One of our great encouragements is seeing an increasing number of men and women from a variety of different backgrounds training for gospel ministry in Independent churches.
We have excellent relationships with theological colleges and training providers in England, Scotland and Wales. We also offer grants from our Training Fund, which was set up in 2012 to offer money to churches and individuals who are seeking to train men and women for ministry.
Each January we hold The Hub Conference which is a weekend designed to serve those who are exploring the call to gospel ministry or are already in training. The Hub works closely with FIEC churches to help them to make wise decisions about those seeking to train for ministry.
The Training Fund
Since 2012, almost £2m has been given to churches to support individuals training for ministry or to support churches employing a worker in a training position.
We welcome applications from all FIEC churches. The Fund is not just to train pastors but can also be used to train evangelists, women’s workers, youth & children’s workers or any other ministry position in a church.
Applications are considered in two categories:
Church applications
Applications are invited from churches with regards to two-year appointments (up to a maximum of £15,000 per year) of trainee gospel workers across a breadth of ministry. The grant will not ordinarily be more than 50% of the cost of the post.
Any grant from the FIEC Training Fund will normally not exceed 15% of the church’s total annual budget. Furthermore, we want to be satisfied that existing workers are properly financially supported and that the church’s plan for the post is realistic and sustainable for the period envisaged.
Individual applications
Applications are invited from individuals with regards to grants for training (up to a maximum of two years and a maximum of £7,500 per year).
The Training Grant Committee meets twice a year. The deadlines are as follows:
- 31st March for consideration at the May meeting for funding in September.
- 31st October for consideration in late November for funding in January.
If you would like to apply to the Training Fund, please get in touch with us for an application form.
Giving to the fund
The fund has been generously supported by donations from our churches (often as part of their mission giving), funds released from closed churches, and from gracious gifts from individuals who share our vision for training a new generation of leaders.
We’d love to hear from you if you or your church could support us in this way. Please contact us in the office for an initial discussion.
Colleges & Courses
There are a number of options for those who are seeking theological training in Great Britain. Some of these options are residential, others offer more flexible distance learning. We would advise you to investigate all the options before deciding what is best for you.
