Testimonials

During this course I was able to define my call and develop a spiritual resume.

I learned that when I was initially called by God to do something He had for me to do, I reacted like Moses. I could give God countless reasons why I couldn’t do whatever He was calling me to do.

As time passed, I moved from the Moses call to the Abraham call. I had finally reached a place in my journey where I stopped fighting God and told Him I would go wherever He wanted me to go and do whatever He wanted me to do.

As the lay pastor of 3 small churches in rural Nebraska, I perform all the duties of leading my churches in worship and caring for the congregations. I absolutely love what I do with the people here, and it wouldn’t have been possible without the classes and support of The Academy for Small Membership Church Ministries.  

Leaving home to attend classes was not an option for me. Through The Academy, I was able to complete the courses I needed online to learn how to lead small groups, bible study, and worship, including corporate and personal prayer.

Not only did I learn from the teachers and leaders, I also learned many valuable lessons from the people in my cohort. We were able to work together and comment on each other’s experiences. 

I feel very privileged to have had the opportunity to go through The Academy for Small Membership Church Ministries and would certainly recommend it for anyone who feels God calling them to leadership in the church. 

One of my highlights was the sharing done among the course "attendees." ... It is very cool to hear about the different ways the other attendees are working in God's Kingdom.

I was really fascinated by the comparison of who in the Bible I identified with. It was fun comparing how I have been called and my response to those in the Bible and their responses.

Another highlight was discussing the final paper with my pastor and District Superintendent. I was so touched by their affirmations of my calling and gifts and how supportive they were.

I absolutely believe The Academy gave me the tools and the confidence to be a pastor. The topics and teaching were geared toward preparing me and others to be of greater service to the church.

I was blessed with two great instructors: Dr. Carl Ellis and pastor Jada Hodgson. They are exceptional and knowledgeable leaders who provided us the knowledge and skills needed to pastor a church.

And I was blessed with a small group of fellow students who were committed to Christian service.

This is an amazing course, made all the richer by the instructors and the fellow students. The affirmations of my fellow students and the course instructors have not only encouraged me, but strengthened my calling. I will be ever grateful for this course.

For me the most important thing was confidence. I can see things that God has done over the years that were preparing me for this time of answering his call.

I liked the way that the course prepared us for the meeting with our district superintendent. At least for me, I had no idea what to expect from a meeting with her. It took a lot of pressure off me knowing that I was well prepared before I got there.

Everyone in church leadership should take this course.

You can teach old dogs new tricks. Age should not be a barrier for learning and serving.