Pastoral Resident

Purpose of the Pastoral Residency

We believe that it is the local church’s responsibility to train and equip men to serve, lead, and plant local churches. Therefore, we aim to make much of Christ by offering a training ground for men to grow in their understanding of shepherding and pastoral leadership. We view a pastoral residency as a key component of our mission strategy.

We believe that a pastoral residency provides the best context for preparing men for pastoral ministry. Therefore, the residency will:

• Develop a working understanding of the local church and biblical ecclesiology.
• Develop character through ordinary means of grace and mentoring from older experienced pastors.
• Develop a philosophy of ministry that will govern and guide a church.
• Provide opportunities to grow in teaching and preaching.
• Grow shepherding and pastoring skills to expand the ministry “tool belt.”

As a normative rule, healthy pastoral formation takes time. Therefore, the pastoral residency requires a minimum commitment of one year and could last up to three years.

While this time period might be intimidating for some, there are many benefits of a lengthy residency process:

• It allows time for the developing leader to get older and wiser and slows down the trend to younger and younger men into the ministry.
• It fosters time for the pastoral staff to get to know the developing pastors and speak truth into their lives over an extended period.
• It encourages the church to get to know the developing leaders and confidently commission them into the work of the ministry.
• It facilitates an extended period for training in the various competencies needed for pastoral ministry.
• It gives time for the character of the developing leader to rise to the surface and his true strengths and weaknesses to be known.

• Be in agreement with the church's doctrine, covenant, polity, and ministry.
• Join the church.
• Attend staff, elders, and deacons meetings.
• Attend members’ meetings.
• Complete reading assignments and other resident program assignments.
• This residency is part-time (25-30 hours a week). However, the nature of the pastoral residency will make it difficult to get another job.
• The resident may take online seminary courses during the residency.
• Plan to miss no more than 4 Sundays in a calendar year.
• Be Committed! The resident must be committed to entering the pastoral ministry. And, the resident must be committed to the work and study of the residency program.
• Be flexible!

• We are committed to the pastoral resident and his success in ministry. Our desire is to train, equip and affirm the resident for pastoral ministry. To that end, Lord willing, we pray this residency would be the beginning of a long relationship with that man, his family, and his future ministry.
• One of the ways that we hope to be a blessing to our resident is to provide housing, utilities and a monthly stipend. The parsonage provided is a two-bedroom house, which can be fully furnished or you can provide your own. Therefore, we can host a single man or someone with a family.