Church Leadership Institute

Several years ago the American Baptist Churches of Indiana and Kentucky began to seek a new way of developing leaders in our churches.  After about a year of studying similar programs we developed a two-year study we called the Church Leadership Institute (CLI) and began the first class.  Our goal was to have ten people in our first class.  Thirty-two enrolled, and we have never looked back.

The primary purpose was to train lay leaders for our churches, but as the first class began to work its way through the program they started asking what was available for them when they finished their studies.  The development team decided to add a second level which would also be for lay leaders but could provide training for persons serving in bivocational churches who may not have a seminary education.  The first level consists of eight courses which can be completed in two years, and the second level is an additional five courses which requires a third year to complete.  Each course consists of four classes held on Saturdays over a two month period.

By any measurement, CLI has been a success for our region.  Dozens of students have completed either the two or three year programs.  Several of them are now serving as bivocational ministers in our region, and the rest are providing exceptional leadership to their churches in various capacities.  These students have received an education that could not be offered in most local churches by qualified instructors who hold advanced degrees in the fields they are teaching and/or have experience in those areas.

Due to the generosity of Franklin College all our classes have been offered on their beautiful campus until last year.  Our primary campus remains at Franklin, but we now have sites in New Albany and Vevay where our classes are also offered.  We hope to soon be able to have a site in northern Indiana to make this program more accessible to churches there.

Another change that occurred last year is that we opened CLI up to anyone regardless of their denominational affiliation or church membership.  Prior to this it was only available to members of our region churches, but we believe that this training can benefit more churches than just those in our particular denomination.  We already have a few individuals from other denominations participating in CLI, and our prayer is that we will see this number grow.

As a pastor for twenty years I know that in nearly every church there are a handful of individuals who want to go deeper in their training and in their walk with God.  I also know that it is very difficult for a pastor to spend the time with these individuals that he or she would like to spend.  There are so many demands on a pastor's time that it is very difficult to invest the amount of time in these folks that would be needed.  I also know that no pastor has the experience and knowledge in each of the subjects we teach to give their people what they need to go deeper. 

We want to help you and your people grow deeper in their walk with God and in their leadership capabilities.  CLI has proven its ability to do that for the past dozen years, and we would like the opportunity to work with you and your church to do that for you. 

For more information about CLI go to our website at www.abc-indiana.org and follow the links to CLI or contact Jennifer Greene at jennifergreene@abc-indiana.org.