMA) is an annual conference for evangelical ministers and church leaders in the United Kingdom.
It developed from earlier preaching conferences associated with the Trust’s founding context and continues to serve as a gathering for teaching and encouragement in Bible ministry.
Approach
The Proclamation Trust states that its aim is to promote faithful Bible teaching through training, resources, and conferences, with a focus on strengthening local churches.
Academic and ecclesiastical sources describe it as part of a wider conservative evangelical emphasis on expository preaching and structured ministerial training in the United Kingdom.
Governance
The Proclamation Trust is a registered charity in England and Wales and is governed by a board of trustees.
The current director is Robin Sydserff.
References
References
- Jackman, David (2007). "The Hermeneutical Distinctives of Expository Preaching". Preach the Word: Essays on Expository Preaching: In Honor of R. Kent Hughes. Crossway. p. 21. Retrieved 2 July 2026.
"Charity Commission Register: The Proclamation Trust". Charity Commission for England and Wales. Retrieved 29 June 2026.
"Vision and history". The Proclamation Trust. Retrieved 29 June 2026.
"Cornhill Training Course". The Proclamation Trust. Retrieved 29 June 2026.
"Training Courses Overview". The Proclamation Trust. Retrieved 29 June 2026.
"Evangelical Ministry Assembly". The Proclamation Trust. Retrieved 29 June 2026.
Herriot, Peter (2015). Warfare and Waves: Calvinists and Charismatics in the Church of England. Pickwick Publications.