Leading evangelical clergy in the Church of England yesterday accused some of the country’s top theologians of “undermining” the head of a leading Oxford theological college.

In an open letter published on the evangelical Anglican Mainstream website, the clergy said they were “disturbed” at the recent attempts to dent confidence in Wycliffe Hall and its principal Richard Turnbull.

Their intervention came after three former principals of the college called for Dr Turnbull’s resignation in a dispute over reforms to the college that mirrors the recent row over attempted reforms to Oxford university.

In a letter to the head of the college’s governing council, the Bishop of Liverpool, the Right Rev James Jones, they warned of “a widespread lack of confidence” in Dr Turnbull.

But clergy including the influential Richard Bewes, retired Rector of All Souls Langham Place, insisted that students at the college were happy with Dr Turnbull’s leadership. Parish clergy who would be taking on the ordinands after their training were also happy, they said.

“We have every confidence in the ministerial training that is being offered at Wycliffe and the direction that the Principal is giving,” they wrote. “What matters in theological training is the quality of the ordinands being trained in the Scriptures for the work of the gospel in the realities and rigours of parish ministry in today’s culture and climate.”