Ministry Leadership Development
Orlando Grace Church trains men and women for vocational ministry through two connected programs: a two-year Ministry Internship and a three-year Pastoral Residency.
Our aspiration is to serve as a "teaching hospital" for future ministers, where education and real ministry work happen at the same time. Each program stands on its own and serves a different stage of preparation. Together, they form a single pathway that runs from a first season of hands-on ministry exposure, through ordination, and into a long-term pastoral call.
The Pathway at a Glance
Not every stage is meant for everyone, and not everyone who begins the pathway will complete every stage. The internship prepares men and women for a lifetime of faithful ministry within the local church; the residency is designed for men called to pastoral ministry.
Internship Year 1: Exposure
All interns begin in the same general program, which can also stand on its own as a one-year internship. Interns serve a brief stint in every major ministry area of the church: student ministry, nursery and children's ministry, music and AV, sermon review and liturgy planning, administration, adult education, and missions and mercy. First-year interns are supervised directly by our Pastoral Residents.
Internship Year 2: Ministry Track
Interns then continue into one of seven tracks: pastoral, family, student, music, missions, discipleship, or executive ministry. The Pastoral Ministry Apprenticeship has the most stringent qualifications, including enrollment in an MDiv program, the qualifications for ordination set forth in our Bylaws, and evaluation by the elders. Pastoral Interns preach on Sunday mornings, teach every age group, and observe elder meetings.
Pastoral Residency
The residency is a full-time, salaried, three-year position for well-qualified seminary graduates and final-year seminary students, focused on pastoral ministry with an optional church-planting emphasis. Residents take part in staff and elder meetings from their first day and learn primarily by doing real pastoral work. They pass through the same ordination process as every other elder and, from roughly the halfway point of the residency, serve as Associate Pastors.
Launch
At the end of the residency, our aim is to send each resident into an excellent pastoral position, whether in an established church or a church plant. Throughout the residency, we connect residents with pastors across our area so that they enter that call with a wide picture of pastoral ministry and a network of peers. Our alumni already serve in multiple cities, states, and countries.
How the Two Programs Work Together
The programs don't just fit in a sequence together - each makes the other better.
Residents Lead Interns
Pastoral Residents supervise first-year interns, so every resident has people to lead and shepherd from the start.
One Feedback Culture
Interns and residents share the same rhythms of sermon review, liturgy planning, and evaluation.
A Proven Pipeline
A year of real ministry reveals an intern's character and calling. So far, three of the six interns in our formalized program have become residents.
Built Around Seminary
Both programs are designed to fit alongside an MDiv, and the same seminary relationships bring candidates into each.
Is This Pathway for You?
Think of these as guides, not checklists.
A good fit if you:
- Sense an internal and external call to vocational ministry in the local church.
- Are a maturing disciple of Jesus and willing to place membership with Orlando Grace Church.
- Bring enough ministry experience to contribute right away; this should not be your first volunteer role.
- Are in, or planning to attend, seminary or Bible college. This is preferred, though not required for every track.
- Have a clear sense of the church family you hope to serve, such as Harbor Network, the SBC, the PCA, the EPC, or the EFCA.
- Can give an average of about 15 unpaid hours per week.
A good fit if you:
- Are called to pastoral ministry and meet the biblical qualifications for elder.
- Have completed seminary or are in your final year.
- Are ready to be trusted with real pastoral work, including preaching, teaching, and care, from your first day.
- Are prepared for our full ordination process, including written and oral examinations and congregational nomination.
- Can commit to three full-time years, with the aim of launching into a pastoral position or church plant.
- Welcome regular, candid feedback on your preaching, leadership, and character.
We believe the local church is the natural place to prepare those who will serve it. Whether someone joins us for a single year of ministry exposure or for five years that lead to ordination and a pastoral call, our prayer is the same: that God would be glorified, that His church would be built up, and that each person we train would be equipped for a lifetime of faithful and flourishing ministry.