Its focus is to enhance pastors’ biblical knowledge, ministerial skills, and godly character for transformative leadership and disciple-making.

The Center for the Study of Global Christianity at Gordon Conwell Theological Seminary states:

“The Center estimates there are 5 million pastors/priests in all Christian traditions worldwide (Catholics, Orthodox, Protestants, and Independents, including bi-vocational). Of these, we estimate that 5% (250,000) are likely to have formal theological training…”

In brief, the need far exceeds the availability of trained pastors.

CTN’s reach is achieved by partnering with national denominations/churches that have large numbers of congregations in need of trained pastors. Through partnership, both CTN and the denomination contribute to the success of the training.

The partnership leverages denominational strengths such as shared vision and theology, communication, logistical infrastructure and staffing resources. CTN contributes a training model, teaching resources and sustained leadership support. Once established, the training model has the potential to extend beyond the partnership commitment and continue to add value to the denomination for as long as required.

The Church in Africa and Asia is experiencing rapid growth leading to a significant need for pastoral and theological training. The opportunity for formal, institutional training, however, is largely inaccessible to existing and new pastors.

CTN works to equip church leaders in these regions due to the urgent demand and the significant risk from inaction, believing it is the most strategic way to impact global Christianity for decades to come.

CTN’s training model employs a tiered structure of national, regional and local leaders who support small learning groups. These groups facilitate collaborative learning through the study of CTN-provided content. Pastors are practically supported, relationally connected in their local group and accountable for their studies, as the model promotes self-directed study, peer-to-peer learning and practical ministry application.

One strength of the training model is that it is quickly understood and implemented by partner denominations, which promotes local ownership. It also places the responsibility of implementation on indigenous leadership, rather than Western entities.

Other benefits include promoting collective learning, building accountability, reinforcing self-directed learning gains, providing cost-effective training, and enhancing ministry effectiveness through improved leadership, preaching, and pastoral care. Finally, pastors can maintain their ministerial duties while participating in training.

Instead of the conventional method of bringing pastors to a central venue to saturate them with a week’s worth of content, CTN sends the training to pastors who are organized into small learning groups. Pastors engage in daily, individual study and then meet once or twice per month with their small groups. This approach eliminates the exorbitant logistical costs of transportation, room and board that are associated with traditional training approaches.

CTN’s training model allows pastors to remain on-the-job throughout the training experience. Additionally, it leverages both individual study and peer-to-peer learning through small groups that meet once or twice per month. This model engages the pastor in daily study throughout the year, effectively reinforcing learning gains.

Additional perspective and wisdom are gained in the small learning groups where study topics are discussed and then applied in the participants’ shared context.

In CTN’s context, peer-to-peer learning involves pastors and church leaders learning from and with each other in small groups, facilitating mutual support, accountability, and practical application of theological and ministerial knowledge. Collectively, group members represent decades of practical ministry experience, which amplifies the value of the training content.

CTN’s curriculum is a four-year course of study built on four texts.

Each text is supported by workbooks and instructional videos.

Investing in CTN yields high Kingdom returns as it equips pastors for more effective ministry, leading to stronger churches and communities. Trained pastors are more likely to teach sound doctrine, provide improved pastoral care, and steward more vibrant churches, leading to a more effective witness to Jesus Christ.

From a global perspective, the Church of Africa and Asia will increasingly influence the practice of Christianity. Partnering with CTN provides the opportunity to strengthen the theological and pastoral capacity of these emerging leaders. On the local level, every pastor that is supported in his spiritual and practical development is more likely to persevere in ministry, cultivate healthier and more active churches and fulfill the Great Commission.

What makes CTN such an intriguing partner, however, is that few ministries can match its exponential impact. On average, 1 pastor disciples 500 believers in Africa, which means that 1,000 pastors can disciple 500,000 people and 10,000 pastors can disciple 5 million people. Currently, more than 70,000 pastors have participated in CTN-led training.

CTN partners with denominations that hold to sound protestant doctrine regardless of ecclesiological structure, applying the principle, “In essentials unity, in non-essentials liberty, in all things charity.”

Practically, CTN invites denominational leadership to a vision conference to introduce the pastor training model. After denominational leadership commits to the partnership, a Memorandum of Understanding is developed, which details financial and in-kind commitments. This includes the cost of training, materials, and monitoring, as well as staffing, logistical support and small group meeting expenses.

CTN’s training employs a four-year curriculum. Therefore, multi-year resource commitments are sought to ensure sustained support and consistent delivery of resources that enable pastors to reap the full benefit of the training regimen.

CTN measures kingdom investment outcomes through regular evaluations of training effectiveness, pastoral and church growth, and the broader community impact, using both qualitative and quantitative methods. CTN provides resource partners with semi-annual qualitative and quantitative reports on training outcomes, including progress and impact assessments, thereby promoting transparency and accountability.

Benefits include being part of a transformative global ministry in a network of like-minded individuals and organizations committed to solving the pressing challenge of ill-equipped pastors. By equipping thousands of church leaders in the developing world you will play a key role in placing the global church on a solid theological foundation.