Pastors were meant to multiply themselves.

The Bible makes it clear that local churches are meant to be consistently raising up qualified men as leaders within the church. Pastors should be "passing the baton" to new leadership whenever possible. The Institute for Pastoral Ministry is our way of making sure that happens. It's an in-house, home-grown academy that gives men within the church a chance to pursue and move into official leadership positions.

The methodology we follow within The Institute, however, is a bit unconventional when compared with contemporary models for theological education. The Bible provides approximately twenty qualifications for a man to be eligible for church leadership. Of that twenty, only one speaks to the man's giftedness. All the rest relate to the man's character -- how he manages his home, how he lives his life, what virtues he possesses, and so on. Our understanding is that what the church needs for leadership more than anything is godly men.

As a result, The Institute focuses just as much on training men in pursuing Godliness and the practical aspects of ministry as it does theological training. Theological training is facilitated through a series of classes on topics such as, "Foundations of Biblical Leadership," "Local Church Leadership," and "How to Teach the Bible," as well as through a reading list.

At the same time, depending on where he started in the program, a man is given various responsibilities in the church. He is mentored by an existing elder within the church, and a type of apprentice/master relationship begins. The man is coached through the various details of ministry while being helped to work through personal and family issues.

Through this process, men will have the opportunities they need to grow into the area of church leadership they are ideally suited for. Once a man is raised up as a leader, he will have continued opportunities to grow and refine his role in the church.

The Institute is currently aimed at men within Redeemer; however, we do accept applications from men outside the church. If you think this is something that you're interested in, start by downloading the Institute Catalog from the link below. After reading through it if you're still interested, contact us for an application.

Save File Download File: The Institute for Pastoral Ministry Catalogue Left-click the icon or text to download the file.