Pastoral Internship
Overview
Thank you for your interest in the West Center Baptist Pastoral Internship. Our hope is to train men to be future leaders and pastors in faithful, gospel-centered churches. The goal of the Pastoral Internship is to provide a season of participation and observation in the life of our church through the lens of pastoral ministry.
This is a one-year program specifically for men considering full-time pastoral ministry. The intership runs from July-June each year. Interns receive a monthly stipend of $1,700 to cover living expenses. We do our best to provide housing that meets your needs in or near Madison. This is a full-time commitment and we expect that interns do not work outside of the internship.
We ask that you (and your spouse) become a member at West Center so as to serve and be served in our local church.
Internship Structure and Work
A good portion of the internship is spent reading assigned books, reflecting on them, and writing reflection papers to be read by Justin DeBerry. You have a monthly meeting with the pastors to discuss your reading, papers, and progress in the internship. You will attend all public church gatherings, staff meeting each week, participate in weekly service reviews, attend elder meetings, observe church ministries and programs, join a Life Group, schedule time with various members and each elder, attend or teach Sunday School, preach at least once, and be available for spontaneous meetings and ministry opportunities.
Book subjects include: the call to ministry; church history; worship; pastoral ministry; preaching; prayer; church polity; discipleship; counseling; evangelism & missions; and pastoral leadership. We cover the cost of all your books.
You will also be asked to write a comprehensive philosophy of ministry over the course of the internship. This will help you think through the nuts and bolts of leading a church before you are called to do it. The POM is due for your final evaluation with Justin at the end of the internship.
How to Apply
Please email your completed application to trevor.s[at]westcenterbaptist.com or mail/deliver it to our church building address in the footer. If you have any further questions or need help, reach out to us.