Boards and Agencies of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland

The Board of Christian Training

Accredited Preacher Scheme

Be equipped to proclaim!

The Accredited Preacher Scheme is open to church members, male or female, who have some experience of preaching and leading worship services. There is no upper age limit.

The scheme develops the gifts of participants through training and mentoring over one year. On successful completion of the scheme the participant will be recognised as an Accredited Preacher for the Presbyterian Church in Ireland. Accredited Preachers will then be able to provide support in leading worship services and preaching in, for example, vacant congregations or their own congregation.

The training will be provided at weekends and/or evenings to make it more accessible to those in full time employment. Participants are also assigned to a preaching mentor who will help them develop through practical experience.

The next course will be based in Belfast commencing in January 2013. Applications for this course should be submitted by 7th September 2012. Applicants will first be interviewed by their Presbytery and, if endorsed by Presbytery, have a further interview by a panel from the Board of Christian Training.

Application forms are available either electronically or by post. Please email the Training Resource Centre: trc.office@union.ac.uk or call +44 (0) 28 9020 5088

Frequently Asked Questions

The following are some frequently asked questions about the Accredited Preacher Scheme. As the scheme is at a pilot phase there is still some working out to be done of the details and some things may change. However, we hope that these answers are helpful in explaining this exciting new role in the Presbyterian Church in Ireland.

What will an Accredited Preacher do?

Accredited Preachers will have a voluntary role helping out with leading worship services and preaching. For example, this could be in their own congregation and/or in others, particularly in vacant congregations or those that have one Minister for two or three congregations.

How big a time commitment will an Accredited Preacher be expected to make?

The number of Sundays a year that Accredited Preachers will take services will vary depending on how much they can do and what the need and opportunities are in the area they live. However, it is not intended that Accredited Preachers act as itinerant preachers and spend every Sunday away from their home congregation.

Will there be a central person for Ministers to ask for a list Accredited Preachers?

There will be a list of Accredited Preachers held centrally but only the contact details of those Accredited Preachers who have said they are available to be contacted will be given to Ministers who request them.

What sort of person can apply to be an Accredited Preacher?

Any church member, male or female, of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland who is over 18 (there is no upper age limit) can apply. The scheme is intended for those who already have some experience of preaching and leading worship services. Extensive experience is not a requirement but it should be enough for those who apply to have recognised (or for others to have recognised) that they may have a gift in this area. At a minimum, experience should normally include preaching in a normal morning or evening service (i.e., not only in a youth service or special service) and some experience of delivering at least some parts of a service including public prayer.

Are there any academic requirements?

There are no academic requirements. This course is open to people from all academic backgrounds. However, although the course is designed not to be overly academic participants should still expect to have to work hard whatever their level of academic ability.

When and where will the next training course be?

The next course will commence in Belfast in January 2013. Training will be held over four or five Saturdays probably one a month. Saturday was chosen to make the course more accessible for people in full time jobs and also to make it easier for people to come from further afield than an evening course would allow.

Is it too late to apply to the courses in Londonderry and Dublin starting in January 2012? Yes, unfortunately the deadline to apply for these courses has passed and interviews are already on-going.

How do I apply?

Application forms as well as forms for two referees and one for your Kirk Session are available either electronically or by post. Please email the Training Resource Centre: trc.office@union.ac.uk or call +44 (0) 28 9020 5088. It is preferred that you fill the form in electronically, print and sign it and post it back but if this is not a possibility for you then application forms can be posted to you.

What is the deadline for applying?

The deadline for the next course in Belfast will be 7th September 2012. By this date all forms including references should have been received. Please allow enough time for these forms to be completed and remind your referees of the urgency to get the forms in. Note that the deadline is at the end of the summer which can be a difficult time to get forms filled in so you should consider asking for references and a Kirk Session Statement before the summer. Forms submitted early are welcome!

What happens after I apply? Is there an interview?

Application forms will be forwarded to your Presbytery and they will then hold interviews. If you are endorsed by your Presbytery then there will be a further interview by a panel from the Board of Christian Training. You will also have to submit forms for a police check.

How much does the course cost?

The course costs approximately £150 (or €180). The cost is also partly funded by the Board of Christian training so that participants do not have to cover the full costs. You may be able to get help from your congregation with the cost as this should be seen as an investment in the building up of both the local and wider church.

What will the training involve?

The training will cover all aspects of leading a worship service from choosing Psalms, hymns and songs, to prayers, children's talk and preaching. There will be a major focus on preaching especially on how to correctly handle the text as well as delivery. The course will include lectures and workshops as well as assignments to work on at home.

Will there be an opportunity to practice?

Yes, as well as practice in the course workshops, participants will be assigned to a 'preaching mentor' who will help them develop through preaching and leading worship services at least three times in the second part of the year. The preaching mentor will normally be a Minister or could be an Elder who is an experienced preacher. Normally the preaching mentor will not be the participant's own Minister. The participant may be invited to the preaching mentor's congregation to lead services (which could be evening or midweek services as well as Sunday morning) or the preaching mentor may come to hear the participant in their own congregation or elsewhere.

How will those doing the course be assessed?

Assessment will be both through assignments during the training course and an assessment of practice by the preaching mentor who will decide if the participant is at the stage where they are ready to go out and lead services and preach without needing help from someone else. At the end of the course participants will also be assessed in leading a service and preaching by a panel. It should be noted that the outcome of the assessment is not a simple pass/fail but that in some cases it may be recommended that the participant get further practice before they are accredited.

Once someone is an Accredited Preacher will they be qualified for life? It is expected that Accredited Preachers will do some further training in the years following the course and also seek to continually develop themselves as preachers and leaders of worship services. The details of this will be worked out as the programme develops. It is important to say that there will be an expectation that Accredited Preachers will be the sort of people who want to be always learning from God's Word and improving how they carry out their role so that they can have more to give to others.

I have a further question. Who should I ask?

If you have further questions please contact Tom Finnegan, the Christian Training Development Officer. Email: tfinnegan@presbyterianireland.org Direct dial telephone 028 9020 5085 (048 9020 5085 from the Republic of Ireland).