To improve your ability to lead within your own church
If you are a deacon, elder, preacher or other church leader, our colleges, working in partnership with our regional associations provide a range of training opportunities for local church leaders. Topics covered include reading and using the bible, evangelism and mission, leading worship, preaching, Baptist history and principles, pastoral care. The level of teaching is roughly equivalent to ‘A’ level, though you do not need any prior qualifications.
With most colleges, training is delivered in a modular fashion so you may choose to study as few or as many of the full suite of modules as you wish. Generally, training is offered over a sequence of either Saturdays or weekday evenings. You can undertake optional assessed assignments for each block of teaching if you wish to embed the learning in your own practice.
Further, if you successfully complete a prescribed suite of teaching and assessments, you will have met the theological requirements to become a
Recognised Local Minister.
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With Bristol Baptist College, teaching is delivered in partnership with the West of England Baptist Network via their Equipping Missional Disciples programme. Each module is delivered over two Saturdays, with up to four modules and hence eight Saturdays per year, on a three-year rolling programme. You can dip in and out and study only those topics you fancy, or you can sign up for a year at a time. Completion of twelve modules over three years will gain a certificate from the college. (If you wish, at a more basic level to explore more deeply a calling to Christian service and are a theology student or an intern, say, then Bristol Baptist College offer Disciple-Makers. This is a year-long training course in which you join the college’s ministers-in-training for their Wednesday formation programme. You will be part of a pastoral tutor group, share in theological reflection and worship, have access to the college library and receive personal supervision.)
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With Cardiff Baptist College, teaching is delivered through their Pathways programme in either Cardiff or a church in the region. Teaching takes place on one Saturday per month except for in August. Each module spans two Saturdays. If all modules are taken, you can complete the entire programme in just over two years. You can join the rolling programme at any point or sign up for just those modules of interest to you.
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With Regent’s Park College, the The Learning Collective programme offers a monthly evening of training, accessed online or in-venue, over a two-year period. Participants are strongly encouraged to take all the modules and so grow together as a cohort of fellow disciples throughout the two years. The in-venue training takes place in churches in either the Central Baptist Association or the Southern Counties Baptist Association.
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With Luther King Theological College, you can join their certificate in theology course part-time over a two-year period. You may choose whether or not to have your work assessed for university credits. This will give you a grounding in theology and theological reflection.
Please note that there are two further opportunities to learn in this fashion, that are not directly connected to a college:
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South West Baptist Association in Exeter offer their Pathways programme that delivers teaching on one Saturday each month over a two-year period.
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Heart of England Baptist Association in Birmingham offer their Discipleship Training programme, also over one Saturday each month over a two-year period.
In all cases, for more information, please contact either the college nearest you or your regional association to discuss the training options.
Photo: Mathias Jensen on Unsplash