The Course

Are you called to be a pastor? Do people see that your walk with Christ influences others to seek God? Are you looking for confidence and competence in your ministry role? Maybe you are already a pastor, but you have never received quality training. The apostle Paul writes in

2 Timothy 2:2, The things which you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, entrust these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also. 

Paul, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, entrusts the training of men for ministry to the local church. Based on this biblical pattern, the CACNA Bible Institute: Pastoral Training Institute is a church-centered biblically based pastoral training curriculum. Birthed out of decades of proven experience, in reforming both the doctrines and practices of the local church, the Institute equips God-called men to grow churches that are anchored in the truth of God’s Word and equips seasoned pastors for more effective local church ministry. A pastor’s first priority is to preach the Word (2 Tim. 4:2). A pastor-in-training’s first priority should be to study the Word. Holiness.

What are some of the most important things for a pastor-in-training to learn?

  1. The Bible. A pastor’s first priority is to preach the Word (2 Tim. 4:2). A pastor-in-training’s first priority should be to study the Word.
  2. Holiness. The primary qualifications for an elder are moral and spiritual (1 Tim. 3:2-7). A pastor is to shepherd his people by his own example (1 Pet. 5:3). Therefore a man pursuing the ministry must diligently seek after consistent, hard-fought holiness.
  3. Humility. To shepherd God’s flock you must follow Jesus’ example in serving, rather than being served (Mk. 10:45). Humility must be a distinguishing mark of an under-shepherd of God’s sheep.
  4. How to preach. Since preaching is the main work of a pastor, a pastor-in-training should seek every possible opportunity to preach. He should also solicit the criticism and advice of experienced pastors.
  5. How to disciple. In order to be a pastor, a man should know how to personally instruct, encourage, counsel, comfort, and rebuke his fellow Christians. Not only that, but in order to even consider being a pastor, he should have a track record of personally doing people spiritual good in these ways.
  6. What the Bible says about the church. The apostle Paul says that when he came to Corinth, he laid a foundation like a skilled master builder (1 Cor. 3:10). In order to build wisely, a pastor must know what he’s building. Therefore a pastor-in-training must diligently study God’s own blueprints for the church that he’s given in his Word.
  7. How to handle criticism, encouragement, and flattery. A pastor will receive all three. He needs to know how to humbly receive and profit from criticism, gratefully receive and profit from encouragement, and wisely deflect flattery.
  8. Patience. Young men who are training for ministry don’t usually have an overabundance of patience. That’s a problem because pastoral ministry requires it in spades. Pastors-in-training should pray for patience, cultivate patience, and learn from experienced pastors how to serve the same people day in and day out for decades.