Ministers Train for Big Day
Oklahoma District Uses Sports Theme Model for Ministry Training
The Oklahoma District Council has offered ministerial training since its inception. Sectional and district councils, ministers’ retreats, Berean Study Centers, and more recently the Oklahoma School of Ministry have trained ministers and assisted ministry candidates as they prepare for future ministry.
Ministerial candidates, since the early 1990s, were trained through Berean School of the Bible Study Centers operated under the direction of District Christian Education Director Jack Salkil. At one time, seven district study centers were training ministers statewide.
“The Oklahoma District School of Ministry is a center for leadership development providing basic and continuing education for ministerial students, ministers, and Christian workers. This is accomplished by combining home study, classroom instruction, a student’s relationship with a mentor, and active involvement in ministry,” says H. Franklin Cargill, district superintendent.
Recent changes in credentialing requirements for new ministers brought changes in the Berean School of the Bible program offered through Global University. The new Berean courses require students to have local mentors and practical ministry experience. While the need for additional training is a worthy goal, the new changes were seen by many candidates across the district as beyond their reach and financially prohibitive.
The passion to assist ministers and ministry candidates burned even greater in Cargill’s heart. The Oklahoma School of Ministry began as a traveling seminar offered in every section once each year. Practical ministry was the focus of these seminars. Could it be possible to use the Oklahoma School of Ministry to train a new generation of ministers using the new Berean curriculum? The challenge began.
Cargill enlisted Tom H. Goins, district secretary/treasurer, and Salkil to create a program of study for all ministers and candidates in the district. Together they established the framework needed to assist ministers in upgrading their credentials, preparing ministry candidates for the educational requirements of the credentials exam, and offering continuing Bible education for ministers and Christian workers.
Through the learning experience provided by the Oklahoma District School of Ministry, students gain the knowledge required for credentialing, building strong values and character, and developing practical skills necessary for successful ministry. This learning experience includes the head, heart, and mind. The Oklahoma District School of Ministry stresses the importance of not only what to do but why to do it; and, thereby, students will be more effective than those who just do it.
“I have considered Berean courses for the past 2 years, but I was unsure how I would do without other students and an instructor. Thanks to the Oklahoma District School of Ministry, I am able to take courses, and I have contacts for questions and the help I need. The plan of study works into my schedule and meeting monthly gives me opportunity to interact with other students, ask questions, and receive sound teaching,” says Laura Schonlau, a lay leader from Enid, Oklahoma.
How It Works
Work is a key concept at the Oklahoma District School of Ministry. While work can be fun, ministry candidates and those seeking to upgrade their credentials know that study and preparation are serious matters. The program, however, is designed to be fun and challenging.
The Oklahoma district adopted a sports theme to illustrate and implement the School of Ministry. The concept involves three aspects: workout, huddle, and big day. Three courses are offered each month (one for each ministerial credential level). An additional course is offered in Spanish.
The workout is 30 minutes every day for one month during which time the student is involved in prayer and Bible study.
A 90-minute weekly huddle, meeting over a 4-week period, gives students opportunity to discuss the Independent Study Text provided in the course by Berean School of the Bible. The huddle schedule includes prayer, testimonies, and discussion and interactive questions. The focus of this time is on the Interactive Questions and Unit Progress Evaluations for each course. Huddles take place in every section and will eventually expand to all participating churches in Oklahoma. In these huddles, students meet in clusters of two to 10 for group study.
Students focus on one monthly big day. Big day, the final portion of the program, is held the first Saturday of the month (eight times a year) at the district office. Interaction and fellowship are a natural outflow of this exciting day. Students participate in 4 hours of classroom interaction and discussion. (Before arriving for big day, students are required to work through the textbook and student packet.) Once the final exam is completed, a celebration ensues because students are one course closer to reaching their goal for their credential level. When the course is completed, students will have invested 30 hours of study and preparation time for each course.
“I am still able to provide for my family, and I am also able to obtain valuable training and education to prepare me for what God wants to do with me and through me. And it’s at a pace that I find easy to work at. I started out on the 30-minute-a-day routine, but I soon found that 30 minutes was not enough. I find my time stretching to an hour or more on a regular basis, and I enjoy every minute of it,” says Phillip Ludwyck, Woodward, Oklahoma.
Goins has long believed ministry candidates should have a pre-relationship with the district office before asking for credentials. “Often we do not meet ministry candidates until they come to the district office for the exam or interview for credentials. We want to meet and know them before they become ministers. The Oklahoma district is interested in a long and mutual relationship with its ministers.”
Instructors (coaches) naturally become mentors as they build relationships and share experiences with students. Instructors come from a pool of district officials that includes the Oklahoma District Presbytery Board. They serve as advisors and are available to provide accountability and guidance for the students.
The Oklahoma district recognizes a need for continuing education and has encouraged ministers to continue their education through the Oklahoma District School of Ministry. “Every sermon we preach and every lesson we teach is greatly affected by the amount of time we spend in Bible study,” says Cargill.
“We encourage laypersons who want to be better equipped through systematic Bible study to attend the Oklahoma District School of Ministry,” says Goins.
Added Benefits
Finances
“Finances should never be a consideration for someone entering the ministry,” says Cargill. “Through the Oklahoma School of Ministry a student can save by purchasing one course at a time.”
Students pay $70 per course. Course fees include: tuition, Independent Study Text, student packet, coffee and donuts, lunch, a facilitator, a student advisor, use of the district resource library, and the services of a proctor for the final exam.
All savings are passed to students while the district absorbs the direct cost of the program.
Scholarships
Scholarships are offered by local churches that cover 50 percent or 100 percent of course tuition. The district encourages churches to offer Work-Study Scholarships where students work in specific areas of the church in exchange for tuition.
A Family, Friends, and Associates Plan is offered by the district. The student’s family and friends partner to provide a method of payment for tuition. Gifts from relatives, friends, and employers are designated for a student’s tuition.
Family Plans allow members of the same family to study together. The first family member pays full tuition, additional family members may study at a 20 percent discount.
What does the future hold? With increasing enrollment in the Oklahoma District School of Ministry, hundreds of ministers can be trained and encouraged to minister to thousands.
Tom Goins, executive secretary/treasurer, Oklahoma District Council of the Assemblies of God, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
