Williams Baptist University (WBU) has announced a new partnership designed to help pastors in Arkansas obtain certificates in ministerial training. The agreement, signed on Tuesday, Oct. 20, was formalized during the Arkansas Baptist State Convention (ABSC) meeting in Rogers.
WBU President Dr. Stan Norman and Jay Parks, Director of Pastor Training Schools, signed the partnership, which will allow WBU to award certificates to participants completing a structured curriculum provided by Pastor Training Schools.
“This program is for those who feel called to pastor churches but are not at a place in life where they can pick up, move to Walnut Ridge, and work toward a bachelor’s degree,” Dr. Norman explained during his annual report to the ABSC. He added that the initiative aims to establish cohorts at locations throughout Arkansas to make education accessible to more individuals.
Pastor Training Schools, originally founded in Mississippi, currently serves 300 students and offers evening classes at various convenient locations. The certificate program spans two years and covers a range of ministry-focused topics, including spiritual formation, hermeneutics, homiletics, theology, pastoral ministry, evangelism, church revitalization, and discipleship strategies.
“We are so excited about the Lord opening doors in Arkansas through our partnership with Williams Baptist University to equip full-time pastors, bi-vocational pastors, or men who are exploring a call to ministry,” said Parks. “We look forward to locking arms with local pastors throughout Arkansas to identify and equip God-called men for the churches across the state.”
WBU and Pastor Training Schools plan to launch the new cohorts by March. Interested individuals or communities looking to establish cohorts are encouraged to contact Dr. Brett Cooper at WBU (bcooper@williamsbu.edu) or Jay Parks at Pastor Training Schools (jayp@pastortrainingschools.org).
Williams Baptist University, a private Christian institution, is located in Walnut Ridge.