Cross Church, a multi-site Southern Baptist Church in Northwest Arkansas, will start a School for Ministry next month to help train the next generation of Christian ministry leaders. The aim of the one-year residential program is to close the “experience gap” many students face as they step into full-time ministry.
The program is open to students in various stages of their educational path, from high school graduates and college students and graduates to seminary students and graduates.
Pastor Jeff Crawford, president of the Cross Church School of Ministry, said he hopes to enroll 10 students during the school’s first year. They will live in duplexes and apartments in the area under contract with the church and will spend time in class, as well as in hands-on ministry work. The cost is $12,000.
“Students will spend one day a week in an Oxford-style learning environment,” Crawford said. “The rest of the week, the students will function as ministry residents under the supervision of a seasoned Cross Church staff member. They will be doing ministry in real time for one year.”
The Rev. Ronnie Floyd, senior pastor of Cross Church, said the goal of the school isn’t to compete with seminaries and theological schools but to supplement that education with real-world experience.
“We are providing God-called men and women the opportunity to gain one full year of ministry experience in a strategic and large membership church,” Floyd said. “In fact, they can even earn many hours at the bachelor’s and master’s degree levels.”
The school has partnered with several academic institutions for this purpose, including Ouachita Baptist University in Arkadelphia; Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Ky.; Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary in Wake Forest, N.C.; Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth; Golden Gate Baptist Theological Seminary in Strawberry, Calif.; Union University in Jackson, Tenn.; and others.
Crawford said students participating in the Cross Church School of Ministry can enroll concurrently in one of the partner schools to earn credit toward a degree. Some schools will require additional tuition payment; some offer reduced tuition; and some offer the credits free if they are enrolled in the Cross Church school.
“Depending on the partnership, those credit hours range from 12 to 18 hours with the potential for more,” he said.
Floyd said the school is an outgrowth of the church’s emphasis on spreading the “Gospel of Jesus Christ to the ends of the earth.” It’s one more step in equipping men and women to carry out that mission.
“In reality, we are intentionally taking actions to support what God has done for decades,” he said.
The church has had summer intern program for years,and it will continue, but the School of Ministry offers a more intensive course of study and mentorship. The practical work will help prepare students for work in a variety of ministry areas, such as pastor, children’s ministry, global missions and more.
Students will get on-the job experience at the multi-site church and personal mentoring. They will also participate in two national mission experiences and one international mission trip. The hands-on aspect of the program is key, Crawford said.
“There’s a huge experience gap in preparation for ministry,” Crawford said. “Our colleges and seminaries do a wonderful and invaluable job of formal preparation, but ministry competency can only be achieved by doing.”
That’s something Crawford learned firsthand. Although he did participate in internships before taking his first full-time ministry job, the training wasn’t sufficient.
“It was nearly disastrous at the outset of my ministry,” he said. “In talking with many seasoned pastors and ministers, this is an all too common experience. There are simply too many aspects … that cannot be mastered apart of being immersed in and doing ministry.”
Crawford said Cross Church will be a laboratory of sorts for men and women who feel called by God to serve in ministry. By participating in the school, they can hone their skills before taking their first full-time roles in a church.
Information about the Cross Church School of Ministry is available online at crosschurch.com/ccsm or by calling (479) 751-4523.
Religion, Pages 12 on 07/27/2013