A pastoral internship typically involves hands-on experience in a church setting, where interns engage in various ministerial activities under mentorship. On the other hand, a residency often offers a more immersive and structured experience, encompassing in-depth training, leadership development, and theological education, preparing individuals for broader roles in ministry. From an academic perspective, an internship is often connected to college-level training and a residency is often connected to masters-level training.

A pastoral internship is a structured program within a church or ministry that provides aspiring pastors with practical, real-world experience. It involves mentoring, skill development, and exposure to different aspects of ministry, such as preaching, counseling, and administration.

Chances are, your program will not itself achieve accreditation, but you can collaborate with accredited educational institutions that offer theological or ministry-related programs to offer part (or all) of an accredited degree program via your internship program. Partnering with these institutions allows interns to earn academic credit while also leveraging their practical experiences, enhancing the credibility and value of your church’s internship program. You can also work alongside partners like Eleven:6, which do the legwork for you to set up your program to plug into accredited degree pathways.

The duration of an internship program can vary depending on the specific program and its objectives. Internships can last anywhere from several weeks to multiple years. The duration may be influenced by factors such as the depth of training, the ministry area being focused on, and the desired outcomes of the internship. When designing a church internship program, there are several key factors that contribute to the ideal length of the program.

The purpose of a ministry internship is to equip and train individuals for effectiveness in ministry roles. It offers hands-on experience, leadership development, mentoring, and exposure to different facets of church work, preparing interns for future service in pastoral, ministry, or leadership positions. This approach closes the gap between simply teaching content (i.e. on campus) and developing competency (real-world skill), which is become a significant challenge in developing next generation Christian leaders.

Our process is faster than you probably think. Whether it’s a new program build or you need to elevate an existing program with college or masters degree delivery, it’s usually takes a few months, though a more complex program may take longer. But the process can be much faster with one of our new Quick Launch Program templates.