Church Based Ministry Training

Church Based Ministry Training (CBMT)

The Virginia District Church of the Nazarene is excited to announce a new partnership with Nazarene Bible College. The Church-Based Ministry Training (CBMT) program is intended to prepare high-capacity church leaders for effective ministry. This program offers a unique residential internship-based learning experience designed to equip those called for ministry in the 21st century. Qualified students will progress through 16 competency-based, 3-credit hour courses in an internship setting that is designed to foster a deep love for ministry in the local church. The competency-based approach is specifically designed to equip the student to gain both knowledge and practical ministry skills.

The CBMT program can be offered on its own as a High Capacity Leader Training, or ministry leadership development pathway, for those seeking to develop ministry skills but who are not pursuing ordination. When the 16 CBMT courses are combined with the prescribed 12 MPP courses through Nazarene Bible College, they form an approved Course of Study for ordination. When combined with the Virginia District-specific educational requirements the CBMT/MPP program becomes the most effective way to prepare pastors for ordination in the local church setting.

The CBMT program is offered by the Virginia District at several ministry sites as a resource to ministerial students. The two-year goal is to have enough approved ministry sites and mentors around the District so that all ministerial students will have the CBMT program available as an option to prepare for ordination and a life of fruitful service in ministry.

CBMT courses will be offered on a 16-week trimester basis at the CBMT sites (Fall, Spring, and Summer). Students will have the flexibility to work with a mentor in setting a reasonable schedule for how many competency-based internship experiences they are able to complete in a trimester. It is recommended that students complete two CBMT courses per trimester, focusing for 8 weeks per course. However, students can stretch a single course over the full 16 weeks if more time is needed to develop competency in the desired skill.

How the program works

Practical ministry competencies are learned at a local church with mentoring and coaching by successful pastors.
Bible, theology, history, and other competencies that are best addressed in a classroom setting are offered through the Ministry Preparation Program by NBC.
While mentoring will come from a CBMT Site, much of the CBMT experiences can be practiced and implemented at the student’s home church so students will not be required to move attendance or membership to a CBMT Site to participate.

Participants will learn how to:

Lead a congregation, cast a vision, and build a team.
Evangelize and disciple; nurture and develop a Christian worldview in others.
Effectively communicate the Word of God.
Continuously develop themselves spiritually.
Develop and manage sustainable churches and ministry organizations.
Use 21st-century technologies, including social media, as ministry tools.

program cost

Courses being taken online for the Ministry Preparation Program are $200 each.
If a college degree is desired instead of a certificate of MPP completion, the full tuition may be paid per credit hour.
If the student’s local church is a Covenant Partner with Nazarene Bible College, then a scholarship will be applied, reducing the cost of the MPP courses to $100 for English-speaking students, and NO COST for Spanish-speaking students. (To learn more about the Covenant Partner program, click here)
CBMT internship courses will be administered by the CBMT site and cost $100 each.