Around the world, God is growing His Church, yet many believers lack access to teachers equipped to engage the biblical text at a technical level. Rigorous study of the original languages and manuscripts is not a specialised or ‘western’ luxury—it is essential for faithfully communicating the Word of God. When scholars are trained to study Scripture deeply, they can serve their churches more effectively and strengthen biblical studies in their regions.

In response to this need, Tyndale House launched the Seminar for Advanced Technical Skills in Biblical Studies—an initiative to equip scholars through intensive, on-location training in the original languages and technical disciplines of Scripture.

In 2025, we held our pilot seminar in Nairobi, Kenya, focusing on the text and language of the Greek New Testament, with particular attention to manuscripts and grammar.

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The International Scholars Programme

Tyndale House and Institute is an international centre for biblical research in Cambridge, dedicated to the study of the languages, history, and cultural context of the Bible. Through our specialist library and residential community, we bring together outstanding Christian researchers from around the world to promote faithful biblical understanding within the Church and beyond.

For more than twenty years, Tyndale House has supported evangelical scholars from across the globe through its International Scholars Programme. This support has included funding research visits, hosting language intensives for groups, and resourcing scholars to teach and publish within their home contexts.

The Seminar for Advanced Technical Skills in Biblical Studies builds on this legacy—offering training in locations more accessible to scholars in the majority world.

How the Seminar Works

Each Advanced Skills Seminar recruits 14–20 participants for an intensive, two-week residential workshop focusing on the technical disciplines of Biblical Studies. A typical day includes a balance of lectures, collaborative group work, and individual study.

Each year, the seminar addresses a specific area of focus. The 2025 seminar concentrated on the language and text of the Greek New Testament; future seminars will continue to develop this area with plans for a separate seminar aimed at Old Testament scholars, covering subjects such as grammar, historical context, lexicology, sources, and translation.

Special attention is given to how technical study can serve the pastoral and teaching ministries of the Church. Approximately four months after each seminar, participants are contacted for follow-up mentoring and to discuss how future events can best support their ongoing research and ministry.

If you participated in a previous seminar, you are warmly encouraged to apply again, as each year builds on the foundations of earlier sessions.

Who Should Apply

We invite applications from those with a strong commitment to Scripture and a desire to serve the global Church through academic excellence.

Applicants should meet the following criteria:

  • Typically, participants are pursuing or have achieved a working proficiency in biblical languages, with at least an intermediate level of New Testament Greek (roughly equivalent to two years of study), and are or will be using Greek in teaching others.
  • Demonstrated commitment to Scripture and active involvement in local church life.
  • Typically, participants are pursuing study at the Master’s, Doctoral or Post-doctoral level, or possessing equivalent experience that demonstrates the same abilities.
  • Supported by strong recommendations from church leaders attesting to character, leadership, and faithfulness.

All shortlisted candidates will complete assessments in New Testament Greek and/or Biblical Hebrew, depending on the seminar they wish to attend.

Teacher Profile

Primary Tutor: Dirk Jongkind

  • Dirk Jongkind

    Old Testament (MA), New Testament (MPhil, PhD)
    Vice Principal (Academic) at Tyndale House

    Dr Dirk Jongkind is the Academic Vice Principal at Tyndale House. Dirk mainly conducts research on the transmission of the text of the New Testament, which resulted in the Tyndale House Edition of the Greek New Testament (2017). Besides his primary research, he maintains an interest in lexical and grammatical studies and contributes to the practice and vision of theological education. Dirk is also an Associate Editor of the Tyndale Bulletin. He is a member of the Faculty of Divinity at the University of Cambridge and a Fellow of St Edmund’s College.

Tuition and Support

Through the International Scholars Programme, Tyndale House provides full funding for participants’ accommodation, meals, materials, and tuition. This support is offered for individual participants only and does not extend to family members or dependents.

Travel and visa costs are not covered, but applicants may apply for travel bursaries where needed.

All funding for our Advanced Skills Seminars is raised through generous donations to the International Scholars Programme at Tyndale House. If you would like to partner with us in providing this technical training to more biblical scholars, please visit our giving page.

Looking Ahead

Our next seminar will take place in Nairobi, Kenya, on 1–10 September 2026. Please visit our event page for more details and application information.

Through these seminars, Tyndale House extends its vision for a world that takes the Bible seriously beyond Cambridge—serving scholars where they live and teach, and strengthening the worldwide Church for faithful engagement with Scripture.