Church Executive LEADERSHIP TRAINING OPTIONS FOR PASTORS | Page 5

[E]ffective church leaders are continuously navigating change. It’s no
longer good enough to go to school and move on; instead, today’s
successful leaders are adopting a ‘continual student’ mindset.
Third, we seek to learn from and share some of the best practices of
the secular business world. Although our focus is primarily biblical, we
do not neglect to observe and draw from successful business examples.
How important is the online component when accommodating full-
time church leaders interested in obtaining leadership training (while
maintaining their ministry at home?
Rice: This is the very reason we’ve invested as much as we have
in distance learning. One of our primary objectives is to maintain
the standards of excellence in education while delivering it to those,
wherever they might be serving.
We offer online options for every level of education.
For example, we now have PhD students join seminars through SYNC,
a new online delivery system. Students join the classroom in a live
setting from the convenience of their own church offices and homes.
Excellent scholarship and interaction is maintained while the PhD has
become more accessible and attainable.
As well, most of our MDiv degrees can be done completely online or
through SYNC.
McDonald: Online education is very strategic for today’s full-time
church leader, as it offers flexibility for accommodating his personal
schedule. This means he can continue ministry in his current location
without uprooting his family.
At NGU, we provide several options for students: on-campus, online or
blended. The blended option allows a student to participate in live classes
from home, thus capturing the best of both learning environments.
Manion: As someone who worked full-time in ministry while trying
to be a good spouse and father, I don’t know how this can be done
without an online component.
Our programs let participants watch the videos, participate in
discussion boards, and complete assignments at the time of day that’s
best for them, not for us. It creates an international community of
learners who can connect in an online webinar or videoconference. And
with the tools available today, we’ve created true communities that stay
connected long after the class is done.
It also lets learners revisit the content most relevant for them, and
perhaps even share it with those to whom they minister, exploring its
application it in their local church setting.
What would you say to a pastor who still thinks leadership and
management training is “out of reach”?
McDonald: Today’s technology opens up many new avenues for a
person to receive leadership training. No one should think this is “out
of his reach.”
At NGU, we bend over backwards to accommodate interested students
“where they are,” both financially and academically, both through
undergraduate and graduate courses.
At the graduate level, we offer degree programs on the masters and
doctoral levels. We welcome the opportunity to talk personally with
church leaders so that we can help to make this happen.
Manion: My dad used to say, ‘God will never give you a cross bigger
than you can handle. And if he does, He’ll send a Simon to help you
carry it.’ I’d encourage pastors to look for the people and resources God
is sending their way, and let the Simons help.
Rice: It’s just the opposite. Today is one of the best times to get the right
training. Through our synchronous and asynchronous programs, a person
can learn and grow without ever leaving their ministry context.
— Reporting by RaeAnn Slaybaugh
churchexecutive.com
L E A D E R S H I P T R A I N I N G O P T I O N S F O R P A S T O R S • CHURCH EXECUTIVE
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