Becoming a Pastor by Training at Christian Leaders Institute: Frequently Asked Questions

Becoming a pastor is a ministry preparation journey. Becoming a pastor can be done without ministry training, but those pastors who have the ministry training are benefited greatly. Solid Biblical ministry training helps those who are serious about becoming a pastor because it tests your calling, educates you into the historic Christian faith and walk, and gives you skills that will help you in ministry.

How can Christian Leaders Institute help me in becoming a pastor?

Becoming a pastor is possible for Rick Rojas. Read and like his story at our Facebook Page.

Christian Leaders Institute (CLI) is an online ministry training school, which many would classify as a Bible School or Seminary. CLI offers 22 classes, which include online lectures, quizzes and other professor-student interaction. Christian Leaders Institute offers earned certificates and diplomas. Christian Leaders Institute connects qualified and experienced professors to each student and brings ministry training, to those who can communicate in English, right where each student is.  Becoming a pastor is living a calling. We want  students to be able to complete their ministerial education without painful debt accumulation and with opportunities available in church planting, pastoring local congregations, and ministering as staff in churches. Becoming a pastor can become a reality for you at Christian Leaders Institute.

Why Christian Leaders Institute in my journey to becoming a pastor? 

Much discussion about the cost of becoming a pastor has been in the news lately. Even the Wall Street Journal featured an article that talks about the future of ministry training. See Article. Christian Leaders Institute seeks to bring high quality ministry training to your computer tuition free. You can work with a local sponsor or mentor who can help you learn in a local context. This makes ministry training more relevant for your situation. CLI seeks to provide the tools for a lifetime of theological reflection, with most of the training occurring in your own home.

What does a CLI course actually look like Online?

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Do I need an accredited degree when becoming a pastor?

In most places and denominations, no. Accreditation does help in the most mainline denominations, but even some mainline denominations like the Christian Reformed Church in North American will allow you to become a pastor as a Commissioned Pastor. The Christian Reformed Church commends Christian Leaders Institute as one of the places someone might want to check out to be trained as a Commissioned Pastor.

What about accreditation?

Christian Leaders Institute is not affiliated with an accrediting agency. These agencies certify that participating schools meet the standards of accreditation instituted by these agencies. These standards are lengthy. Click here to see the standards yourself.  At Christian Leaders Institute we seek to bring you a high quality online Bible School seminary-style education unaffiliated with any outside agency. We do have a Board of Directors and we have a highly trained and qualified staff of professors who hold advanced degrees from some of these accredited institutes.

Christian Leaders Institute has no desire to affiliate with these accrediting institutions because:

1. Our goals it to provide high quality Bible School seminary style training accessible to anyone called into the ministry. This means we have no room in our budget for additional costs that meet the requirements of the accrediting agencies.
2. The requirements of the accrediting agencies would not fit with our mission goal to keep ministry training tuition free.
3. Many of the requirements such as a physical residency library are not practical for our calling as an online institution.

Ecclesiastical Accreditation

Christian Leaders Institute education is recognized by most local churches and denominations, especially the ones who have equivalency programs for certain positions like Commissioned Pastors.

CLI students are well positioned in using portfolio equivalent credits to gain course credit and advanced standing at accredited colleges or seminaries that have a provision to grant portfolio-based credit.

Two mainline denominations, called the Christian Reformed Church and Reformed Church in America recognize and ordain pastors in their commissioned pastor tracks. CLI is one of the recommended places to get training. Check out this link.

What is Ordination?

The definition of ordination is different for those in different church traditions. Ordination to the Catholics, Anglicans, Methodists, Lutherans and other high ordination denominations is connected to a denominational hierarchy that is already in place. These leaders appoint new leaders who have demonstrated calling, gifts and competency. Ordination to Presbyterian and Reformed denominations are much more connected to elder assemblies. Ordination in the Baptist, Assemblies, Congregational, non-denominational, house church movement and other more grass-roots authority traditions see ordination as coming out of the democratic structure of the authority of the group. Ordination to many is defined as a certificate of ordination like a certificate of certification that some organizations give leaders for their credibility.

Christian Leaders Institute’s Goals for You Becoming a Pastor

Christian Leaders Institute seeks to equip you to be ready for your ordination in church traditions that would accept our statement of faith and training. If your already are ordained, our goal is to better equip you for effective service in your ministry position. We have a “bloom where you are planted” approach to training Christian leaders. You come to us with a calling to minister, and our goal is to help you.  You will take your training certificate or diploma to your local ordaining board as confirmation that you have been trained in a curriculum of ministry training.