Have you ever seen dreams come true? Have you ever asked, “How can I make a difference in the world?” The Ministerial Intern Scholarship Program is truly a dream come true that is making a profound difference.
Over the past few years, our former SNU President, Dr. Loren Gresham, had been dreaming of ways to equip better pastors for the Church of the Nazarene. In addition to building a great faculty in the School of Theology and Ministry to train our pastors educationally, he has wanted to provide assistance in the areas of practical training as well as financial assistance for ministerial students. The Ministerial Intern Program helps to fulfill these dreams.
Initiated in 1996, this program helps Nazarene ministerial students receive practical ministry experience throughout their college experience. In return, the interns receive scholarship money for the ministry hours that they work.
- First-year interns invest 5 hours in a local church and receive a $3500 scholarship.
- Second-year interns invest 10 hours in a local church and receive a $4500 scholarship.
- Third-year interns invest 12 hours in a local church and receive a $5500 scholarship.
- Fourth-year interns invest 15 hours in a local church and receive a $6500 scholarship.
The purpose of this program is three-fold:
- To connect the academics in the classroom with the practics in the ministry
- To build better-trained pastors who are fully equipped to take a changeless gospel to a changing world.
- To reduce the financial debt load of pastors so they will be able to focus their full attention to pastoral ministry rather than to debt reduction.
Entry into the program is based on scholarship, potential, personal testimony, recommendations and financial need. Participation in the program involves significant accountability, both to the church and supervising pastor where the internship is served and to the department and university who subsidizes the scholarship. Continuation in the program is accomplished by maintaining a 2.7 GPA, successfully fulfilling the expectations of the program and being recommended by the School of Theology and Ministry faculty.
If you or someone you know is considering studying for the ministry, here are the steps to take to secure a Ministerial Intern Scholarship:
- Make application to SNU and declare your major as Pastoral Ministry, Theology, Missions or Youth Ministry.
- You will receive a letter from Dr. Jim Fitzgerald, Chair of the School of Theology and Ministry, welcoming you to our School of Theology and Ministry.
- If you are a member of the Church of the Nazarene, you will receive an application for the Ministry Intern Scholarship.
- Complete and return the scholarship application along with a recommendation from your pastor, your personal testimony that tells us about your call, and a copy of your Local Ministerial License. (Check with your pastor about securing this license.)
- If you are selected for the Ministerial Intern Program, you will receive a congratulatory letter from Dr. Jim Fitzgerald.
We here at SNU are excited about the privilege we have to serve our church and also to come alongside those who are preparing for full time Christian ministry. Funding this Ministerial Intern Scholarship Program is dramatic evidence of SNU’s commitment to the future of the Church of the Nazarene and her ministerial leaders.
If you have questions about the program you can contact Dr. Jim Fitzgerald, the program director by email at jfitzgerald@snu.edu.