Historic Codrington College has cut back on its office and ground staff as financial problems continue to plague the Anglican theological institution.
The college had embarked on a fundraiser earlier this year but sources said the $25 000 or thereabouts raised was a far cry from what the institution needed to sustain itself.
“We are currently on a skeleton staff to facilitate where we are in terms of the financial space that we’re in but we’re gearing up towards reopening this month and next month,” said Dr Michael Clarke, principal since 2015.
Clarke, whose contract ended last year but who agreed to stay on for a year while the search was on for his successor, explained recently that an appeal is made every year for Good Shepherd Sunday contributions, and that was done again this year.
“We had a pretty good response from the church in Barbados and across the Caribbean. We can still do with a lot of funds because one of the challenges that face Codrington College is the reality that we’re dealing with buildings that are from 1745 and everybody knows that it isn’t easy to maintain those kind of aged buildings.
“We’ve got a roof there that we’re not able to do much with because of its nature and that the building is a protected building,” he said, adding that some other needed repairs were prohibitive.
The Codrington Trust, Clarke said, has 700 acres of land, an endowment based in the sugar cane industry which has since dipped significantly.
“A lot depends on the College and the Trust to be able to generate the kind of revenue from its lands to sustain a lot of the work,” Clarke said.
Codrington, the oldest theological college in the Western Hemisphere, which caters to seminarians and non-seminarians, just enjoyed one of its highest enrolments for a while, 19 students, of which eight of whom graduated – three with first-class honours. There are four new students slated to join for the upcoming term.
On average, Barbados pays for its nationals completing a degree in theology about $34 000 in economic and tuition costs, but there is also accommodation.
“In recent times, the entire Province has had some challenges with respect to the funding, because churches have taken a pretty big knock during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. Churches are not really recovering from that to some degree, but we’ve had a pretty good number over the last couple of years, and we’re looking forward to a couple of new students coming in,” he said.
Clarke also appealed to those who enjoy the serenity and visit the institution in College, St John, to just get away and relax, to show their appreciation by making contributions to helping maintain it.
“To the Barbadian community and the wider West Indian community, we would like to say to you, if it’s some place that you value, then demonstrate that sense of value,” he said.
The college was opened on September 9, 1745, and is affiliated with the regional University of the West Indies.
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