Thirty years ago, the apostle’s instruction (2 Timothy 2:2) motivated me to disciple others. From then on, I have tried to have one or two people in my life that I am regularly meeting up with for spiritual upbuilding. What rocked my world was when another pastor pointed out, “Brothers, the primary idea of Paul’s directive is pastors (Timothy) and churches (Ephesus) equipping future pastors.”

How could I do that? I’m no D.L. Moody. A poster of Moody hung in my room growing up like that of a superhero. Born in Northfield, Massachusetts (1837), and converted in Boston at 18, Moody not only preached internationally, but established ministry training schools in Northfield, Chicago and Glasgow. Yet, the biblical conviction remained: pastors and churches preparing pastors for churches.

So, I began to learn how an ordinary pastor of an ordinary New England church might use a pastoral internship program to prepare pastors for churches.

Earlier, my thoughts of an internship program were driven by my desire to get some help. Call it young, energetic, cheap staff. But Paul wasn’t telling Timothy, “Look for some young guys who can give something to you.” He instructed Timothy, “Look for some faithful men and give something to them.” What you heard from me…entrust to faithful men. By definition–an internship is a learning experience that provides meaningful, practical instruction in a student’s field of study.

An undeniable biblical conviction compelled me to face my fears.

We don’t have time. We asked the church to provide a few deacons to unload practical tasks that stood in the elders’ way of fulfilling this ministry of the Word. We stretched out the schedule of our intern reading and writing assignments, to allow more time for those who were working full-time jobs. Every two weeks following the evening prayer meeting, the interns sat down with me and our elders to discuss their reflection papers. It worked. When the interns were available, I brought them with me to pastoral visits, membership interviews and discipleship meet-ups. Over coffee or a meal, the interns met up with pastor-elders, deacons and members.

We don’t have money. When I shared with our elders the point of 2 Timothy 2:2, and how a pastoral internship program could help us do that, they embraced the vision. We took the idea to the church and asked them to budget $1,000 for the first year. This provided enough money to purchase books for three men and pay their registration fees for a preaching workshop. Once the church saw the effectiveness of the internship program, they quadrupled the budget the following year.

I have little to offer. Just as faithful preaching often reveals areas in my life where I need to grow and change, the pastoral internship program did the same. But, it forced me to read good books on ecclesiology, pastoring, preaching, church history, mission and discipleship. In the end, our progress as pastors will benefit not only the interns but also the church as a whole. We started with what we had (beta) and worked to improve it.

I can’t find an intern. I began to pray that God would identify and provide men. The Lord reminded me that Paul found Timothy, his pastoral intern, in one of the obscure villages of Derbe or Lystra! Two of our first interns were young men who had grown up in our church and aspired to pastoral ministry. Another young man visited our church and I learned he hoped to attend seminary after he finished his engineering degree. We met up and I suggested he pray about being considered for our internship program. Just getting it off the ground helped us develop the program and have something to invite other guys to consider.

Our church won’t get on board. In a members’ meeting, I explained the biblical mandate for pastors and churches in some way, shape or form to prepare pastors for churches -- for this church. I shared our simple strategy to equip men through observing pastoral work, through engaging in church life, through interacting with good books and through preaching. The elders encouraged the church to invest a bit of money and time to get it going. Some people wondered if such a thing should only be limited for seminary graduates, but after the church saw the benefits in just one year, they never looked back. The church delights in seeing interns make progress in their preaching and teaching.

It’s necessary. Churches need pastors who labor in the preaching and teaching of God’s Word (1 Timothy 5:17). Churches need a plurality of pastors who lead with oversight (Titus 1:5; Acts 20:28). I hope that pastors will realize that this is not an option, it is a biblical mandate…regardless of the size of our location or congregation.

It’s doable. God gives us the strength and wisdom and energy we need to do the work he’s called us to do. Where better to raise up pastors for New England, than in New England churches?

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