Our vision as a church has always been to seek thriving cross-cultural communities. To do this long-term, requires culturally diverse leadership at all levels. In our denomination, the PCA, less than 2% of over 5,000 pastors are Black or Latino. We want to be part of changing this by intentionally investing in healthy, ethnic minority pastors for a lifetime of ministry. Our God-size vision is by 2050, we desire 50 ethnic minority pastors ordained through the Pastoral Residency. The program would train men for various pastoral roles: lead pastors, youth pastors, church planters, campus pastors, worship pastors, missionaries, and others. It’s specifically designed to close the strategic gap from “young adult” to “pastor” that’s been historically difficult to close for ethnic minorities in the PCA.

How does it work?

The ideal candidate for the Pastoral Residency program is an ethnic minority man with a clear call to pastoral ministry and commitment to formal seminary training. It’s the person who’s hungry to take the next step in preparation for ministry. He welcomes challenges and is willing to work hard. He’s humble and ready learn as he walks alongside local pastors and ministry leaders.

Residents are full-time with about 50% of their time in ministry/mentoring and 50% in seminary studies. They are engaged in training on gospel dynamics and spiritual disciplines. They gain hands-on experience with pastoral care and shepherding. Preaching and teaching opportunities are implemented to hone their communication skills. There are regular conversations about culture, justice, ministry philosophy, and more. They’re included in staff meetings, elder ministry, conferences, retreats, and other opportunities to see the big picture of ministry. Every residency will also have a significant portion of their time devoted to church planting exposure. Our prayer is that many would be called into church planting, but those that aren’t would become ambassadors of church planting with hands-on experience.

Residencies are typically 3 years, with the 3rd year preparing for ordination. After finishing, they will earn a Masters of Arts in Biblical Studies, gain valuable experience, and be ordained to pastoral ministry. The residency is a full-time position with a moderate salary and benefits. Details will be discussed during the interview process. Benefits also include full-coverage for seminary tuition and expenses through available scholarships and resources. The goal is to connect graduates to vocational opportunities, locally or outside of Lakeland, after completing the program.