Are you looking for…
…training in how to be a faithful pastor or church planter?
…a program that is relational and transformational?
…a context to learn whilst being in a healthy local church?
Pastors + Planters Academy
The Sovereign Grace Churches Australia Pastors and Planters Academy exists to teach men how to build their lives, families, and churches upon the gospel of Jesus Christ so that we can reach more people and plant more enduring churches.
Over the years we’ve raised up pastors and planters from within our churches and now we want to create a pathway for people outside of our local churches to be trained and deployed for Gospel ministry.
In a nutshell:
The Academy is a program designed to train future Sovereign Grace Pastors and Planters to serve in and plant Sovereign Grace Churches, the Sovereign Grace way.
The Academy involves a relational process of training, caring for, assessing, and deploying qualified men to be faithful and healthy pastors.
When the gospel is consistently and faithfully applied, it produces a particular kind of pastor—and you know it when you see it. They become joyful, humble, grateful, encouraging, servant-hearted shepherds.
Such pastors display the beauty and power of the gospel they proclaim. They are infectious, resilient, and steadfast—in a word, faithful. And these are the kinds of pastors whose own joy in Christ creates cultures of joy, humility, servanthood, and grace in the churches they lead.
These are the Pastors we want to be, reproduce, and send out.
The Program
Paul instructs Timothy to “watch your life and doctrine closely” (1 Tim. 4:16) and over the course of the academy we will aim to develop and train you in four key areas:
Our Academy is designed to transfer the theological principles and practices we use to build a church and induct you in the DNA, culture, distinctives and fellowship of Sovereign Grace Churches. There are three phases:
During the Academy you will be covering the following modules, amidst being involved in the life of a church, an in a cohort of other students:
The Commitment
The Academy can be completed in two ways:
1. Academy Internship: placement within a local Sovereign Grace Church (1 day per week (Wednesday Morning = minimum) plus Sundays)
2. Academy Intensive: participating locally in short bursts whilst living out of area
If you are interested in finding out more, please read the ‘Academy Info Pack’.
You can then submit an expression of interest form below to get the conversation going.
“Watch your life and doctrine closely”
1 Timothy 4:11
2023 EXPRESSION OF INTEREST FORM
FAQ’s
How much does the Academy cost?
We’ve designed the Academy so that people can work bi-vocationally whilst completing the program. The Academy Course and materials are sponsored by SGC Australia. You would need to fund your personal and family requirements. Please contact us to find out more information.
Where is the Academy located?
The Academy will be run out of Sovereign Grace Church Sydney located in Sydney’s North. They currently gather in Wahroonga, at the Fox Valley Community Centre and their head office is in Thornleigh. SGC Parramatta is also connected with the program and is a possible site for residency.
Who will the instructors be?
Because this is a Pastors and Planters Academy the instructors will primarily be Pastors and Planters from within Sovereign Grace Churches Australia and Sovereign Grace Global. The primary teaching will come from the Pastors of Sovereign Grace Church: Dave Taylor, Brendan Willis, and Riley Spring, as well as from key resources handpicked by us.
What does the Academy program look like week to week?
We pursue our vision by following the Apostle Paul’s exhortation to Timothy: “Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers.” (1 Timothy 4:16)
These twin priorities—life and doctrine—inform every facet of the Academy. Our program combines three primary components:
Theological Study for Ministry
Intentional Discipleship and Care
Practical Training in Ministry
You will complete the modular-style courses over a 12 month period, covering a range of theologically informed topics to prepare you and equip you for Pastoral Ministry. These modules will be made up of direct teaching, reading + listening assignments, as well as conversations over many cups of coffee!
Along with the training program, the students and their wives participate in a rich community of fellowship and discipleship situated within the local church. Wives will be care for and supported whilst being trained in how to best support and help their husbands in the task of ministry.
We highly value fellowship and care as a biblical priority and will walk with you and your family throughout the program. From beginning to end, our ecclesiology informs both the format and context of our program, precisely because our students are being equipping to serve the local church which Jesus obtained with his own blood” (Acts 20:28).
How much time will be required?
This will depend on your study mode. For the Academy Internship you’ll need at least 1 day a week on a Wednesday for study, plus Sunday church involvement, plus time for reading and other ministry work. For the Academy Intensive this will be more flexible but will require coming on site for blocks of time.
What if I have already completed theological studies or am ordained in another denomination?
Our program is designed to complement theological education and develop you further for pastoral ministry, with particular focus on ministry within Sovereign Grace Churches. You are welcome, whatever your background is if you are keen to learn from a different view point.
What if I haven’t completed any theological studies?
Our program is focused on instilling and transferring a theological and practical vision for pastoral ministry that is rooted in the bible. Though a background in studying theology would be helpful, it is not a requirement for our course and could be taken up before, during or after the Academy.