By Rhea Choudhary | Intern

Baylor launched a new Future Church Leadership Certificate designed to help ministry leaders respond to rising difficulties such as loneliness, burnout and a decrease in engagement within faith communities.

Created through a collaboration between Truett Theological Seminary’s Program for the Future Church and Baylor’s Office of Engaged Learning, the program offers four non-credit online courses that participants can complete on their own schedules.

“These individuals may not be preaching in the pulpit or setting the vision for ministry, but they are the ones who make ministry possible week after week and carry the weight of care, coordination and creativity in ways that often go unseen,” said Dustin D. Benac, Th.D., director and co-founder of the Program for the Future Church.

The certificate’s focus is on collaborative leadership and church innovation, topics Baylor officials say directly correlate to the needs of modern ministry. Leaders aspire for the new program to act as a training gap for those currently serving in churches, nonprofits and pastoral support roles.

“Addressing these issues is central to the sustainability of a thriving ministry,” Benac said. “However, church and nonprofit leaders report that they are not always trained to respond to these challenges as they continue to lead change in their communities.”

According to Truett Seminary Dean Todd D. Still, the certificate is intended to strengthen leaders working in a rapidly shifting spiritual environment.

“My hope is that this program will equip, enable and empower participants to be more thoughtful, faithful and fruitful in serving the Lord and those with whom they are privileged to serve,” Still said.

Thornton, Colo., freshman Tyler Elmore hopes to become a pastor and said programs like this show what ministry increasingly requires. Elmore said his interest in pastoral leadership began long before coming to Baylor and grew as he studied theology on his own and became involved in church leadership in high school.

“I’ve always been really interested in theology and the tough questions of Christianity,” Elmore said. “That sort of made me stand out in church settings because I knew more than your next high schooler, so I was eventually invited to be on leadership teams and then eventually to start teaching and giving sermons.”

Elmore believes that pastoral training is not simply about academic study but about character development, something he believes Baylor encourages through both coursework and community expectations.

“There’s a lot of trust that goes into leading people, especially in a spiritual context,” Elmore said. “You need to be forged as a person for it and not just know a list of facts.”

Baylor leaders state the certificate’s goal is to support that type of personal preparation by pairing practical ministry tools with topics affecting real congregations. Associate Dean of Engaged Learning Dr. Andy Hogue said the certificate responds to needs emerging across the church at large.

“This certificate program responds to emerging needs and prepares leaders for what the future requires so the church might help lead the way in efforts to help communities thrive,” Hogue said.

Elmore, who is completing his chapel requirement through Memorial Chapel, said even experiences outside of the classroom have framed the way he thinks about ministry. Originating from a non-denominational background, Elmore believes Baylor Chapel has taught him new forms of worship and liturgy.

“[Memorial Chapel] introduced me to some liturgy and ideas of how to guide things,” Elmore said. “But it is also forming me into the person I want to be. To take that time, reflect, worship God and read the prayers of people who came before me, that all helps shape me for the future.”

The Future Church Leadership Certificate is open to church staff, lay leaders, nonprofit workers and other Christian leaders around the world. Courses are available online, and teams or cohorts are encouraged to apply. Baylor plans to expand the program with future electives on topics such as disability and fundraising.